ATTENTION GAINER: As I speak, there will be people amongst us who would be checking their phones and if not checking they would be thinking of the one email that needs to be sent or that one application you heard about. Today’s generation is more dependent on technology than any of the generations that existed or have existed before us. We can hardly imagine life without the gadgets around us. Let me prove my point with the following example.
SIGNIFICANCE (SOURCE): A Phoenix-based CEO of The J Brand Group, Jenn Hoffman, while giving an interview over breakfast to a WebMD writer, Jennifer Soong, was interrupted by her Blackberry Pearl several times to send out emails. She does not keep her phone out of sight even for a moment to the extent that even in the bathroom she carries her phone with her.
THESIS: We have lost empathy and respect for the person speaking to us because of the technology disruptions around us. People physically around us have little value to us, and those connected with technology are given precedence over anything else. This goes to show that we as individuals are addicted to technology and similar to any other addiction this could have detrimental effects in the long run.
PREVIEW: Today, I will bring to notice how we are addicted to technology and the effect it is having upon us as individuals and hampering our personal lives and what two institutes have the greatest role in creating technology addiction. Moreover, I would not leave you hanging mid-air. Consequently, I will also present ways to avoid being overly-dependent upon technology and prioritize the time we have.
BODY:
We often overlook technology addiction because it is more about convenience than anything else. Little do we realize that this technology addiction can have serious health problems for those who have been victimized by their gadgets. Undoubtedly, technology has brought with it numerous benefits for us as a society and individuals. Business today is flourishing because of the advancements in technology and various opportunities have opened up for technology progress. But on the other hand, it is not all good news; the effects on our health are not given importance mainly because they cannot be seen in the short-term. Some years from now these health problems will come into notice, and it will be too late by then to reverse the effects.
In a 2015 BBC News article, writer Zoe Kleinman discusses what one doctor of a technology addiction team of Nightingale Hospital has to say on the subject. People complain of feeling tired when they go to bed and waking up with the same feeling. When a person’s brain is unable to sleep at night, it is then that there should be a concern because it points towards technology addiction. People are in front of screens most part of the day while they are awake. The height of dependency on technology is such that our mobile phone or any other screen is the first thing we look at when we wake up and the last thing before we finally fall asleep. It is then no surprise to feel fatigued and tired even after sleeping for a good eight hours a night.
Even after we feel such uneasiness and anxiety why do we continue using technology? The answer is simple; we are stuck in a vicious cycle. Without a smartphone, laptop, or tablet we will be disconnected from the world. There is a vast amount of information available on a simple click, and cutting ourselves from this will be considered an unwise move by society today. Any confusion can be cleared within a matter of seconds and who would be willing to let go of such comfort and convenience. This takes us to another point of information overload that can be another cause of anxiety and tiredness and out of the scope of this paper.
Apart from the mental impact that technology has on us, it also becomes a cause of physical health problems. Children today prefer playing games in front of screens rather than outdoors and in parks where they are meant to be played. Parents find it easier to hand their children an iPad or a game controller rather than chauffeur them to a park down the road. Parents have become busy with their lives that handing their child with some sort of technology has become the easy way out. In an article for Daily Mail UK in 2013, Victoria Woollaston, highlights what a clinical psychologist Dr. Jay Watts has to say about children being in front of screens for a time more than required. Children become distressed when parents taken away their technology and gadgets, and this should concern parents. It goes to show that their child has become addicted to this sort of a lifestyle, and it is time for parents to change behavior and lifestyle. Playgrounds have become virtual, and this will greatly hamper the physical development of children. Physical exercise is essential for children in their growth years as it helps build muscle and strength. If this is taken away from the children, then various health problems will arise later in life. One of the most common problems that have come to notice due to a lack of physical activity is obesity amongst children which eventually leads to diabetes.
TRANSITION:
The aforementioned examples prove that technology addiction can cause serious health issues, and it is mostly lack of awareness that leads to this addiction creating a direct impact on our health. But the lack of awareness can be attributed to two of the most prominent institutions of society; 1) schools and 2) media.
BLAME:
According to Andrew Hough of the Telegraph in 2011, researcher’s found four in five students had panic attacks and severe withdrawal when they were asked to disconnect from their technology. Schools must not allow cell phones in class and condition students to survive without technology if the need arises. Moreover, research should be more focused on books from the library rather than one click of the internet. Some students during the research confessed to technology cravings as being of the same intensity as cravings for cocaine. By allowing cellphones in schools, the students are being taught the technology is part of life rather than just viewing it as a luxury it has been over-used and become a cause for concern today.
The media incorporates all modes of communication be it through mobile applications or television channels. It has contributed significantly to causing technology addiction. There are game applications today that require complete dedication from the player; thus, causing technology addiction. According to Mara Tyler, in an article if a person feels isolated, forgets to eat or drink, and faces poor performance at school or work due to their gaming habit these are signs he may be addicted to technology. These games mentally involve a person so much that they disconnect from the wider world. The worst part is that these games are often advertised as being the “in-thing”, and those who are not familiar may be the crowd that is sidelined.
TRANSITION:
Now that we are aware of what technology addiction is and how it is being caused we can more closely examine how this can be cured and overcome. Technology addiction has more drawbacks than benefits; therefore, there is a need to find a sustainable solution to help minimize or eliminate this problem.
CURES
The best way to help get rid of this addiction is to start at your home. Children should have only a limited amount of time in front of the screen and parents should make a conscious effort to indulge their younger ones in physical activities. Moreover, children learn from what they see; therefore, minimal use of technology such as laptops and cell phones in front of children will help train the children to learn how to survive without technology as well. Parents need to turn off their notifications from social media for instance so that they are not tempted to check their phones constantly as suggested by an article published in The Guardian written by Emma Sexton.
It may not be easy to disconnect from all the technology around us all of a sudden. Therefore, this needs to be done in phases. On weekends or on vacations one could disconnect from technology that is not vital for their survival over the weekend or on the vacation. Whenever one feels the urge to check their phone, they could distract by doing something more productive and healthy such as taking a walk outside. Barry Moltz from the Shafron Moltz Group has identified the above as possible ways to cure technology addiction one step at a time.
CONCLUSION
REVIEW: Today you have learned how technology addiction is affecting our physical health and personal lives and what have been the contributing factors towards this addiction. And possible cures to overcome this addiction have also been highlighted.
RESTATE THESIS: Technology addiction has disconnected us from people around us and is simultaneously affecting our health in a negative manner. People have less personal interaction, and this is changing individualistic behavior in society.
THE BACK TO ATTENTION GAINER: We may be present amongst a crowd and still not know the purpose of our presence in that crowd. People need to make the most of the time they have, and that can definitely not be through a generation that is overly concerned about what goes on in the virtual world.
Work Cited
Andrew Hough. "Student 'addiction' to Technology 'similar to Drug Cravings,' Study Finds." The Telegraph. 8 Apr. 2011. Web. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html>.
Barry Moltz. "Technology Is Making You Sick. Here's the Cure." OPEN Forum. 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. <https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/technology-is-making-you-sick-heres-the-cure/>.
Emma Sexton. "How to Cure Your Technology Addiction Yet Hold onto Your " Web. 30 Jan. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2015/jan/28/the-phone-hack-how-to-cure-your-technology-addiction-yet-stay-in-touch>.
Jennifer SoongWebMD. "When Technology Addiction Takes Over Your Life." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. <http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/features/when-technology-addiction-takes-over-your-life>.
Mara Tyler. "Video Game & Technology Addiction." Healthline. 14 July 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. <http://www.healthline.com/health/addiction/gaming-and-technology#Symptoms2>.
Victoria Woollaston. "The Five Signs Your Child Is Addicted to Their IPad - and How to Give Them a 'digital Detox' Read More: Http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2479109/The-signs-child-addicted-iPad--digital-detox.html#ixzz3ykcko0gd Follow Us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook." Daily Mail UK. 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2016.
Zoe Kleinman. "Are We Addicted to Technology? - BBC News." BBC News. 31 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33976695>.
