9 Ways Technology Is Slowly Killing Us All
The cost of technology addiction goes beyond pricey gadgets. Connectivity also affects vision, memory loss, weight gain and self-esteem.
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When we were young, technology addiction didn't merit as much concern as scraped knees and broken Legos. For today's youth, however, digital starts to take its toll as early as infancy.
If you haven't yet seen the development of tech addiction among today's youth, visit a family restaurant. Kids are fighting over iPads and iPhones, or silently engrossed in their own devices. Parents often stick a smartphone, or "digital babysitter" under the eyes of rowdy children to calm them down.
"They don't realize what it's doing," says Ben Halpert, vice president of risk and corporate security at Ionic security, and founder of nonprofit Savvy Cyber Kids. The seeds of technology addiction are planted earlier than ever.
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As they grow up, children are constantly encouraged to go online. Today's TV shows encourage live-tweeting; McDonald's Happy Meals let kids interact with their toys on the Internet.
"They're addicted before they even know what's happening," Halpert emphasizes. The boost in screen time increases the likelihood that children will experience low self-esteem, relationship problems, and difficulty with social interaction.
The problems related to tech addiction follow children as they develop into teens and enter adulthood.
"This is an issue for kids, for preteens, for teens and for adults," says Halpert. Adults addicted to technology also suffer from strained relationships and social problems. Those who have digital overload often aren't familiar with facial expressions and hand/eye movement that people frequently use to communicate.
Unfortunately, the problems associated with excessive digital dependence go far beyond social awkwardness. Adults who get too much screen time are also known to suffer from insomnia, short-term memory loss, eye irritation, and spinal damage.
Technology may have the potential to improve your health, but it can also be dangerous. Are you spending too much time online? Read on to learn more about the ways that excessive tech dependence could be damaging your health.
Trouble sleeping? Might be your iPad.
We're all guilty of using computers, smartphones, and tablets before calling it a night. The problem is, electronic devices emit blue light that can trick your brain into thinking it's daytime. The brightness can mess with your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that decides when you fall asleep and when you wake up.
Around 9 to 10 p.m. each night, the brain starts to secrete a hormone called melatonin, which signals the body that it's time to rest. If the eyes are exposed to brightness for a long period of time, they tell the brain to wake up. The brain stops emitting melatonin and you have trouble falling asleep.
If you're having trouble sleeping, try dimming your screen before bedtime. Or, you could embrace history and curl up with an old-fashioned paper book.
Facebook may have been designed to improve human connectivity, but the social networking site may be doing us more harm than good.
Researchers at the University of Michigan discovered in a recent study the proof of a decline in happiness and life satisfaction among Facebook users. The more people socialized, the study found, the more they compared their own social activity with that of their Facebook friends.
Their conclusion aligns with the results of a study conducted by former grad student Moira Burke at Carnegie Mellon. Burke found that while Facebook interaction could lead to positive results, people who spent time scanning others' activity and posting their own statuses were more like to feel lonely, disconnected and depressed.
There is no question that technology has made us lazier. Not only do we have more access to digital media and entertainment; we spend more of our time using it.
In a survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on American time use, researchers found watching TV occupied an average of 2.8 hours per day. That doesn't count time spent on tablets, PCs or smartphones.
The more time you spend watching television, the more likely you are to be inactive overall. Further, it's been shown that people pay less attention to their eating habits when watching TV or movies, making it easier to overeat typically high-calorie snacks like sugary drinks and fast food.
When staring at a screen for long periods of time, you usually forget to blink. The habit leads to a condition called "computer vision syndrome," which leads to dry eyes, fatigue, irritation, headaches, problems focusing, or neck and shoulder pain. Also known as digital eyestrain, it has become more prevalent as people spend more time using electronic devices.
Computer vision syndrome doesn't cause lasting eye damage but it's still important to take necessary precautions. Limit the amount of time you spend in front of a screen and take frequent breaks. Keep some eye drops at your desk in case irritation starts to occur.
Your electronics may be causing some serious spinal damage. Each time you tilt your head forward to check your email or send a text, you put greater pressure on your neck. When bent at a 45-degree angle, the head places 49 pounds of pressure on the neck; a 60-degree angle equates to 60 pounds of pressure.
A study by New York spine surgeon Kenneth Hansraj explains that people spend an average of two to four hours per day with their heads bent over smartphones and electronic devices. This equals between 700 to 1400 annual hours of excessive stress on the spine.
Over time, the study explains, this increased stress can lead to early wear and tear, and potentially surgery. While it's impossible to suggest that we abandon our devices altogether, you should make a conscious effort to straighten your back next time you send a message.
It's great that portable music allows us to take our favorite tunes on the go. It's not great that we're doing it 24/7. Today, it's hard to walk ten feet without spying someone sporting over-the-ear Beats headphones or iconic white Apple buds stuck in their ears.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has long reported noise pollution as a prevalent cause of adult hearing loss. This exposure used to take the form of boom boxes and stereo speakers. Now, sound is projected directly into the ear via headphones or buds inserted directly in the ear.
Both volume and duration of exposure combine to alter the extent of hearing loss. If you can hear someone's music through their headphones, it means the sound is too loud, as reported by hearing specialists at Stonybrook Medicine. Sound played at 85 decibels (dB) or less is a safe amount.
The Internet may be an abundant source of health-related information, but it also has potential to increase the medical concerns of people who lack health training. It's not too hard to go online for the purpose of diagnosing a cough, only to log off a couple hours later convinced you have lung cancer.
Cyberchondria is hyperchondria for the modern age. It describes the anxiety people get when they try to self-diagnose and fall into a panic because the Internet confirms their worst suspicions. It's common among people who have genetic for a disease or who recently had a loved one pass away.
If you're still alive and can see/hear/stand up straight, technology hasn't won just yet. There are plenty of ways to minimize your risk of digital overload; you just have to be proactive about adopting healthy habits. Start by monitoring your smartphone use. An hour before bed, leave your phone in the kitchen to charge instead of putting it on your bedside table overnight. If you have a desk job, set a timer every 20 minutes so you know when to stand and stretch your legs. Alter the Volume Limit on your iPod, which lets you adjust the maximum level of sound emitted from the earbuds. And finally, walk past the couch when you get home, put on a pair of sneakers, and go for a stroll. Your body will thank you for it.
If you're still alive and can see/hear/stand up straight, technology hasn't won just yet. There are plenty of ways to minimize your risk of digital overload; you just have to be proactive about adopting healthy habits. Start by monitoring your smartphone use. An hour before bed, leave your phone in the kitchen to charge instead of putting it on your bedside table overnight. If you have a desk job, set a timer every 20 minutes so you know when to stand and stretch your legs. Alter the Volume Limit on your iPod, which lets you adjust the maximum level of sound emitted from the earbuds. And finally, walk past the couch when you get home, put on a pair of sneakers, and go for a stroll. Your body will thank you for it.
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