Technology Addiction - By R Nakul

  Technology Addiction

Social media addiction or social media overuse is a form of psychological or behavioural dependence on social media platforms, similar to video game disorder/addiction, internet addiction disorder and other forms of digital media overuse.

It is generally defined as the problematic use of social media platforms that results in significant impairment in an individual's function in various life domains over a prolonged period of time. Research suggests that it affects women and girls more than boys and men and that it appears to affect individuals based on the social media platform used.

Such disorders can be diagnosed when an individual engages in online activities at the cost of fulfilling daily responsibilities or pursuing other interests, and without regard for the negative consequences.

Social media allows users to openly share their feelings, values, and thoughts. This digital world provides a communication dialogue into emotions. Social media also contributes to discrimination and cyber-bullying. Users suffering from mental illnesses often withdraw from in-person communication and continue their communication online, los in appetite etc. Many activities and social groups are different when using social media.

 Real-life case study on Gaming Addiction:

• A boy of age 16 had started using social media and from there he saw his friends play an online, up and coming multiplayer game and began playing under peer pressure.
• He began missing school and sat in a cyber café to play the game continuously for 8 hours straight and didn’t attend any class for three months.
• He spent nearly 45000 rupees on cyber café rent and missed his regular food intake and stuck to junk food items. He slowly became lean and lost a considerable amount of weight and cognitive abilities.
• The school later called his parents and informed them about the situation.
• His parents then took away his laptop and phone and started dropping him at school.
• Due to withdrawal symptoms he tried to attempt suicide as he felt he was being denied something that gave him happiness and there was nothing in this world to live for.
• He was then taken to hospitals and was diagnosed with video game addiction and was recommended counselling or therapy sessions.
• After a year he started going to school and is pursuing a diploma course in computer science from a reputed college.

Playing video games online or on a console is not always harmful as long it is under self-control. Some researchers claim that gaming for 2-3 hours a week is beneficial to the motor neurons in the hand helps the brain utilize its innovative part and helps in thinking “out-of-the-box” solutions. It enhances strategic thinking, logical reasoning and offers mental control. 

Commonly it's observed in the news that young girls are harassed, tortured, raped and even killed sometimes, by unknown people following them on Facebook. The youth tend to update each and everything happening in their lives on social media and this causes a loss in private security. 

Posting status updates and stories on Instagram and WhatsApp don’t make us look cool but give away our security and our current location when done in excess and increases the risk of kidnapping, ransom charges and theft.

 Health concerns caused by technology:

Excessive usage of devices ( usage is greater than 7 hours) is extremely harmful to the body. The radiations emitted from phones, laptops, consoles are harmful to the mind and the eyes and can also lead to corneal cancer sometimes. 

It also affects the digestion system causing a bloated feeling and hence there is no interest to eat. Lack of nutrition leads to a loss of imbalance in nutrition and other resources causing the body to become very weak. Once the body is weak, the immune system weakens down and loses the ability to fight pathogens efficiently, causing sickness and diseases very frequently. 

Constant usage of devices also leads to insomnia, revenge bedtime procrastination and several other mental problems that can harm us severely. As seen in the case study, the boy had become so weak that he needed hospital care to survive.

The modern-day smartphone has a special provision called Digital Wellbeing, which allows the user to monitor the amount of time they have spent on the device, what apps have they used and for how long etc. This brilliant feature can help us prevent addiction. If you feel you have an addiction, it's best to get medical help from a certified counsellor.

Hence we must try our best to take control of our mind and body and must lead a healthy life which can include 4 hours of technology (in any form) per day, as a start and try to decrease this number to maintain a good and healthy life without any disregard or embarrassment from the societal view.

By: R. NAKUL