10 Shocking Ways New Age Technologies are Ruining Natural Selection

No doubt, technology is reducing the human workload. Every day, new technology is coming up with advanced features and attracting millions of people from around the world. But do you know these modern technologies are ruining the natural selection? You might not know, but according to the study, smartphones have reduced our attention span and also caused insomnia.

Technology is both a curse and a boon. Right from smartphones to advances in medicine, technology is changing our lives faster than any natural selection could. Social media is a great platform to connect with friends and family. However, it is making us addicted to our phones, reducing our concentration, and affecting our mental health.

Charles Darwin, “The Father of Evolution,” used his theory of natural selection and described that technology is interfering with natural selection in humans. People with unfavorable conditions are passing their traits to offspring. Also, others are living with several health challenges caused by new technologies.

Let us find out how modern technologies are ruining the natural selection.

1. There’s a Development of Horn-Like Structure at the Back of our Skulls

We bend our necks when we use smartphones or laptops. This is causing the development of a hornlike structure at the end of the back of our skulls. The bent head delivers pressure, at the point where neck muscles make contact with the skull thus horns are grown. These little horns are called “external occipital protuberances.”

People having these little horns can feel it with fingers. We bend our heads while reading books, using smartphones, doing household chores, and more. So next time, when you use smartphones or read books, make sure that you take breaks often.

2. Processed and Junk Foods are Changing Your Kids' Face

Source = Telegraph

Yes, you read it right. The food they eat determines the shape and strength of face including, jaws and skull. The majority of newborns today have abnormal faces caused by the processed foods they start to eat right after birth.

Natural foods contain the necessary nutrients required for facial development. These foods allow children to eat with their jaws and make their skull and jaws stronger. Processed foods, on the other hand, reduce chewing and make weaker jaws.

Today, people have become extremely dependent on processed foods, making our skulls 5-10% smaller than those of humans from the Paleolithic Era. The same problem is noticed in animals too. Young animals consume processed foods often and end up having jaw problems.

3. Technology is Causing Nearsightedness (Myopia) in Adults and Kids

Source = Coopervision

Nearly 60-70 years ago, it was recorded that only ten-twenty percentage of Chinese teenagers suffered Myopia. Today, Myopia levels have increased in the United States, Europe, South Korea, and China. The stats estimate that over 2.5 billion people will suffer from near-sightedness by 2020.

Teenagers are developing Myopia because they play indoors and stay away from sunlight, which is also an important factor for the development of eyes. Researchers believe that Myopia could be decreased if they play in the sunlight every day. This is not for kids; even adults should walk in the sunlight and spend a lot of time outside.

4. Dependence on Medication for Survival Makes Immune System Weaker

Source = Markettrendsnews

How often do you take medicines? Nowadays, people take medicines if they have a headache, stomach and joint pain, and other small problems. With the continued medication for survival, the immune system becomes weak and cannot handle disease on its own.

For many people, taking medicines is a part of their daily routine. Although medicines help you get well, it is important to know that its consumption has risks and benefits as well.

So next time, when you take medicine, ask a doctor about its side effects and the right amount of dosage for your body.

5. More Usage of Social Media is Making us Absent-Minded

Source = Theatlantic

How many times do you open Google? When you have to find an answer to a silly question, know about the places you can visit in 2019, what’s trending, read about a topic and look for more questions. Most people use search engines like Google and Yahoo to look for easy answers. This is what researchers have named as Google Effect. Do you know this habit of scrolling search engines is making you forget things?

According to researchers, people often check the internet whenever they cannot answer any question. The Google Effect happens because people usually remember significant information and forget trivial facts.

Are you also suffering from Google Effect? If so, this could be a warning sign. So, you better not use Google and look for the information in books.

6. Smartphones are Reducing Concentration Level

Source = Indianexpress

You might feel surprised, but the brain can work even after our death. Our brain can also predict future events. For instance, the brain can determine the best time to take hands back for a perfect shot while you play tennis.

Brains work on the same concept for smartphones. For instance, you touch your phone in every 5-7 minutes, this behavior is predicted by the brain, and it reminds you to check phone after this time interval. This makes you unable to concentrate on what you are doing.

Studies have proved that phone addiction makes the brain less responsible for the body. Also, they need great efforts to concentrate on a single task.

How much time do you spend on a smartphone? If you are using it for over 7-8 hours, stop it right now and use it only when it is necessary.

7. Smartphones Cause Insomnia

Source = Harvard

Smartphones not only reduce your concentration level but also disturb your sleep. Taking your smartphone to bed is the main cause of insomnia. People who take their phones to bed end up checking notifications, chatting, and other things. This makes them sleeping late, and they feel drowsy in the daytime. Also, smartphones emit a blue light that the brain interprets as daylight.

The light lowers the secretion of melatonin (a hormone that tells the body it is time to sleep). The excessive usage of smartphones, especially in teenagers, is hampering the sleeping pattern daily.

Researchers from San Francisco confirmed that sleep deprivation is magnified by exposure to blue light emitted by smartphones. Do you know nearly 70% of people sleep holding their smartphone or have it on their bed? Some put smartphones near them (on the bed) so that they can off their alarm within an arm’s reach.

But do you know when the smartphone is on the bed, it is difficult to resist scrolling through emails and Instagram? Not only smartphones, but tablets, televisions, and laptops also emit blue light. Overcome these smartphone issues by using an old-fashioned alarm clock or keeping the smartphone far away from your arm’s reach.

8. Social Media Causes Depression

Source = Google

People today are very active on social media. They spend nearly 6-7 hours on social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to upload pictures and chat. This is creating several problems, including anxiety, loss of concentration, depression, and hyperactivity. Sometimes, they also suffer from FOMO, which makes them curious to check their social account unnecessarily.

The link between social media and health problems is blurred, as there is not enough research done to establish this connection. Some say that the excessive use of social media causes loneliness and depression because most people have those characteristics and use social media to interact with people. Studies proved that people who use less social media are happier than those who use it more often.

One research involved over 100 Pennsylvania students, divided them into two groups. One group reduced their time on social media and found lower levels of depression and a great improvement in mental health. Another group that used social media more was depressed but extremely curious to know what’s trending.

9. Eating Softer & More Cooked Foods Made our Jaws Smaller & Weaker

Source = Telegraph

Have you noticed the pictures of early hunter-gatherers? They had large jaws and teeth because they did a lot of chewing. However, these disappeared when people dumped the hunting lifestyle for farming 13,000 years ago. They ate plants, uncooked meat that required a lot of jaws strength to chew. This made their jaws stronger.

Our jaws became weaker because we started cooking our meals that did not require more jaw strength. Also, we started farming softer crops, which made our jaws weaker. This switching from uncooked meat to cooked meat also made bones less dense around the joints.

10. Spending Time on Internet Lowers Cognitive Abilities

Source = Washingtonpost

It was in 2011 when Professor David Levy of the University of Washington’s Information School introduced this term ‘popcorn brain’ that describes the bad effects of technology on our ability to think and recall information.

People with this brain remain busy in their online lives and are uninterested in their offline lives. He discovered that people are curious about reading new facts and information like a new message and email.

Our brain adapts this habit and often wants to find new information every time. This high expectation of new information makes them unable to live their normal life offline. Another research proved that students who used the internet for over 190 hours a day have lower cognitive abilities than those who spend only two hours.

Final Words

Over the years, technology has evolved a lot. It is beneficial for many reasons but also has several drawbacks. What do you think?

Are these modern technologies destroying the natural selection – Yes or No? Is there any new technology that is recently launched, but is a major drawback for society? Drop your comments below.