Though more subtle, parallels could be drawn with the widespread adoption of television in 20th-century societies. This may be key, because rather than technology use being pathologized as a dangerous addiction, it may actually represent a broader change in culture. Rather than going cold turkey, this approach focuses on general well-being, with technology playing a balanced role. Secondly, it’s about controlling behavior, mainly so that teens engage in other developmental and recreational activities such as sports, socializing in-person with friends, completing homework, and even just getting enough sleep. First and foremost it’s about awareness of technology use. ‘ Screen time’ has become a bit of parenting buzz word over the past year. Anderson notes that such extreme behavior is quite rare. The main concern is video gaming disorder, when unhealthy patterns of game-playing occur with clear effects on health. Going further, proponents of the lack of harm of technology claim that, technically, things such as internet or phone addiction don’t exist as medical conditions. We don’t need more and more screen time in order to be able to function.” We don’t develop higher levels of tolerance. With addiction you have a chemical that changes the way we respond, that leads us to be reliant on it for our level of functioning. “Addiction doesn’t really capture the behavior we’re seeing. Matthew Cruger, a neuropsychologist specialist in youth learning and development, contends that the concept of tolerance is a central factor in youth technology use. While the comparison to addictions like substance abuse is suggested by some professionals, other experts point out critical differences. Health problems - due to adopting an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.Educational performance – through reduced commitment to homework.Sleep problems - from using technology late at night.Physical health - due to decreased exercise. ![]() Mental health - through lack of face to face interactions. ![]() Other factors include worries over the following. Accordingly, some research suggests that levels of attention in youths is actually shortening, year on year. 56% report feeling anxious or upset whenever they are cut off from their devices.ĭue to the brain’s neuroplasticity, heavy technology use can cause long term changes in neural pathways, affecting attention, emotional processing, and decision-making. 95% of teens having access to them, and somewhat surprisingly, 54% of American teens actually fret that they spend too much time on their phones. As a result, it’s believed that there is a general lack of awareness of the risks of posed to teenagers, with technology use rising both dramatically and stealthily.įor instance, several studies now show that teens typically have complicated relationships with their smartphones. One reason that teens are vulnerable is that parents never experienced today’s massively interconnected technologies when they were growing up. When pleasure hormones such as dopamine and endorphins are released there is the potential for addiction, and this is more likely in teenagers going through significant hormonal changes. Though parallels are sometimes drawn with drug use, comparison with gambling addiction is more realistic. How can Technology be Addictive?Īs has been long known with video games, recreational use of technology can stimulate the reward centers of the brain. ![]() The bottom line is that it is an addiction when it does the individual more harm than good, and stopping causes withdrawal symptoms. In medical terms, technology addiction is obsessive tech-related behavior that’s practiced in spite of the associated negative consequences. ![]() In China there are even treatment clinics dedicated to aggressive rehabilitation. There are genuinely psychologists proposing that internet or technology addiction is a real problem which can be diagnosed. Though most of us would now struggle to imagine life without smartphones, is there a real threat of addiction? Here we’ll take a look at the cases for and against. Indeed, over recent years technology has weaved its way into the fabric of our everyday lives at an unprecedented rate. Whether it be an addiction to the internet, social media or video games, the rise in concern has mostly been focused on the combination of smartphones and teenagers. There are more and more claims surfacing that we are addicted to technology.
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