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With technology all around us, used in seemingly every aspect of our lives, the challenge arises to determine if excessive use is merely a bad habit, or truly a destructive addiction and, what is excessive use. We tend to associate the problems of gambling, drugs or alcohol abuse with addiction, but studies show alarming evidence that addiction is an everyday problem with technology. According to research from the nonprofit group Common Sense Media , American teenagers spend an average of 9 hours per day with digital media, tweens spend 6 hours, and even the youngest – ages zero to 8 – are spending 2 ½ hours daily in front of screens.
Also, research done by the Nielsen Company in 2018 shows the average adult in the U.S. spends more than 11 hours a day in the digital world, Debate has gone on for over two decades as to whether excessive internet use can be classified as an addiction. The controversy arises in the difficulty of standardizing evaluations. However, therapists have administered gambling addiction tests, exchanging the word gambling with internet. Overwhelming results proved a real danger of addiction to the internet. Recently, summer of 2018, the World Health Organization recognized internet gaming as a diagnosable addiction. Which opens the door for more research and allows health professionals the opportunity to bill insurance companies for their services treating the issue.
The Symptoms
The question then needs to be answered, “How much is too much?” How do you know if you have a problem? Is an avid internet user – for online shopping, videos, or social media, suffering from the Internet Addiction Disorder? The answer is no. The trouble arises when these activities interfere with daily life. The question also is, how is internet being used, not merely counting the screen time or apps used. For example, YouTube can be used for either academic or recreational purposes. “Some emotional symptoms are: depression, dishonesty, feelings of guilt, anxiety, feelings of euphoria when using the computer, inability to prioritize or keep schedules, isolation, no sense of time, defensiveness, avoidance of work, agitation, mood swings, fear, loneliness, boredom with routine tasks, and procrastination”.
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The Effects:
Effects from Internet Addiction Disorder can be far reaching, including developmental impairments – especially in children, physical impairments – neck, back and eye, and functional impairments – poor nutrition and insomnia. “Studies link Internet Addiction Disorder to physically changing the brain structure – specifically affecting the amount of gray and white matter in regions of the prefrontal brain. This area of the brain is associated with remembering details, attention, planning and prioritizing tasks”. As a result, Internet Addiction Disorder may also affect personal relationships through dishonesty, trying to hide the habit, finances from online shopping, gambling or avoiding work, or school life from being unable to prioritize, remember and plan.
The Cases:
Studies show this problem is no respecter of persons. Common Sense Media did a study in 2016 asking parents and teens the same questions, and the results were: 59% of parents feel their teens are addicted to their mobile devices and 27% feel they are themselves addicted to their device. On the flip side, 50% of teens feel they are addicted to their mobile device and 28% feel their parents are addicted to their device. 66% of parents feel their teens spend too much time on their devices and 52% of kids agree.
Other countries take Internet Addiction very seriously. Korea for example does prevention training in schools and have over 500 hospitals that address Internet Addiction recovery. China also focuses on recovery centers which require rigorous exercise, medication and therapy. The U.S. sees the results of being unable to leave mobile devices alone while driving or even walking. Forty-eight states have banned texting while driving and has seen a decrease in accidents in the 15 – 21 year-old range. The most effective approach to decreasing accidents involving drivers over 21 has been the ban of hand-held devices.
Some have said we are conducting the greatest real-time experiment with society of all time. We don’t really know all the ramifications from the massive screen time, not to mention the developmental issues that are showing up in the very young which is directly related to their screen time. “A new study scanned the brains of children 3 to 5 years old and found those who used screens more than the recommended one hour a day without parental involvement had lower levels of development in the brain’s white matter – and area key to the development of language, literacy and cognitive skills. Another long-term affect we have yet to see the result of is blue light eye damage. A chemist at the University of Toledo conducted a study on the affects of blue light on the retina “Karunarathne’s lab found that blue light exposure causes retinal to trigger reactions that generate poisonous chemical molecules in phoreceptor cells”.
The Cure:
Technology is not going away, if anything, it is on the increase. It is not inherently evil but is a robust tool to be used and carefully monitored. Our best mode of defense is a balance. Be the model of the behavior you want to see in your family. Set tech free times and be with the people in your life. “Communication is a crucial skill, the foundations of which are learned and developed throughout childhood… A 2014 UCLA study illustrates how children are losing the ability to read and respond to emotions in others…the takeaway from this is face-to-face interaction is crucial for child development Think of curbing your screen time behavior as a diet rather than cold-turkey quitting.
In her article “7 Ways to Break Your Technology Addiction” Danielle Braff offers these suggestions; First, “End idle moments.” Make a list of what you can do in your idle moments instead of scrolling, and remind yourself when the time comes. Second, “Use tech to help you stay off tech.” There are apps that tell you how many times you’ve checked your phone that day and will lock your phone when you go over your self-imposed limit. Third, “Don’t rely on willpower.” Your willpower is no match for multi-billion dollar companies fighting for your attention…you should find better ways to remove temptation. Fourth, “Unplug before bed.” An hour before bed, power down all tech devices. The blue wavelength light interrupts production of melatonin – known as the darkness hormone. Fifth, “Start small”. Start with turning your phone off during dinner, then leave it at home when you take a walk and gradually bump it up.
Sixth, “Turn off notifications.” It will make you less likely to look at your phone every few seconds. And Seventh, “Plan breaks.” Write down times throughout the day when you plan to take technology breaks. A few others noteworthy suggestions mentioned in the ReadersDigest.ca article “5 Ways to Stop Technology Addiction” are; First, “Choose outdoor activities over technology”. Make it a rule when you are home you can’t be online if the sun is shining. Ride a bike or get some other healthy activity. Second, “Rearrange the family room furniture.” Design your family room so the television is no longer the focal point. Third, “Limit social media use.” Avoid aimless browsing. Give your time online a purpose, have a goal to accomplish then log off. Fourth, “Set aside reading time.” Challenge yourself to read 30 pages of a great book before you check your computer or mobile device. Fifth, “Create projects for yourself.” Compile a list of one hour evening projects then try to do one each evening.
In the long run, I think we need to look at our priorities and determine what is valuable to us. Time is one commodity we can never get more of. It is of high value. Children grow up fast and are gone, you can never go back and spend more time with them. Family and friends won’t be with you forever. Spend your time in reality and be the best person you can be.
Works Cited
- Berger, Michele W. “Social media use increases depression and loneliness.” PennToday 9 November 2018: 2. document.
- Billau, Christine. “UT Chemists Discover how Blue Light Speeds Blindness.” UToledo News 8 August 2018. document.
- Christina Gregory, PhD. “Internet Addiction Disorder.” psycom.net 22 May 2019: 5.
- “Dealing with Devices: The Parent-Teen Dynamic.” 2016. media.
- Do Texting and Driving Laws Really Work. Kansas City: Kansas City Attorneys, 2020. Web site.
- Dodgen-Magee, Doreen. “Tech addiction is real. We psychologists need to take it seriously.” The Washington Post 18 March 2019: 1-6.
- LaMotte, Sandee. “MRIs show screen time linked to lower brain development in preschoolers.” CNN Health 4 November 2019: 1. document.
- Nielson. “Time Flies: U.S. Adults Now Spend Nearly Half a Day Interacting With Media.” 2018.
- Stevens, Laura B. “6 Ways to Find Balance in a World of Tech Addiction.” Net Nanny 22 October 2019: 2. document.
- “Texting and driving laws.” 2020. Report.
- Young, Kimberly. “What the US can learn from China and Korea to treat Internet Addiction.” Internet Addiction Treatment 6 November 2014: 2. document.
