Technology Addiction

Technology Addiction

Technology is undoubtedly, a unique pathway to endless possibilities and information to everyone around the world. As the world of technology advances, people tend to become increasingly consumed by it. As a result, this ever increasing consumption of technology can be extremely dangerous to the people who abuse it and become addicted. Technology addiction can have numerous effects on people; it can affect people both physically and mentally as well as, distract people.

One negative effect that technology addiction poses is that it can affect people physically. People who do not treat and realize the risk of technology addiction are putting themselves at risk for long term injuries and physical problems. According to the University of North Carolina “computer addiction is the principal cause of musculoskeletal disorder” (Rae).  Technology addicts do not realize that overusing technology can lead to problems like back aches, neck aches and sleep loss. Furthermore, people addicted to technology have been so focused on technology that they do not consider their own health. Many people who are addicted to technology do not realize that it is eating away at their time and that they should be more active. In fact according to the American Heart Association it is said that “an adult should get about 150 minutes of physical activity a week while 80 percent of adult Americans do not get the recommended amounts of exercise” (Help guide). This shows us that people around the world addicted to technology do not get even the minimum amount of exercise needed and that leads to obesity and other heath related problems.  For theses reason many people who are addicted to technology can suffer from physical problems if their technology usage is not regulated.

Another effect of technology addiction is mental problems. Many individuals suffer from physiological problems that affect them on a daily basis. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “research has shown that internet addiction affects areas in the brain that control attention, executive control, and emotion processing” (Walton). Technology addicts use technology to occupy themselves and zone out other individuals by using it to control their emotions and brain. Technology is taking over people’s mind and using it more than often is only a step towards addiction.  Furthermore, many technology addicts have said to be chasing a high as “technology addiction has many similar effects to many drugs like cocaine, heroin, and special K” (Walton). As with many addiction problems the user usually does it to cope with problems like stress, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. People addicted to technology should not use technology to manage these feelings they need to talk about it and get the help needed.  Technology addicts can be affected mentally and instead of continuing to use it they need to realize the problems it causes and maintain their usage.