The average smartphone user unlocks their phone about 150 times a day. Staying in touch, taking photos, getting directions, watching videos, reading the news — there are many reasons we rely on our smartphones so much. But they can also become a distraction. In today’s episode, we explore the double-edged sword that is the smartphone, a tool that can improve our lives but also cause a reliance bordering on addiction — and how this impacts our mood, sleep, interpersonal interactions, ability to learn and more.

Hosts: Zach Moore, John Dabkowski (interviewer)

Expert: Dr. Kenneth Podell, Neuropsychologist

Notable topics covered:

• Nomophobia, the fear of being without your smartphone 
• The way excessive screen time leads to smartphone addiction 
• How reading on your phone is different from reading from a book 
• Whether the blue light emitted from our smartphones affects our sleep 
• When smartphones affect how we interact with other people 
• It’s not all doom and gloom — the benefits of smartphones 
• Dr. Podell’s tips for forming a healthier relationship with your smartphone  

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