Technoference, or the distractions caused due to mobile phones or smartphones, is a term that many of us may not be familiar with but still, we are all victims of it. In a country like India which has the second largest number of mobile phone users in the world, it is especially important to note the ill effects of our increasing dependence on smartphones. Technoference is making people unhealthy in many different ways. It wouldn t be wrong to say that most of us have become addicted to our mobile phones. Now, an Australian research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry claims that excessive use of mobile phones is making people not just lose sleep but also become less productive. The study also noted that mobile phones are making us take more risks while driving and that they are causing more aches and pains. You could partially or completely blame the following health conditions on your excessive use of mobile phones: Eye problems: Doctors have noted an increase in eye conditions like presbyopia (age-related long-sightedness caused due loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye) even among their younger patients. Dry eyes syndrome, irritation and redness are some of the other common problems. It is worse to use your mobile phones in the dark as it strains your eyes even further. Infections: As shocking as it may sound, you could also blame skin infections like acne on your mobile phones. Your mobile phones carry a number of germs on them. This is especially true in the case of those who use their mobile phones in their toilet. The germs, oil and dirt on your phones could cause a number of infections when It coems in contact with your hands and face. Radiation-related problems: There have been conflicting reports on the effects of mobile phone radiation on health. There are ongoing research studies being carried out on the possible link between cancer and mobile phone use. According to the World Health Organisation, there is tissue heating which means that the energy radiated by the frequencies of mobile phones is absorbed by the skin and other superficial tissues which results in negligible temperature rise in the brain or any other organs of the body. It also says that to date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating. The long-term effects, however, need more research because many cancers are not detectable until many years after the interactions that led to the tumour, and since mobile phones were not widely used until the early 1990s, epidemiological studies at present can only assess those cancers that become evident within shorter time periods, according to WHO.