Over the years, the population’s increasing use of cell phones has raised several health concerns. Some worries have yet to be proven, but others are indeed very real threats. In today’s article, we explore a few different dangers of frequent cell phone use. We hope that you’ll read over this and reflect on your own habits and how you can improve them.

1. Vision

Perhaps one of the most prevalent concerns surrounding cell phones is the damage they can cause to one’s vision. People spend a fair amount of time squinting at their screens, often straining their eyes to make out the text, which causes their muscles to overwork. The constant glare of cell phones can also cause strain, especially at night. Try to keep the brightness of your phone at a minimum, and increase the font size of your phone’s text if necessary.

2. Chronic Pain

People who suffer from neck or back pain may not realize they can credit this to such little devices as their phones. When you spend so much time bending your neck to look at your phone, your back works overtime to support that extra weight caused by the head tilt. When you force your back to support this weight again and again, you may develop both back and shoulder pain as well as frequent headaches. You can prevent some of this pain by keeping both your back and neck straight while you use your phone.

3. Radiation

The amount of radiation in today’s environment often raises concerns about individuals contracting serious ailments, one of the most prevalent of these being cancer. Cell phones are always interacting with these signals and emitting some of their own. Fortunately, the radiation shielding that’s incorporated into your phone’s design should alleviate these concerns.

4. Addiction

You can use your smartphone for almost anything today—communicating, using social media, listening to music, and checking your bank account, to name a few. The problem with this is that you can develop an addiction to your cellphone that’s hard to break. Over time, you may feel pressured to respond to a text immediately or to switch through songs while you’re driving. This can ultimately lead to an unmanageable amount of stress and anxiety. Try to turn your phone off at least once a day. If you find it too difficult to break your addiction, have someone close to you take your phone away for a set amount of time.