Essay On Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Screens

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Sweet Dreams are Made of Screens Late one night in the wee hours of the morning, a farmer lay quietly sleeping on a tattered spring mattress. A hand stitched quilt lay strewn across the man’s chest, and a droplet of saliva spilled from his mouth, saturating the linen of his feathered pillow. All of a sudden, the farmer abruptly sat up. He awoke to the thoughts of his farm, its soil dry and cracking from many days scorching in the sun. He envisioned the crops wilting, left longing for a sip of water. He pondered the day when sheets of dark clouds would sit looming over the earth once again, and rain would let loose from their hidden confinements, soaking the desperate fields. This was not the only time that week the man had awoken from…show more content…
Over nine hours of an average adults day is consumed by technology such as social media, television, and video games. (Santhanam, 2016) However, the effect of using technology does not end once the phone is put down and the TV is turned off. A parallel has been found between technology use and difficulty sleeping. Lack of sleep can affect people in an abundance of ways, some of which include: low energy or a feeling of sluggishness, unstable mood, or simply the brain not thinking as sharp as it should be. (Johnson, 2016) The reasons as to why technology interferes with sleep has to do directly with the brain’s processing. Cell phones, televisions, tablets, and computers all emit blue light. This light emanated by these screens shine through the eyes, interfere with the brain’s processing, and consequently detain the production of melatonin: a chemical that controls the sleep cycle, and is essential for sleep (Ware, 2014). While all light restrains melatonin, blue light is especially problematic. Blue light has even been found to be so successful in keeping people awake, it is often used in factories at night to help workers stay alert. (Johnson, 2016) While it may seem harmless to scroll through Facebook, answer a few emails, or comment on one last Instagram post before hopping into bed, these can actually trick the brain into believing that it must stay awake, especially if what you are viewing is exciting. To further this point, Harvard University
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