Top 15 Disadvantages of using Computers for Long Hours

We are living in an era of technology with a full blown technical revolution having already taken place. There is a plethora of latest electrical gadgets hitting the market everyday and science and technology has reached heights we could barely imagine of in the last few decades. The human being is becoming more and more dependent on machines with each passing day, especially the computer. So much so that we can barely survive a day without using them. Computers have popularly been around since last 30-40 years and undoubtedly hold a primacy in our homes as well as in our lives. And now there are even much smarter and smaller versions of it available viz. laptops, netbooks, tablets etc. Now where one of the most intelligent and useful inventions the computer has made our lives quite easy and convenient, there is also a downside we are refusing to take note of. The amount of time we are spending in front of our computer screens is more than ever and when we are at it, little do we realize that what bad it is doing to us and how much it can harm us physically, psychologically and socially. Here is a list of 15 disadvantages of using computer for long hours. Take a look and ponder.

15. Time wastage while doing unproductive activities
time wastage

Believe it or not but people actually sit in front of their computer all day long just to play Candy Crush Saga, Zynger poker and other meaningless games. And why just games but there are a large number of unproductive activities that one can spend their day doing over the computer, like chatting, online gaming or just random net surfing. Though using computer as a means of entertainment is a good idea but staying glued over it for hours is not a good one at all as it simply leads to wastage of time which could have been put to use for some other productive work.

14. Lack of Physical Activity
lack of physical activity

As computers are becoming more and more easy to access we are becoming unbelievably lazy and physically inactive. Simple outdoor activities like walking in a park or playing sports have been replaced by long gaming sessions and hours of internet browsing which is creating a generation who is extremely tech savvy but physically inactive.

13. Causes poor blood circulation
poor blood circulation

Using computer for long hours means sitting in the same position which leads to poor blood circulation. This causes fatigue in the limbs, painful cramps and blood clots. Prolonged sitting is never healthy for the body and it is always advised to move around and do little exercises to stretch your body.

12. Creates tendency to skip meals
tendency to skip meals

While working on a computer we often tend to forget to eat and end up skipping meals. Our mind loses the track of time and the consciousness to do other important activities like eating. And this is obviously unhealthy as our body needs food on time to get energy and to keep functioning properly.

11. Can result in overeating and obesity
overeating and obesity

As much as skipping meals is a disadvantage of using computers for long hours, over eating is also another problem we need to tackle. Just like while watching television or movies we need something to munch on, while on the computer too people tend to keep eating snacks or any other food. Moreover prolonged sitting and no movement causes fat to accumulate inside our bodies and risk obesity.

10. Poor posture causes body-ache
poor posture

While using the computer for long hours little we care about our posture and end up having body ache. The poor alignment of head, neck and shoulders causes pain and also has harmful everlasting effects on our body.

9. Causes headache
headache

Don’t you feel your head getting a little heavy and paining when you turn off your computer after being on it for hours? Using computers for long hours can cause severe headache which a lot of people complain about when they have to spend long hours working on the computer in office or at home. Our body and mind obviously needs rest but when you are constantly using computer for abnormally long hours, the body is unable to get the rest.

8. Strains the eyes and causes poor eye sight
eye strain

Eye strain is another unpleasant disadvantage of computers. Constantly staring at the monitor screen stresses out our eyes and makes them dry and sore. Not just it causes an unpleasant feeling but it can also lead to a poor eye-sight. One should always take frequent breaks and focus on a distant object for a little while as a simple eye exercise.

7. Can lead to insomnia
causes insomnia

Giving up sleep to stay hooked to computer and internet has become a norm for a large number of youngsters these days. Not just the computer distracts them from taking a good night’s sleep but it also disturbs their normal sleeping pattern causing adverse effects on the health. A recent study suggested that working on computer for at least 5 hours a day can cause insomnia.

6. Can cause depression
causes depression

This might sound a little hard to believe but studies have concluded that spending too much time on computer can cause serious mental illness like depression. Working on the computer often gives a lot of people a feeling of isolation like they have lost contact with the real world. This sense of isolation makes them end up feeling less cheerful and depressed. Regularly using computers for long hours can push a healthy person towards depression.

5. Has an ill effect on education
ill effect on education

While computer serves a great deal in helping students with their studies, it also proves to be a huge disadvantage. Students can easily access informational websites like Wikipedia to gain knowledge but computer is also one of the biggest distractions for the youngsters. They end up staying long hours over the computers when they should be studying and as a result there is a negative effect on their academic performance.

4. Makes you vulnerable to cyber crimes
vulnerability to cyber crime

Longer the time we spend on computer the more we fall prey to a rather ugly side of it. Cases of cyber crimes have been increasing alarmingly in the recent times and while a person is on the computer for hours you never know what another crime might be alluring them towards itself. Profile hacks, online threatening and blackmailing, privacy invasions are just a few of them.

3. Tampers your creativity
tampers creativity

You may think that endless scrolling over the internet pages and reading through every random blog is making you a smarter person but when you spend hours doing it, it is actually making you dull. The fact that there is so much information so easily available to us, tinkers our natural creativity and little is anyone of us interested in making efforts to do some extra research.

2. An unhealthy addiction
unhealthy addiction

I think we all are well aware of how addictive gadgets can be. Especially when we are talking about computers, once you have become an active user it isn’t very difficult to get caught in the addiction. And why is it unhealthy? That’s what I have been talking about in this whole article! Are you even listening? It is a vicious circle.

1. Results in an Inactive social life
inactive social life

When was the last time you went out with your group of friends? And when was the last time you had a chat with them on Facebook, or commented on their latest selfie? The latter one will be much recent I bet. Getting what I’m saying? Where computers have proved to be a boon in easing our lives and reducing tasks it has also made us “virtually active” nincompoops while our actual social lives have come to a halt. Gosh! I have been on the computer for 6 hours straight. My back hurts. And I totally need to get a life. Pfff!