Technology Addiction

VIDEO: Social media, technology, and you: Are you an addict?

Advances in digital technology have made life easier, but they come with a cost.

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The word addiction refers to an over use of something to the point of being hooked on it. People who are addicted think that they can never live without the thing they are addicted to, even if it is harmful to them and causes chaos in their lives. As the use of digital devices and social media increases, it’s clear that we can add digital technologies to the long list of addictions. But how do we define digital addiction? 

 

The answer may not be simply the amount of time that you consume using digital technology. Consider this question in the Digital Wellbeing Global Report, one of Ithra’s initiatives to raise awareness on balance digital use under Sync summit. The report asked “How do you think technology improves your life?” The answers that people provided centered on how technology makes life easier, and included: 

 

  • Access educational resources
  • Creates professional/ job opportunities
  • Stay in touch with others
  • Find news
  • Access entertainment

 

Without digital technology, people would continue to do all these activities, but they take a lot more time. Using technology to work, study, or stay in touch with others does not have a bad effect on your health.  Digitalizing it only makes life easier. 

 

What defines this type of addiction is being under the influence of digital technology.  In other words, it’s the way you use technology. If you find yourself distracted from important tasks, focused only on entertainment or interacting with others, and if you find that you can’t live a day without social media, even though it causes you negative effects, then you might have a technology addiction. 

 

According to the Digital Wellbeing Global Report, excessive social media use is related to lower self-esteem. One reason for this is that using social media as a means of communication allows for people to remain anonymous, and this can lead to bullying.  In addition, the constant interruptions of social media into every moment of our lives appears to adversely affect our attention span.

 

Low self-esteem, lower productivity, bullying, and reduced attention span: all of these can affect wellbeing, especially for the younger generation that is more dependent on technology and social media. Ithra’s initiative for Digital Wellbeing is one way to address this addiction, but there are likely others as well. What, in your opinion, would be another effective method?   

 

 

 

Here are some questions to consider

What do you think technology addiction is?

How many hours do you spend on social media per week?

Do you think you’re addicted to technology?

In your opinion what is an effective method for a balanced use of technology?  
 
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