Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of UCHealth and does not reflect the same of KOAA.
COLORADO SPRINGS – As we look forward to Black Friday this year, UCHealth is encouraging people to log off and “check out” from their personal devices and social media and focus on spending quality time with friends and loved ones, with their Black Friday Checkout initiative.
In a recent survey of Coloradans, UCHealth found that 48 percent of those surveyed feel that social media has a negative effect on personal and family relationships, and 60 percent of them spend more than an hour on their mobile device every day.
Dr. Carrie Landin, the psychologist at the UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center, says: “I think the Black Friday checkout campaign is a great opportunity to get off social media … and be present with others. Have face-to-face interactions with friends and family, or even just reconnect with yourself.”
One of the many problems screen time can cause is eye fatigue and dry eye says, Dr. Richard Davidson, an ophthalmologist with the UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center. “When you’re using screens, like a computer, laptop, or tablet, you blink less often. Hour after hour you stare more and those stares add up over time and can cause dry eye.”
Unplugging from your phone or tablet can also help you sleep better says, Dr. Katherine Green, the Medical Director of the UCHealth Sleep Center in Aurora. “Things like phones, tablets, computers, television – they all emit blue light. The blue light will directly turn off the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep.”
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, good luck in checking out and connecting with those around you.
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