essay on addiction of gadgets

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Gadget Addiction

by Ananth Indrakanti, Milan Chutake, Stephen Prouty, Venkat Sundaranatha, Vinod Koverkathu

Introduction

Technology and gadgets are now indispensable in our daily lives. In the past few years carrying a miniature computer (a smart phone) in a pocket has become commonplace. Technology helps advance the human race forward and makes doing mundane things more efficient and repeatable. Technology has helped create the information revolution.

With technological advances, devices have evolved to be so powerful and smart that it feels like having a super-computer on one’s hands. Humans now have an insatiable appetite for information at their fingertips. When technology makes this happen, the natural tendency is for this to become an expectation. When was the last time you printed a map or wrote a snail mail letter? If you did, then you belong to the elite endangered cadre of humans who are vanishing rapidly. Welcome to the information age! Before we frame our problem, we would like to ponder briefly over how our lives have changed with gadgets, compared to pre-digital era.

Life Without Gadgets

People born before the 1980’s would very well relate to life before the information age, when people had no access to internet or personal gadgets.  Let's briefly walk down the memory lane to relive those moments — a life without gadgets.

• Children played together outdoor — they had a lot of physical activity.
• People talked to each other more often, and verbal communication face-face was at its peak.
• Chat jargon did not exist and people knew their spellings well, as they read more books.
• People enjoyed spending more time outdoors with family and friends.
• It was commonplace to get the news from newspaper or radio.
• Entertainment came from playing board games, playing sports, going to the movies, watching VHS tapes, etc.
• Writers often used either a type-writer or a word processor on their computer.
• Computers were expensive and bulky.
• Doing research was hard; frequent visits to the library or scouring through plethora of papers, books, etc. were necessary.
• Communication was slow.

Life With Gadgets

Gadgets equipped with internet have transformed our lives in several ways and brought about a paradigm shift in our dependence on technology to perform key tasks in our everyday routine. To highlight a few:

• Use Google Maps to get directions, watch YouTube videos to learn to cook, sing, draw, learn science, etc.
• Health monitoring apps on the cell phone that would remind people to walk, run, bike, check BP periodically, etc.
• Capability to share daily life or special events instantly with thousands of people and see reaction in a matter of minutes, if not seconds
• Expedited research with access to information galore
• Ability to watch videos on demand from anywhere (Netflix, Amazon, etc.)
• Ability to read e-books online on demand — no more visits to library needed
• Use of mobile phones, tablets as pacifiers for kids
• Improved speed of communication by orders of magnitude leading to faster decision-making
• Existence of mobile apps for entertainment, social interaction through digital media, paying bills, accessing bank accounts, etc. (virtually for any purpose)

While there have been advantages to this information age and gadget revolution, it has created an insatiable appetite for information. It's now an expectation that information be readily available on demand from anywhere. This is the age of instant gratification.  While technology has fostered the human race, does our current consumption pattern adversely impact our analytical and creative abilities, lead to loss of focus in communication and make us just indexers of data rather than bearers of knowledge?  Are we addicted to our gadgets? Let's find out.

You’ve temporarily misplaced your cell phone and anxiously retrace your steps to try to find it. Or perhaps you never let go of your phone — it's always in your hand, your pocket, or your bag, ready to be answered or consulted at a moment’s notice.

Dr. Veronika Konok and her collaborators [1] cite evidence that supports the idea that “healthy, well-functioning adults also report significant emotional attachment to special objects.”

A quick survey showed that most people panicked when they had misplaced their smartphones (Fig. 1).

Figure 1 : Survey results from “Lookout”

Mobile Consumption Growth Trend

In the last decade, digital consumption on mobile devices has overtaken that on desktop devices. Between 2011 and 2016, about 300% growth [2] (Fig. 2) was seen with data  consumption on mobile devices, while that on desktop devices and other connected devices stayed relatively flat.  The growth in combined number of smartphone/tablet users is expected to grow from current 2.5 billion to about 3.13 billion by 2020 (about 23%).

Social networking, listening to music, watching videos and playing games represent the bulk of what people do with their smartphones and tablets. Essentially it’s about communication and entertainment, two things that help people to cope with the level of stress in today’s world.

Figure 2:  Time spent per adult user/day with digital media

Americans tend to spend more than 11 hours/day on a screen (mobile phone/desktop/tablet, etc.), be it for personal use or work-related activity.  About half of the screen time is spent on a mobile device. Statistics [3] show that 8% of the time spent on a mobile is on a browser while the majority (92%) of the time is spent on social networking/media, music and entertainment apps. (Fig. 3)

Figure 3:  Ratio of time spent on mobile by app category

Mobile App Usage Statistics

It will have been a decade since the establishment of the mobile app ecosystem by the summer of 2018. The total number of mobile app downloads touched 197 billion in 2017 [3] . The two biggest app stores, i.e., Apple’s iOS App store and Google’s Play store, have served as effective app distribution channels for the millions of app developers in the ecosystem.

Not surprisingly, Facebook app demonstrated the highest level of penetration among 18+ years age group with a whopping 81% in 2017, while YouTube came second with 71% penetration and Facebook Messenger was not too far behind with 68% penetration. It is interesting to note that the chart is completely dominated by Facebook-owned (Facebook, FB messenger and Instagram) and Google-owned (Google search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Play) apps, with Snapchat and Pandora being the only exceptions.  It is also intriguing that social networking and entertainment are valued the most by app users worldwide.

Figure 4: Mobile apps penetration chart

The Invisible Problem

The business model of social networking and entertainment sites/apps like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, etc. revolves around [4] :

• Sophisticated methods to seek attention of the maximum number of users and maximize the users’ time spent on these apps, i.e., make users interact and share their experiences, actions with the online community frequently and crave for virtual rewards (likes, comments)
• Enablement and empowerment of advertisers to target these users continually while scrolling through feeds in Facebook or browsing through videos on YouTube
• Learning from user interests (vacation preferences, activities etc.) and developing products that targets these users with AI driven personalized content, feeds and advertisements 24x7, where they start maneuvering the user behavior to their advantage.

While there is no denying that the business model is tuned to maximize users’ attention and time spent on these apps leading to gadget addiction and increased screen time, the other major problem that needs to be highlighted is that these platforms have no way to validate content being fed to users, i.e., fake news, articles generated to manipulate minds can be easily spread with these apps with no regulations or checks in place.

Let’s elaborate the point on how users that get initiated into these platforms develop the tendency to repeatedly visit them and ultimately get addicted, without any external force. How does this really work?

The Science of Addiction

Nir Eyal ’s Hooked model explains the four stages we run through as we use the platform [5] :

• Boredom acts as an internal trigger, and external notifications add to that.
• The action is dead simple: open the app or page in the browser.
• A great variability of rewards is bestowed upon us: photos, comments, likes, gossip, news, emotions, laughter. The wheel of fortune never disappoints.
• We invest more and more time and attention into interacting on the platform, which keeps us coming back.

Taken together, these elements are what have caused so many of us to spiral into addiction. The worst part is we do it to ourselves.

Effects of Gadget Addiction

While the business model of the top few app companies hinges on people spending more time with their gadgets every day, we need to recognize that the most important fallout of this induced behavior would be the rising epidemic of gadget addiction. A sense of urge to use the phone or any other gadget when bored or idle equates to addiction. Gadget addiction doesn't discriminate who is affected, it affects all age groups and people of all races. The effects range from mental, physical, emotional to even threatening our democracy.

Mental and Emotional Health

Dopamine is a neurochemical that largely controls the pleasure and reward centers of the brain. High levels of dopamine are usually associated with motivation and excitement to fulfil goals that would lead to recognized rewards and thus reinforcement of a sense of pleasure while achieving those goals. Procrastination, lack of enthusiasm and self-confidence, and boredom are linked to low levels of dopamine.

Research has shown that the brain gets “rewired” as excessive amounts of dopamine get released in the body on frequent interaction with a rewarding stimulus, i.e., using a smartphone app like Facebook [6] . Boredom triggers an interaction with the rewarding stimulus (Facebook app), which in turn results in wide variety of rewards in the form of likes, messages, photos, etc. causing high releases of dopamine in the body. Frequent cycles such as these cause the brain’s receptors to become more insensitive to dopamine, causing the body to experience less pleasure than before for the same natural reward. This leads the person down a spiral, where one has increased craving for the same reward to achieve normal levels of pleasure. If the increased craving cannot be satisfied, it would lead to anxiety, lack of motivation and depression. Gadget addiction is likened to addiction to alcohol or drugs since it results in similar negative consequences.

Studies [7] have shown that children's cognitive and emotional development can be adversely impacted by internet/gadget addiction. More screen time means more virtual interactions and rewards through social media (shares, likes) and less face time. Less face-to-face interaction with other people results in lack of empathy for fellow human beings. As social media glorify picture-perfect lives and well-toned physiques, children’s self-esteem and self-confidence are eroded. Lack of focus and more distraction during conversations is another expected negative impact.  A study on China high school students [8] demonstrated that children with moderate to severe risk of internet addiction are more than twice as likely to develop depressive symptoms than addiction-free counterparts.

Figure   5:  Dopamine level releases w.r.t time

Physical Health

Today’s children are immersed in technology right from a very young age. With more than half the schools in the US using smart devices as teaching tools in class, coupled with at-home smart device usage, the total screen exposure time of students in the age group 8-18 has exceeded ten hours a day [9] . There are obvious benefits to being exposed to technology right from a very young age, i.e., development of skills needed to be successful in technology-related areas in a future career. However, on the downside, there could be lack of development of social behavioral skills and high risk of obesity due to limited physical activity.

As one would also expect, one of the biggest health risks of excessive smart device usage is vision-related. The National Eye Institute [10] has found that the frequency of myopia (near-sightedness) has increased exponentially in Americans over the last few decades. The other effect on eyes was reduced blink rate leading to higher incidence of dry eye symptoms.  Based on these findings, the American Academy of Pediatrics [11] has revised recommendations for limiting screen time for kids at different ages.

Figure 6:  Recommended screen time for kids (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Listening to loud music through earbuds has detrimental effects on hearing ability  The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [12] reports that about 15% of Americans between the ages of 20-69 have a reduced capability to hear high frequency sounds due to exposure to loud sounds. Other negative effects on physical health from excessive gadget usage include lack of sleep and increased weight on the spine [13] as the head tilt increases to view the screen.

Figure 7:  The burden of starting at a smartphone

Human Behavior

Figure 8: Cognitive-behavioral therapy [14]

Cognitive-behavioral therapy depicts how emotions, thoughts and behaviors influence each other. This model has been very useful in treatment of substance abuse, addictions, gambling addiction, smoking cessation etc.With advent of social networks, our emotional dependence is on instant likes, brief instant text messages creating a virtual set of friends who may never be physically present. Opinions and judgements are made without actual human connection and in-depth in person discussions. The virtual instant digitized friend circle gives a sense of belonging and feeling of having many friends who care about us. The HOOK business model leverages this human emotional dependence feeling and transforms those feelings into behavior where one feels like constantly engaging with these social networking platforms seeking for instant gratifications. When one does not get the instant emotional support in the forms of likes, instant messages then one starts feeling anxious, lonely and moody. Lot of the younger generation seem to start losing self-esteem and self-confidence if their friends fail to like their picture or respond to their posts instantly. In a nutshell the human behavior is being digitized.

Our political discourse is shrinking to fit to our smartphone screens. The most classic example is when President Obama used Instagram to push forward his climate change agenda.

The HOOK business model has got us addicted to our gadgets to watch the next post or news on social media. Well, this hunger for information can have both positive and negative impacts on our society and democracy. Social media may not create our bad habits, but it feeds them, and for one reason alone: money. In 1920’s it was the radio that reduced people to their voices, then in 1960’s television gave people their bodies back. Today with public looking to smartphones for news and media we seem to be in the third wave of election engineering. A recent survey found that 37% of people trust the news that get from social media — that's half the share from print and magazine media.

Let's consider the positive impacts. Few years ago, touch was used to connect with people especially if you're not the outgoing type. These platforms allow us to tailor the message to the audience, do fundraising, and get feedback. The momentum for the movements to topple regimes in Libya and Tunisia [15] was powered by these platforms. The more visceral the message, the more quickly it goes viral and the longer it holds the darting public eye. Around the world, these platforms like social media are making it easier for people to have a voice in the government, to discuss issues, organize around causes, and hold leaders accountable.

The argument is not complete without the negative impacts. For example, bots are often used to amplify political messages. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 stoked public anger [16] when the wealthy left everyone behind. These culture wars have split voters by their identity rather than class. It is claimed that more than 146 million people could have potentially seen fake news in their feed during the 2016 election year. These companies have  moral responsibility to let users know that content might not be real. [17]

Don’t ask about the intentions, aspirations or responsibilities of social media companies. Just follow the money, that’s the basis of the HOOK business model.

How is society responding?

As we see the rise of ill effects of long term gadget use, rising health concerns amidst this drive to seek mindshare, finite attention of the same consumers there are groups of individuals who are now speaking up and taking a stand. These groups are investors, ex-employees of these companies and consumer groups. Starting 2018 these voices have amplified and there is a call for action and change is imminent.

Apple Investor's Open Letter

A pair of investors who hold about $2 billion in Apple stock are pushing the company to do more to protect its youngest users from the effects of digital technology [18] . In an open letter to Apple, the investors, the activist hedge fund Jana Partners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, voiced concerns that such technology might be hurting children and said Apple could help ease the damage even as it generates business.

Addressing the issue now could help Apple avoid an impending reckoning as unease grows over the role technology and social media play in our daily lives, the shareholders wrote. “There is a developing consensus around the world including Silicon Valley that the potential long-term consequences of new technologies need to be factored in at the outset, and no company can outsource that responsibility,” the investors wrote. The solution, they argued, is not to banish such devices from children’s hands, but to help parents help them understand how to use technology with care. The open letter highlights growing concern that Silicon Valley is damaging youth and urges new parental controls, child protection committee and release of data.

The Center for Humane Technology

A group of Silicon Valley technologists who were early employees at Facebook and Google [19] , concerned over the ill effects of social networks and smartphones, are getting together to challenge the very companies they helped build. They have come together to a union of concerned experts called the Center for Humane Technology [20] . It plans an anti-tech addiction lobbying effort and an ad campaign at 55,000 public schools in the United States. The campaign, titled The Truth About Tech, will be funded with $7 million from Common Sense and capital raised by the Center for Humane Technology.

One of the co-founders of Center for Humane Technology — Harris, a former design ethicist at Google — mentions [21] it is not enough to simply turn your phone to gray or to stop using these tools entirely. Always-on technology is now baked into the social fabric. The teen who quits Snapchat risks missing out on the primary way his peers communicate. The employee who declines to answer her boss's after-hours email risks losing career opportunities. Which is why Harris is calling on the companies themselves to redesign their products with ethics, not purely profits, in mind, and calling on Congress to write basic consumer protections into law.

How is the industry responding?

With the clamour for change, companies who have a larger part to play in this ecosystem have realised that they need to acknowledge and recognize that there is an issue and at least have controls in place to alleviate the impact and negative PR around these issues.

Based on our understanding of this ecosystem and bucketing the responses we expect the changes to come from the following groups:

Device Makers

Popular apps, standalone apps, regulations, self-awareness.

Device makers have a very large influence on this ecosystem. Availability of platform level features could make a big difference to the user experience, privacy and parental controls across apps and device interaction itself. Ever since these issues have got increased media attention has forced device makers to think of alternatives or at least options in place for concerned groups. Some of the options available natively on device are the following:

• Grayscale option
• Parental controls - purchases, time limitations, app usage limitations
• Night light - predominant on reading devices and reading apps

Shades of Gray

Tristan Harris from Center for Humane Tech proposed [22] using shades of gray is to make the glittering screen a little less stimulating. Based on a popular report, “We’re simple animals, excited by bright colors, it turns out.” Silicon Valley companies know this, and they have increasingly been turning to the field of applied neuroscience to see how exactly brains respond to color in the apps, what brings pleasure and what keeps the eye. New research shows how important color is to our understanding of priorities and emotion. Grayscale can make the display more readable for those who are color blind. Second, if your battery is running low and you know that it will be a while before you'll have the opportunity to charge it, grayscale can extend battery life. Third, some experts say that using grayscale on your iPhone might be the answer to the question of how to break phone addiction. Not so popular but turns out iOS and Android devices have controls to switch to grayscale mode. On the iPhone grayscale mode can be turned on from Accessibility controls. On Android it’s a slightly more difficult workflow to enable grayscale. First up, you'll need to enable the hidden "Developer Options" menu. Under the Hardware accelerated rendering section, choose "Monochromacy" on the popup, then your screen will immediately enter grayscale mode.

Apple: In January 2018, Apple said it would introduce new features to help parents control their children’s use of the company’s products [23] . The move came after two Apple shareholders posted an open letter pushing Apple to address what is seen as a “growing public health crisis” of smartphone addiction in young people. Now, Apple has a new page on its site that collects information about the company’s family features and parental controls in one place [24] .

The page showcases features including an Ask To Buy tool that lets parents approve or decline app purchases from their device; an app management feature that lets users automatically block in-app purchases automatically; and the option to limit adult content on kids’ devices and restrict browsing to only pre-approved websites. Apple’s Find My Friends can also help track locations and issue alerts when children leave or arrive somewhere.

Google: Google announced the launch of Family Link in March 2017 [25] , an application for parents that lets them establish a child’s first Google account, as well as utilize a series of  parental controls to manage and track screen time, daily limits, device “bedtimes,” and which apps kids can use.

While all the major mobile device providers – Apple, Google, and Amazon included – offer parental controls on their devices, Family Link is different because it’s a two-party system. Instead, it works more like the third-party parental control and monitoring software already on the market, where an app installed on a parent’s device is used to configure settings and keep an eye on kids’ digital behavior.

Parental Control devices: This is the other class of devices that can help you create a safe online environment for your kids over your home wireless network. The advantage is that any parental control settings you apply to a network will apply to all devices connected to the Wi-Fi. You don’t have to install software on each individual device, and you can filter content right at the source. The disadvantage, however, is that the parental control options are generally less flexible and only apply when the devices are used at home. Here are some of the popular parental control devices available in the market today:

• Circle with Disney [26]
• UnGlue [27]
• KoalaSafe [28]

Some of the popular apps have also taken steps to attempt to solve the “device addiction” problems. Here are some of the notable initiatives.

Facebook: In January 2018 Mark Zuckerberg announced [30] a major overhaul of Facebook’s News Feed algorithm that would prioritize “meaningful social interactions” over “relevant content” on Thursday, one week after he pledged to spend 2018 “making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent”. The social media platform will de-prioritize videos, photos, and posts shared by businesses and media outlets, which Zuckerberg dubbed “public content,” in favor of content produced by a user’s friends and family [31] .

Youtube: Google launched a service called YouTube Kids in February 2015 [32] , a new version of the internet’s leading destination for video aimed squarely at children. YouTube Kids limits the world of content on the service to curated, family-friendly videos, channels, and educational clips. It also includes features like timer settings to limit screen time and a search function. The search gives users access to YouTube’s main database of videos, but that YouTube Kids’ results are automatically filtered for safe content. The service also gives adults a range of parental controls, including the ability to disable search completely, limit screen time and cap the volume. Google has disabled comments on the service, but it does show some kid-friendly ads.

There are multiple independent, third party apps of varying quality. These are mostly from smaller startups with limited revenue. Some of these could be effective, but involves searching for the right app and downloading it on all devices. The illustration covers some of the apps in this space.

Figure 9:  Illustration of apps for limiting gadget usage

From our research on these topic regulations seems to have limited impact in helping reduce gadget addiction and usage. There have been multiple regulations, bans and reversals for usage of gadgets in schools.

A girls’ school is banning wearable activity trackers and smartwatches because of concerns that pupils are skipping lunch if they fail to meet their calorie and exercise targets [33] . This article also suggests that “Social media addiction is thought to affect around 5% of young people, with social media being described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol” - which ties in with the HOOK model.

The French government in Dec 2017 decided to ban students from using mobile phones in the country’s primary, junior and middle schools [34] . Children will be allowed to bring their phones to school, but not allowed to get them out at any time until they leave, even during breaks.

Although students have been using cell phones consistently in their daily lives for almost a decade, many public schools continue to resist allowing the devices into the classroom. Schools generally grapple with new technologies, but cell phones’ reputation as a nuisance and a distraction has been hard to dislodge. Recently, however, the acceptance of these devices has been growing. Beginning in March, New York City, the largest school district in the country with 1.1 million students, will reverse its long standing ban on cell phones in schools [35] .

Centre for Humane Tech suggests humane design and applying political pressure as two of the ways to move forward for making gadgets less addictive [36] . Regulation alone will not help drive change, regulation can help support the change.

Self-awareness is key to reducing gadget addiction. Consumer demand for change becomes a forcing function for companies — device makers and popular app makers to recognize this problem and work towards having better designed — “humane designed” technology that aids use.

Consumers do not want to use technology/products that they know are harmful, especially when it harms their kids. We should increase awareness, spread the message such that consumers recognize the difference between technology designed to extract the most attention from us, and technology whose goals are aligned with our own. Consumers need to take control of their digital lives with better tools, habits and demand to make this change.

Having a more aware set of consumers and users will force policy makers and also help push regulations and policies in the right direction. Being self-aware enables us to be mindful and enjoy life moments without being glued to our screens and spend quality time with our loved ones.

Recommendations — which of these will have more impact?

We compared gadget addiction with other addiction paradigms to see what has worked in that context so that we can use the learnings.

Other Addiction Paradigms  

Obesity: This has been a raging problem in the US, especially impacting the younger generation. Research has shown that shame campaigns like “fat = bad” has not worked. But the campaigns around positive reinforcement of healthy habits have seen resounding success.

Tobacco Addiction: In the US alone, we spend close to 240 billion dollars in treating tobacco addiction. This a growing problem. There have been several successful programs and some not so successful. The government regulation exists for tobacco manufacturers to have the Surgeon General's Warning on the ill-effects of using tobacco. While every smoker reads it they still continue to smoke, it has become an issue of passionate defiance, addiction - an emotional dependence as smokers feel it helps them cope with stress, anxiety etc. Smokers still act against their best interest. [37]

CDC has said that the campaigns against smoking is working, but need to be rolled out nationally and continuously. Their initial efforts have shown that up to 100,000 smokers quit from these campaigns — a good sign. The most common problem smokers cite is that everyone around them smoked. Moving away from these groups has also shown positive effects in quitting smoking.

Drug/Alcohol Addiction: This has become part and parcel of our typical public health landscape. We see campaigns like “Don’t drink and drive,” the fines and punishment for DUI, etc. There have been some successful campaigns that permeate our society which are commonly known as “Don’t let your friend drink and drive” and the “designated driver program.” Some of these have become the terminology that we adopted in our daily lives. Some of these campaigns do work effectively.

Based on other addiction paradigms, campaigns can work if they focus on the right habits and not focus on shaming. Governing bodies might bring in regulations for companies to address this area either through self-awareness campaigns or by regulating detection of device abuse. With that said, device makers will have the bulk share of the responsibility to integrate them into the devices. While the regulations will have an impact but the device and self-awareness campaigns will have a more pronounced effect as seen in other addiction paradigms.

Where can we expect change from?

Device makers have best reach/effectiveness. We feel device makers will enable capabilities for users to turn on device abuse and notifications. But this can only be useful if users are self-aware that they have a problem with addiction to a gadget. These two – device makers and self-awareness — are the biggest change drivers.

We expect policy and regulations to have reasonable impact, but they need to work along with users and device makers to work out a good balance. Standalone apps to reduce screen time, etc. need users to be aware to download these apps. Popular app makers have less incentive to change their freemium or advertising revenue by reducing screen time and so unless there is a strong awareness from the user base which is pushing for change, popular app makers have little incentive to change.

Figure 10: Sources of change and impact

How do we see this playing out in the future?

As we have more and more gadgets entering our daily life, we will accept, adapt and evolve to lead device interrupted life as the new norm. Right now we are seeing a big increase in the number of digital assistants. Interaction will move from keyboard to more spoken forms and gestures. Voice and gestures will be the primary interface in the future. Augmented Reality (AR) is technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. AR will provide contextual information just in time as we go through our daily routines.

Technology and gadgets would have become an integral part of human lifestyle, and will only continue to increase with years to come. The form factors of gadgets and how humans interact with them may change. However, fundamentally as a human society we should continue to be aware and make sure we do live a fulfilling life by not becoming addicted to machines and continue to emphasize and cherish the human connection in our lives.

Works Cited

[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201609/is-why-we-cant-put-down-our-phones

[2] https://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/

[3] http://www.businessofapps.com/data/app-statistics/#3

[4] http://humanetech.com/problem/

[5] https://www.nirandfar.com/2012/03/how-to-manufacture-desire.html

[6] https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/feeding-the-addiction.aspx

[7] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/csm_2016_technology_addiction_research_brief_0.pdf

[8] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/383813

[9] https://blog.chocchildrens.org/effects-of-screen-time-on-childrens-vision/

[10] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/screen-time-digital-eye-strain/

[11] https://blog.chocchildrens.org/effects-of-screen-time-on-childrens-vision/

[12] http://www.digitalresponsibility.org/technology-and-hearing-loss

[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440123/

[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy

[15] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/25/twitter-facebook-uprisings-arab-libya

[16] https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21730871-facebook-google-and-twitter-were-supposed-save-politics-good-information-drove-out

[17] https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21730871-facebook-google-and-twitter-were-supposed-save-politics-good-information-drove-out

[18] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/08/apple-investors-iphone-addiction-children

[19] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/04/technology/early-facebook-google-employees-fight-tech.html

[20] http://humanetech.com/

[21] https://www.wired.com/story/center-for-humane-technology-tech-addiction/

[22] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/technology/grayscale-phone.html

[23] https://9to5mac.com/2018/01/08/improved-parental-controls-ios/

[24] https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/14/apple-parental-controls-features/

[25] https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/15/google-introduces-family-link-its-own-parental-control-software-for-android/

[26] https://meetcircle.com/

[27] https://www.unglue.com/

[28] https://koalasafe.com/

[29] https://www.asecurelife.com/best-parental-controls-for-wireless-networks/#torch

[30] https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10104413015393571

[31] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/11/facebook-news-feed-algorithm-overhaul-mark-zuckerberg

[32] https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/23/hands-on-with-youtube-kids-googles-newly-launched-child-friendly-youtube-app/

[33] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jul/12/gloucestershire-school-clamps-down-smartphones-activity-trackers-pupils

[34] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/11/france-to-ban-mobile-phones-in-schools-from-september

[35] https://www.wsj.com/articles/cellphone-ban-in-nyc-schools-to-end-1420602754

[36] http://humanetech.com/problem#the-way-forward

[37] https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/11/health/still-smoking/index.html

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Essay on Digital Addiction

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100 Words Essay on Digital Addiction

Understanding digital addiction.

Digital addiction is a modern problem where people can’t stop using digital devices like phones, computers, or video games. It’s like an uncontrollable urge to use these devices even when it’s not necessary. This addiction is becoming a big issue, especially among children and teenagers.

Causes of Digital Addiction

Many things can cause digital addiction. For example, social media platforms are designed to keep you engaged for long periods. Video games can also be addictive because they provide a sense of achievement. Even educational apps can lead to addiction if used excessively.

Effects of Digital Addiction

Digital addiction can cause many problems. It can affect your health, like causing eye strain or sleep problems. It can also affect your studies or work because you spend too much time on digital devices. Additionally, it can lead to social isolation as you may prefer digital interaction over real-life socializing.

Overcoming Digital Addiction

Overcoming digital addiction requires self-control and discipline. It’s important to set limits on the use of digital devices. Engaging in physical activities, reading books, or spending time with family can also help. If the addiction is severe, professional help may be needed.

Prevention is Better

Avoiding digital addiction is better than trying to overcome it. It’s important to use digital devices wisely. Parents and teachers can play a crucial role in educating children about the responsible use of technology. Remember, technology is a tool, not a master.

250 Words Essay on Digital Addiction

Digital addiction means spending too much time using gadgets like smartphones, computers, or tablets. It is like a habit that is tough to break. People who are addicted to digital devices find it hard to stay away from them, even when they are not needed.

Effects on Health

Digital addiction can lead to health issues. Looking at screens for long hours can hurt your eyes. It can also make you feel tired and can affect your sleep. Besides, it can lead to a lack of physical activity, which may result in weight gain and other health problems.

Impact on Social Life

People who are addicted to digital devices often spend less time with their family and friends. They may prefer to stay alone with their devices. This can make them feel lonely and can affect their social skills.

Ways to Overcome

To overcome digital addiction, it is important to limit the use of digital devices. Setting a specific time for using these devices can be helpful. It is also beneficial to spend more time doing outdoor activities and hobbies. This can distract your mind from the urge to use digital devices.

Digital addiction is a serious issue that can affect your health and social life. It is essential to recognize this problem and take steps to overcome it. By limiting the use of digital devices and engaging in other activities, you can lead a healthier and happier life.

500 Words Essay on Digital Addiction

What is digital addiction.

Digital addiction is a modern age problem where a person becomes overly attached to digital devices like smartphones, computers, tablets, or video games. This addiction can affect a person’s daily life and can interfere with their studies, work, and relationships.

Types of Digital Addiction

There are different types of digital addiction. Social media addiction is one of them where a person spends too much time on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Another type is video game addiction where a person spends most of their time playing video games. Internet addiction is also a type of digital addiction where a person cannot stop surfing the web.

Signs of Digital Addiction

There are several signs of digital addiction. If a person is spending too much time on digital devices and neglecting their daily activities, it is a clear sign. Feeling restless or upset when not using digital devices, lying about the time spent on these devices, and failing to cut down the usage are other signs of digital addiction.

Digital addiction can have serious effects on a person’s life. It can affect their physical health as they might not get enough exercise or sleep. It can also affect their mental health as it can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, it can affect their social life as they might prefer to spend time on digital devices rather than interacting with people.

How to Overcome Digital Addiction

Overcoming digital addiction can be challenging but it is possible. One of the effective ways is to set limits on the time spent on digital devices. It is also important to take regular breaks from these devices. Engaging in other activities like reading, playing sports, or spending time with friends and family can also help.

Digital addiction is a serious issue that can affect a person’s life in many ways. It is important to recognize the signs and take steps to overcome it. Remember, digital devices are tools to help us, not control us. Let’s use them wisely and lead a balanced and healthy life.

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Addiction to Technological Gadgets and Its Impact on Health and Lifestyle: A Study on College Students

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Original research

Gadget addiction among school-going children and its association to cognitive function: a cross-sectional survey from bangladesh, mowshomi mannan liza.

1 Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2 Department of Public Health, School of Research, Chattogram, Bangladesh

Mohammad Azmain Iktidar

Simanta roy, musa jallow.

3 Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia

Sreshtha Chowdhury

Mustari nailah tabassum.

4 Department of Medicine, Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Tarannum Mahmud

Associated data.

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

People are becoming more dependent on technology than ever before. Today’s children and adults are heavily plugged into electronics, which raises concerns for their physical and cognitive development. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the relationship between media usage and cognitive function among school-going children.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 schools in 3 of Bangladesh’s most populous metropolitan areas: Dhaka, Chattogram and Cumilla. A semistructured questionnaire with three sections was used to obtain data from the respondents: (1) background information, (2) PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale and (3) Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form. Stata (V.16) was used for statistical analysis. Mean and SD were used to summarise quantitative variables. Qualitative variables were summarised using frequency and percentage. The χ 2 test was used to explore bivariate association between categorical variables, and a binary logistic regression model was fit to investigate the factors associated with the cognitive function of the study participants after adjusting for confounders.

The mean age of total of 769 participants was 12.0±1.8 years, and the majority (67.31%) were females. The prevalence of high gadget addiction and poor cognitive function was 46.9% and 46.5%, respectively, among the participants. After adjusting the factors, this study found a statistically significant relationship (adjusted OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.7) between gadget addiction and cognitive function. In addition, the duration of breast feeding was a predictor of cognitive function as well.

This study found digital media addiction as a predictor of decreased cognitive performance in children who use digital gadgets regularly. Although the cross-sectional design of the study precludes causal relationships from being determined, the study finding deserves further examination via longitudinal research.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

• School age is a time of rapid physical and mental growth for children.
• Both children and adults are excessively immersed in electronic gadgets in today’s times.
• Digital addiction has a detrimental effect on ’students' performance in the classroom.
• Boys have a higher score of addiction to gadgets (66.3%).

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• This study found a significant proportion of school-going children are addicted to digital gadgets. Gadget addiction has a statistically significant relationship with the cognitive function of school-going children.

HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY

• This study recommends regular screening of gadget addictions among school-going children and future interventions and policies on daily recommended time limits of digital media device usage in children.

Introduction

Around the world, people are increasing their reliance on technology devices at a rate that has never been seen before. 1 Not only adults but also children are excessively immersed in electronic gadgets in today’s times, which generates issues and worries regarding the effects these devices have on children in terms of their physical and cognitive development. 2 3 Regarding the situation in Asia, a prior study that was carried out in six Asian nations concluded that children aged from 12 to 18 years held ownership of smartphones at a rate of 62% overall. 3

Numerous developments have taken place in the public sphere of the modern period, leading to an explosion of new forms of data transmission, social interaction and leisure time activities. As technology continues to grow on a global scale, it is nearly impossible to live without any digital screen. 4 Technological progress brings about inevitable lifestyle changes, particularly in children. These changes include the habit of playing with gadgets, eating habits, physical activity levels and the impacts of these changes. 5 There are identified benefits of digital device use, such as helping children acquire new vocabulary, languages and stay engaged in the classroom. 6 However, the possible negative impact of digital device use and its problematic usage is also common. A study has shown that digital addiction has a detrimental effect on students’ performance in the classroom. 7 Children who spend an excessive amount of time in front of screens may have decreased levels of productivity. 3 Above-mentioned studies indicate that there are a variety of advantages as well as drawbacks associated with the use of the various forms of the digital screen.

A cognitive function is any psychological process that is involved in the process of acquiring knowledge, the manipulation of information or the logical derivation of conclusions. 8 The capabilities of perceiving, remembering, learning, paying attention, deliberating and communicating are all included in the cognitive processes. 8 People who use digital screens for prolonged periods have been reported to have impaired cognitive regulation and cognitive inflexibility. 9 According to the findings of another study, digital addiction is connected with an increased number of reported cognitive failures. 10

School age is a time of rapid physical and mental growth for children. 11 There are increasing concerns about the effects of children’s excessive screen usage on their growth and development. 12 According to the results of a survey, around two-thirds of students use the digital screen while they should be paying attention in class, studying or completing assignments. 7 The distraction that is resulted from this multitasking is one of the factors that has been proven to have a negative impact on students’ academic performance. 7 There are limited evidences of digital addiction among children and its correlates in this geographic area. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the extent of media use, and its association with cognitive function among school-going children in the study region.

Study design, setting and sample

This cross-sectional study was carried out among children aged 8–14 enrolled in grades 4–7 at five private schools, five public schools and one madrasah (a specially adapted institution for Islamic education and culture) in Bangladesh. The study locations were chosen using convenient sampling. A printed questionnaire with instructions was used to obtain information from the parent, while trained volunteers performed face-to-face interviews with the participant.

Participants in the selected schools were sent informational pamphlets, parental consent forms and questionnaires. In addition, the pamphlets included a contact number for any more inquiries. Cognitive function assessment interviews were conducted with (n=769) children who provided written parental consent and completed the questionnaire within 1 week.

A semistructured questionnaire with three sections was used for data collection. Section 1 included questions on sociodemographic factors (age, gender, residence, family type, family income and parental education status), birth order (the order in which the child is born in comparison to other sibling), method of delivery (how the child was given birth: normal vaginal delivery or caesarean section), Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) vaccination status (If the child received all vaccination according to the EPI schedule), duration of breast feeding (for how long the child was breastfed) and deworming status (The interval at which the child received deworming medication: never, occasionally or regularly). Sections 2 and 3 included two validated questionnaires (PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale and Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form (PMUM-–SF)) for measuring cognitive function and gadget addiction, respectively. The parents received sections 1 and 3 with precise instructions for completion. The remainder of the questionnaire (section 2: PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale) was completed by a trained volunteer after the participant’s face-to-face interview.

PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale

The PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale consists of six questions (‘It is hard for me to keep my attention on things;’ ‘It is hard for me to remember what people tell me;’ ‘It is hard for me to remember what I just heard;’ ‘It is hard for me to think quickly;’ ‘I have trouble remembering what I was just thinking;’ ‘I have trouble remembering more than one thing at a time.’). This scale was developed through focus group discussions, cognitive interviews, pretesting and field-testing measurement development techniques. 13 A five-point Likert scale was used to assess this scale, with 0 denoting never, 1 denoting nearly never, 2 denoting sometimes, 3 denoting often and 4 denoting almost always. All responses were reverse-scored and then linearly translated to a 0–100 scale (0=100, 1=75, 2=50, 3=25, 4=0), in accordance with established scoring protocols. Any score below the mean was considered as poor cognitive functioning and higher scores indicated higher functioning.

Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form

The PMUM–SF was used to determine the level of screen addiction among all of the children in our study cohort. It includes nine components. Each answer was based on a five-point Likert scale: (1) never, (2) seldom, (3) sometimes, (4) often and (5) always. Children who scored 3 or higher on at least five questions were deemed to have a high level of device addiction.

A pretesting was done on 20 participants from government and private schools to check the feasibility and reliability of the study. Necessary modifications were made to simplify the data collection without affecting the data quality. The inclusion of a helpline number in leaflets was considered on the suggestions of the pilot participants.

Statistical analysis

All analyses were performed using Stata (V.16). Descriptive statistics were calculated as mean and SD for quantitative variables or frequency and relative frequency for categorical variables. The bivariate association of two categorical variables was explored using the χ 2 test. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to assess the association between cognitive function and gadget addiction. Variables with a p≤0.2 in the bivariate analysis entered in the multivariate model in a forward stepwise selection method. A two-tailed p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Public involvement

Members of the public were involved in several stages of the study including design and conduct. We received input from children and their parents and implemented them in our study design. We intend to disseminate the main results to study participants and will seek public involvement in the development of an appropriate method of dissemination.

Of the 836 questionnaires and consent forms provided to the participants, 67 were ineligible (30 did not meet inclusion criteria and 37 did not consent), resulting in 769 potential responders. A total of 769 responses out of 836 amounted to a response rate of 91.9%.

Background information of the study participants is presented in table 1 . Among the 769 participants, 67.3% were female and hailed from urban areas. About 78% of the participants were from nuclear families, and most of the participants’ birth orders were second or more. Most of the participants’ family income was in between BDT10 000 and BDT20 000 (42.4%). Regarding parental education, 40.9% of parents had 8–12 years of schooling. In terms of birth, 26.3% of participants’ modes of delivery were by caesarean section, and 67.8% were normal vaginal delivery. Most of the participants (90.6%) were EPI vaccinated. 10.8% of participants’ duration of breast feeding was less than 6 months, whereas 47.8% of participants were more than 24 months. About 3% of participants were never dewormed, whereas 49.08% were occasionally and 48.1% were regularly. The prevalence of high gadget addiction and poor cognitive function were 46.9% and 46.5%, respectively, among the participants ( figure 1 ).

Background information of study participants (n=769)

BDT, Bangladeshi Taka; C/S, caesarean section; EPI, Expanded Programme on Immunisation; NVD, normal vaginal delivery.

Prevalence of gadget addiction and cognitive function among school-going children (n=769)

Table 2 includes all the potential variables and demonstrates the adjusted result. After adjusting for age, gender, residence, family type, birth order, family income, parental education, mode of delivery, EPI vaccination status, duration of breast feeding and deworming status, participants with high gadget addiction had 56% less chance of good cognitive function than those with low gadget addiction. Also, participants whose duration of breast feeding was 6–12 months (adjusted OR, AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 5.4, p=0.02), 12–24 months (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.2, p=0.05) and more than 24 months (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.7, p=0.01) had a higher chance of having good cognitive function than those who were breastfed for less than 6 months. Responses regarding the PMUM questionnaire are presented in table 3 .

Cognitive function of the study participants and associated factors (n=769)

p<0.05 is in bold.

AOR, adjusted OR; C/S, caesarean section; EPI, Expanded Programme on Immunisation; NVD, normal vaginal delivery.

Problematic media use measure questionnaire and responses of the participant

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of gadget addiction and its association with cognitive functions among school-going children in Bangladesh. Using a semistructured questionnaire, data were collected on background information, and data estimating cognitive functions and gadget addictions via the PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale and PMUM-SF, respectively. In this study, a high gadget addiction score (46.9%) was found in the participants; this result is similar to other studies reporting the growing prevalence of gadget addiction in different parts of the world. Similarly, previous research consisting of two systematic reviews and meta-analysis 2 14 confirm the increasing prevalence trend of gadget addiction over time in children and children. An Indian study among school-going children, where 57.55% were female, found that 10.69% of technology users were addicted, with 8.91% addicted solely to their phones. 15

The PMUM-SF scale is a validated and reliable tool used to estimate screen media addiction in children by measuring child screen time and psychosocial functioning. 16–18 The high gadget addiction score estimated by PMUM was found to be across all age groups, and of the total participants in this study, the median age was 12.0 years with females being the majority (67%). This is in contrast to a study conducted in India, which reported boys as having a higher gadget addiction score (66.3%) because they had longer screen time than girls. 19 Other studies suggest that the prevalence of problematic media use or gadget addiction among children and young adults often varies (ranging from 5% to 50%). 16 20

Although the significance could not be established, it was observed that majority of the participants were from urban areas, belonged to nuclear families, had family income ≥BDT15 000/month, and had parents with some level of education. These elements could potentially be indicative of higher socioeconomic status and, therefore, children born from such families are more at risk of excessive screen exposure and gadget addiction. A few studies have demonstrated the link between high family income and screen or internet addiction, thus confirming our theory. 21 22

Using the PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scale which is a reliable and valid measure of cognitive functioning in children, 13 23 we estimated the cognitive function of all participants in the study and determine their association with children with gadget addiction. Overall, it was found that 53.5% of the children had a good cognitive function score, and children identified to have high gadget addiction scores had 57% less chance (AOR 0.4, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.6, p<0.001) of having a good cognitive function compared with those with low gadget addiction. The adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that as gadget addiction increases the level of poor cognitive function increases as well. A previous study conducted on children under 12 years of age in India, found that gadget media addiction has a close association with decreased cognitive function. 19 The study findings indicated that increased screen time and gadget addiction were significantly associated with parental concerns in some cognitive elements such as problem-solving, communication and personal-social development. 19 Previous research further supports this, reporting the significant association between increased screen time and delays in cognition, language and developmental motor milestones. 24 Similarly, there is evidence to show that parents who frequently use digital media devices to calm upset children lead to increase concerns in socialemotional development in toddlers. 25 A few studies observed increased ADHD problems in children with excessive televison (TV) use, 26 27 while the cognitive development of children was found to improve when screen time was reduced to less than 2 hours per day. 28 It was reported that the use of electronic media in preschool-age children was associated with behavioural difficulties over time. 29 Hyperactivity or inattention problems were associated with baseline use of mobile phones, while emotional and conduct problems were associated with internet or computer usage. 29

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine gadget addiction and its association with cognitive function in children in Bangladesh, using the PMUM-SF and PedsQL Cognitive Functioning Scales. The measurement of cognitive function may not be accurate considering the absence of clinical test. Still, the questionnaire used in this study was developed from validated scales, thus, enhancing the strength of our research. Another strength of this study is the large sample size used, which allows for greater precision and generalisability of the findings. One of the limitations of this study is that we could only present the association between gadget addiction and cognitive function, rather than causality due to our research methodology. Due to convenience sampling methods employed in this study, there may be sampling bias, however, we attempted to minimise this by sampling 769 children from 11 schools in three of Bangladesh’s most populous metropolitan areas of Bangladesh (Dhaka, Chattogram and Cumilla). Recall and social desirability bias are likely to have occurred since part of the data was drawn from parental reports. Future research is needed to establish cause and effect on this topic and, therefore, draw definitive conclusions.

We conclude that there is a positive association between gadget addiction and poor cognitive function among children who use digital devices frequently. Therefore, interventions and education programmes should be developed to increase public awareness of harmful gadget addictions in children. However, additional longitudinal research is required to obtain a clearer data.

Supplementary Material

Acknowledgments.

The authors would like to thank Dr. Azaz bin sharif (North South University), and Dr. Sanjana Zaman (North South University) for their assistance and time with this article.

Contributors: MML conceived the need for the survey, participated in its design, contributed to the interpretation of the results and is responsible for the overall content as guarantor. SR and SC participated in the design. MML, MAI and SR participated in data analysis of the study. MJ, SC, MAI, TM and MNT collaborated in data collection and writing up the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding: The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests: None.

Patient and public involvement: Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

Data availability statement

Ethics statements, patient consent for publication.

Consent obtained from parent(s)/guardian(s).

Ethics approval

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board, North South University (Approval no-2022/0R-NSU/IRB/1005). All the participants were explained in detail about the aims and process of this study and informed consent was taken before data collection.

• Signs of Addiction

Technology Addiction

Creating a healthy balance.

Extreme use of technology can disrupt normal patterns of mood and socialization in teens

Technology is everywhere, and it is not going away. Teenagers stare down at their iPhones, or keep their eyes glued to a tablet or laptop, instead of observing the world around them. It's not unusual to see two adolescents seated together on a bus, texting furiously on their mobiles rather than talking to one another. The fact that teens are so dependent on technology makes sense in our world, but it may also lead to negative consequences.

What is technology addiction?

Technology addiction can be defined as frequent and obsessive technology-related behavior increasingly practiced despite negative consequences to the user of the technology. An over-dependence on tech can significantly impact students' lives. While we need technology to survive in a modern social world, a severe overreliance on technology—or an addiction to certain facets of its use—can also be socially devastating. Tech dependence can lead to teen consequences that span from mild annoyance when away from technology to feelings of isolation, extreme anxiety, and depression.

What makes technology addictive?

Technology fulfills our natural human need for stimulation, interaction, and changes in environment with great efficiency. When teenagers experience stress, be it romantic rejection or a poor grade on an exam, technology can become a quick and easy way to fill basic needs, and as such, can become addictive.

Technology impacts the pleasure systems of the brain in ways similar to substances. It provides some of the same reward that alcohol and other drugs might: it can be a boredom buster, a social lubricant, and an escape from reality.

Video and computer games, smart phones and tablets, social media and the Internet provide a variety of access points that can promote dependence on technology and negative consequences for youth:

The Internet.  The Web can be addictive as a multifunctional tool that brings us exceptionally close to an enormous amount of information at unprecedented speeds. User-friendly by design, we now have access to the Internet on our computers, through apps on our tablets, phones and watches. "FOMO," or "Fear of Missing Out," is a commonly described phenomenon for teens and young adults, in which youth increasingly feel the need to stay connected to the Internet, so they aren't the last to know of a news story or social happening.

Related to FOMO, some Facebook users, for instance, report that they use the Internet-based social media platform as a chosen method to alleviate their anxiety or depression.1 With so much accessibility to its use, the Internet is just as hard to stay away from at any given point in a day as it is easy and rewarding to use.

Video and computer games.  One hallmark of human psychology is that we want to feel competent, autonomous, and related to other people. Challenging video games allow players to feel that they are good at something. Games offer a great variety of choice to players, promoting a sense of autonomy for teens who might feel otherwise out of control.

The same goals that drive people to pursue success in the real world are often present in video games. As one amasses virtual wealth or prestige by spending time on games and advancing through levels, virtual wealth can translate into some version of actual recognition—through monetary purchasing power within an online game or a positive reputation within an online community.

Gamers find themselves linked to others who share their hobby through YouTube channels or subreddits dedicated to discussion of their game of choice with other enthusiasts. Like the Internet itself, games make themselves increasingly accessible to teens via apps on smart phones, never leaving kids' palms or pockets.

While there is room for social connection in the gaming universe, this space also provides a potential escape from reality into a digital world where players get to assume new identities more appealing or more novel than those they hold in the real life.

Smart phones, tablets, and lifestyle technologies.  These highly-mobile, flexible machines have the power to constantly connect. Smart phones and tablets, and the emergence of other smart devices from the Apple Watch to the Amazon Echo, promote addiction by removing the time lapse from tasks and activities that previously required logging into a deskbound, or at least a backpack-bound, computer source.

Social media.  Social media presents individually-relevant information in the easiest ways—centralized, personalized portals, like a Facebook newsfeed, YouTube subscription, or Snapchat followership.

Whether it's a Skype conversation with our grandmother in Alaska or a Twitter reply to the President, social media feeds our need for human connection by allowing us to share feedback with those who are far from us in time, geography, or social status. As social animals, we need human contact for emotional and psychological health. The appeal of social media is that it helps us to fill social needs without the efforts or restraints of in-person contact.

What are the risks of teen technology use?

While technology is certainly not all bad, its overuse can pose certain key risks, especially to teens.

Technology can give students a false sense of relational security as they communicate with unseen individuals around the world. The speed with which technology moves makes everything a teen might be looking for available within seconds, which encourages an unhealthy desire for instant gratification. A slow internet connection or “unplugging” can promote irritability and anxiety for a teen otherwise used to constant connection through technology.

Sleep disorders can develop as teens stay up all night to play with technology, and as a result, academic, athletic, and social performance can suffer. Weight gain and other complications of a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle, such as cardiovascular disease, may result. In-person social skills may deteriorate.

Even as healthy teens are challenged by increasing life responsibilities, hormonal changes, and the stress of new social and academic worlds like dating and applying to college, these life transitions become even harder for those wholly absorbed in technology.

Within a technology-addicted individual, the mind becomes increasingly unable to distinguish between the lived and the alternate realities that produce instant stimulation, pleasure, and reward. As such, the extreme use of technology can disrupt normal patterns of mood and socialization in teens. Dependency upon social media, gaming, or other platforms to function can become the new and unhealthy "normal."

Technology addiction and teen substance use.  Researchers have found evidence that people who overuse technology may develop similar brain chemistry and neural patterning to those who are addicted to substances. 2

Another concern is that those who are addicted to technology are actually more likely to also use substances than their peers with healthier relationships to tech, providing the insight that technology addiction may be a risk factor for alcohol and other drug addiction.

One preliminary study found that a group of teens who "hyper-texted" were 40% more likely to have used cigarettes and twice as likely to have used alcohol than students who were less frequent users of technology. This same research noted that those who spent more hours per school day than peers on social networking sites were at higher risk for depression and suicide. 3

It stands to reason then, that if we can prevent technology addiction, we may also be able to prevent other risky behavior and dangerous consequences to teens.

Technology and the brain.  Studies have shown that brain scans of young people with internet addiction disorder (IAD) are similar to those of people with substance addictions to alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis. 4

Damage to brain systems connecting emotional processing, attention, and decision-making are affected in both substance addicts and technology addicts. This discovery shows that being hooked on a tech behavior can, in some ways, be as physically damaging as an addiction to alcohol and other drug use.

When is technology a protective factor?

Of course, the advent of smarter, faster, more mobile technologies can be used positively with teens too. The following list reflects the many ways that technology, used in a healthy way, can encourage teens to explore their world and express themselves:

Learning.  In Ramsey Musallam's AP Chemistry class at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, California, cell phones are a natural extension of the way the teacher otherwise communicates with his students. As soon as kids walk into his classroom, Musallam sends out a text blast through Remind101, asking students a challenge question related to the day's lesson. 5

Some teachers use Facebook as a communication hub, creating a public page or smaller, closed groups for classes. Using technology like this, teachers can keep parents informed, distribute homework or permission slips, and share photos and videos from classroom activities and field trips.

Others in education and civic development have found that by piquing students' interest in social justice or commentary videos posted on YouTube, student engagement with world issues is enhanced.

Creativity and expression.  Technology can promote student creativity by prompting expression through user-friendly tools. Some studies have shown that blogging, or web journaling, enhances students' creative thinking. 6

Metacognition—the ability to be aware of, attend to, and use information about one's own cognitive processes—allows students to strengthen critical thinking across academic and artistic disciplines. Utilizing Internet-based technologies that ask students to reflect on and reiterate their learning processes provides a framework for the development of teen metacognition skills.

Now common technologies like tablets and smart phones are often much less bulky than notebooks and textbooks, allowing students to flex their imaginations, read fiction, write poetry, doodle, or take pictures through the ease of software applications found on highly-mobile devices.

Socialization.  When monitored properly by a parent or guardian, the use of social media can create safe and healthy friendship networks for teens with like interests online, through already established mutual friendships or within shared interest hubs, like a blogging community or Facebook group.

Preventing other teen risks.  Since the expansion of the Internet and mobile technologies, call-in hotlines have expanded to include Internet help sites and texting lines for teens run by knowledgeable and mature adults. These options provide a place teens can go for accurate information and timely support when they are not comfortable discussing their personal problems with an adult at home or school.

At her social advocacy organization, Nancy Lublin started receiving so many texts from students with questions about bullying that she set up a text-only crisis line.7 While online harassment is a concern, online support movements like the It Gets Better Project have sprung up to powerfully protect teens too.

Preventing Technology Addiction in Teens

Technology will only grow in its use in teens' worlds. Preventing teen addiction to technology means finding a balance within students' lives, so that teenagers do not misuse their technology as an escape from real world challenges, emotions, socialization, or identity. Adults can help children and teens have healthy relationships to technology when they:

Provide plenty of healthy highs, some of them offline.  How teenagers use technology really matters. Are teens playing video games among other recreational activities, and are they as excited about a dinner with friends as they are about "leveling up"? Or, are they turning on the Xbox so they don't have to face a life that they're not enjoying?

Balance activity and productivity with healthy stress management.  Everything in life requires energy, and often teens feel like they have too little energy to spend on too many demands. If they're are not guided by adults to discover healthy ways to replenish their stores of energy, they may default by overusing easy fixes for entertainment or stress relief that promote technology addiction.

Nurture pro-social identity development in the real world.  Adults must be proactive, creative, and excited as they help kids to discover who they really are! Once teenagers find something they are good at and want to do, they will naturally gravitate toward it. It is easier to create an Internet façade, but far more rewarding for teens to cultivate true purposes and genuine identities within their families, schools, and communities.

Consider treatment when there's a problem.  Inpatient treatment for technology addiction starts by removing a teenager from both the Internet and the surroundings that allowed a technology addiction to occur in the first place. It is a form of intensive therapy. Other treatments can include ways to help technology addicts see the offline world as more pleasurable, without fully removing the online element from their lives.

Creating a Healthy Balance

It is true that technology can fulfill many human needs, but its overuse comes with risk. Being addicted to technology is in some ways akin to an addiction to alcohol and other drugs, with many of the same effects on the developing brain.

We must do all we can to prevent any sort of addiction from occurring in our children's lives. Technology can be a protective factor if used properly, and healthy adults can play a role in student technology addiction prevention by showing young people the benefits to be gained from a healthy, balanced approach to technology use.

1. Conrad, Brent. "Why Is Facebook Addictive? Twenty-One Reasons For Facebook Addiction - TechAddiction." Video Game Addiction Treatment & Computer Addiction Help - TechAddiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2017. http://www.techaddiction.ca/why-is-facebook-addictive.html.

2. Goldstein, Rita Z., and Nora D. Volkow. (2011). "Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in addiction: neuroimaging findings and clinical implications: Abstract: Nature Reviews Neuroscience." Nature Publishing Group: science journals, jobs, and information. Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2017. http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v12/n11/abs/nrn3119.html.

3. NHS. "Extreme levels of texting 'unhealthy'." NHS Choices. 10 November 2010. N.p. Web. 2 8 Feb. 2017. http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/11November/Pages/Texting-and-teen-behaviour.aspx.

4. Lin, Fuchun, Zhou, Yan, Du, Yasong, Qin, Lindi, Zhao, Zhimin, Xu, Jianrong and Hao Lei. (2012). "Abnormal White Matter Integrity in Adolescents with Internet Addiction Disorder: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study." Plos One. Web. 8 Feb. 2017. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0030253.

5. Barseghian, Tina. "How Teachers Make Cell Phones Work in the Classroom | MindShift." KQED Public Media for Northern CA.KQED, 10 May 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2017. https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/05/10/how-teachers-make-cell-phones-work-in-the-classroom/.

6. Hargrove, R. "The Role of Technology in Developing Students Creative Thinking Abilities - IATED Digital Library." IATED Digital Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. http://library.iated.org/view/HARGROVE2009THE.

7. Lublin, Nancy. "Nancy Lublin: Texting that saves lives | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. TED Conferences, LLC, n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_lublin_texting_that_saves_lives.html.

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Essay on Addiction of Gadgets in English for Children and Students

Introduction

Scientific gadgets have evolved in the past few decades. They are made for making our life easier. Their use can help in our mental growth until we get addicted to them. Their addiction is very harmful to us.

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Causes of Gadget Addiction

There are numerous causes of addiction to gadgets among people, especially youth. The first of them is mobile games. A variety of mobile games have understood the interest of gadget users and made them addicted. Also, various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik-Tok, etc. have also contributed to making people used to it. The increasing use of these gadgets in day to day activities, like shopping, reading, etc., have also made people dependent on these gadgets.

Prevention of Gadget Addiction

We can stop the addiction to these gadgets. We should use them only when we need them. There are many works that we can do without gadgets like shopping, reading, playing, etc. The addiction to these gadgets can make us physically and mentally sick. Immediate stopping their use is very important.

Gadgets are useful and harmful as well. We don’t need to completely stop their use, but limiting their interfere in our life is very important if you want to have a healthy and happy life.

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Life Without Gadgets

People born before the 1980’s would very well relate to life before the information age, when people had no access to internet or personal gadgets.  Let's briefly walk down the memory lane to relive those moments — a life without gadgets.

Children played together outdoor — they had a lot of physical activity. People talked to each other more often, and verbal communication face-face was at its peak. Chat jargon did not exist, and people knew their spellings well, as they read more books. People enjoyed spending more time outdoors with family and friends. It was commonplace to get the news from newspaper or radio. Entertainment came from playing board games, playing sports, going to the movies, watching VHS tapes, etc. Writers often used either a typewriter or a word processor on their computer. Computers were expensive and bulky. Doing research was hard; frequent visits to the library or scouring through plethora of papers, books, etc. were necessary. Communication was slow.

Life With Gadgets

Gadgets equipped with internet have transformed our lives in several ways and brought about a paradigm shift in our dependence on technology to perform key tasks in our everyday routine. To highlight a few:

• Enormous amount of information at our fingertips
• Use Google Maps to get directions, watch YouTube videos to learn to cook, sing, draw, learn science, etc.
• Health monitoring apps on the cell phone that would remind people to walk, run, bike, check BP periodically, etc.
• Capability to share daily life or special events instantly with thousands of people and see reaction in a matter of minutes, if not seconds
• Expedited research with access to information galore
• Ability to watch videos on demand from anywhere (Netflix, Amazon, etc.)
• Ability to read e-books online on demand — no more visits to library needed
• Use of mobile phones, tablets as pacifiers for kids
• Improved speed of communication by orders of magnitude leading to faster decision-making
• Existence of mobile apps for entertainment, social interaction through digital media, paying bills, accessing bank accounts, etc. (virtually for any purpose)

While there have been advantages to this information age and gadget revolution, it has created an insatiable appetite for information. It's now an expectation that information be readily available on demand from anywhere. This is the age of instant gratification.  While technology has fostered the human race, does our current consumption pattern adversely impact our analytical and creative abilities, lead to loss of focus in communication and make us just indexers of data rather than bearers of knowledge?  Are we addicted to our gadgets? Let's find out.

Effects of Gadget Addiction

While the business model of the top few app companies hinges on people spending more time with their gadgets every day, we need to recognize that the most important fallout of this induced behavior would be the rising epidemic of gadget addiction. A sense of urge to use the phone or any other gadget when bored or idle equates to addiction. Gadget addiction doesn't discriminate who is affected, it affects all age groups and people of all races. The effects range from mental, physical, emotional to even threatening our democracy.

Mental and Emotional Health

Dopamine is a neurochemical that largely controls the pleasure and reward centers of the brain. High levels of dopamine are usually associated with motivation and excitement to fulfil goals that would lead to recognized rewards and thus reinforcement of a sense of pleasure while achieving those goals. Procrastination, lack of enthusiasm and self-confidence, and boredom are linked to low levels of dopamine.

Research has shown that the brain gets “rewired” as excessive amounts of dopamine get released in the body on frequent interaction with a rewarding stimulus, i.e., using a smartphone app like Facebook. Boredom triggers an interaction with the rewarding stimulus (Facebook app), which in turn results in wide variety of rewards in the form of likes, messages, photos, etc. causing high releases of dopamine in the body. Frequent cycles such as these cause the brain’s receptors to become more insensitive to dopamine, causing the body to experience less pleasure than before for the same natural reward. This leads the person down a spiral, where one has increased craving for the same reward to achieve normal levels of pleasure. If the increased craving cannot be satisfied, it would lead to anxiety, lack of motivation and depression. Gadget addiction is likened to addiction to alcohol or drugs since it results in similar negative consequences.

Studies have shown that children's cognitive and emotional development can be adversely impacted by internet/gadget addiction. More screen time means more virtual interactions and rewards through social media (shares, likes) and less face time. Less face-to-face interaction with other people results in lack of empathy for fellow human beings. As social media glorify picture-perfect lives and well-toned physiques, children’s self-esteem and self-confidence are eroded. Lack of focus and more distraction during conversations is another expected negative impact.  A study on China high school students demonstrated that children with moderate to severe risk of internet addiction are more than twice as likely to develop depressive symptoms than addiction-free counterparts. Technology and gadgets would have become an integral part of human lifestyle and will only continue to increase with years to come. The form factors of gadgets and how humans interact with them may change. However, fundamentally as a human society we should continue to be aware and make sure we do live a fulfilling life by not becoming addicted to machines and continue to emphasize and cherish the human connection in our lives.

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Essay on Addiction of Gadgets

Introduction

Scientific gadgets have evolved in the past few decades. They are made for making our life easier. Their use can help in our mental growth until we get addicted to them. Their addiction is very harmful to us.

Causes of Gadget Addiction

There are numerous causes of addiction to gadgets among people, especially youth. The first of them is mobile games. A variety of mobile games have understood the interest of gadget users and made them addicted. Also, various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik-Tok, etc. have also contributed to making people used to it. The increasing use of these gadgets in day to day activities, like shopping, reading, etc., have also made people dependent on these gadgets.

Prevention of Gadget Addiction

We can stop the addiction to these gadgets. We should use them only when we need them. There are many works that we can do without gadgets like shopping, reading, playing, etc. The addiction to these gadgets can make us physically and mentally sick. Immediate stopping their use is very important.

Gadgets are useful and harmful as well. We don’t need to completely stop their use, but limiting their interfere in our life is very important if you want to have a healthy and happy life.

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Gadget Addiction and the Students’ Achievement

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... The questionnaire consisted of a list of statements and questions with several choices adapted from Kwon et al. (2013). ...

... Gadget users spend so much time Gadget Addiction and the Students’ Achievement 327 Vol. 1 (3), August 2021 though they might already feel pain in their wrist, at the back of their neck, and in their eyes, head, etc. (Kwon et al., 2013). ...

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... Moreover, Alhola & Polo-Kantola (2007) argue that total sleep deprivation due to gadget addiction impairs attention and working memory, but it also affects other functions, such as long-term memory and decisionmaking. ...

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... According to Starcevic (2019), females tend to be more curious about any emotional information such as gossip on social media than men. ...

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... Then, Karpinski et al. (2013) noticed that students used their gadgets for more than 6 hours per day. ...

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The effects of gadget addiction on academic performance among criminology students are not mentioned in the provided paper. The paper focuses on the effects of gadget addiction on students' achievement in general, without specifying a particular field of study.

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The provided paper does not specifically address the effect of gadget dependency on the academic procrastination of Grade 11 HUMSS students. The paper focuses on gadget addiction and its effects on students' achievement in general.

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Students Addiction to Gadgets: The Reasons and Consequences

Students Addiction to Gadgets

We live in the age of the internet and electronic devices. These are essential to almost every aspect of our lives and we depend on them. So, it is not crazy to think that many have become addicted to electronic devices, especially among students and young people. But, where does this addiction comes from and what are its consequences? Learn about it in this article.

Reasons of gadget addiction

The addiction to gadgets is a palpable problem that grows by the day. Why is it becoming so common? Why are all students at risk of suffering from this? Here are some of the factors that propel gadget addiction.

• Electronic devices are a way to escape reality. Many students feel overwhelmed by their academic and personal life. In this context, going online is a relief and the fastest way to feel better.
• On the internet, students can project the image of what they want to be. In social network and websites, it is possible to be whoever you want, even if that person is not what your are in reality. This is a factor especially common in students with depression or low self-esteem.
• Many students are electronics addict because they don’t feel emotional support at home. This is a situation that pushes students to look for approval and guidance in persons they meet online.
• The huge amount of shy people that have problems establishing relations with others find on the internet the solution. On virtual platforms, they don’t feel exposed and are more comfortable communicating. A sample of this are those who have a lot of followers on social networks but don’t have many friends in “real life”.
• Some people are predisposed to addictions in general. Since we are living in the age of the internet, electronic device addiction has displaced addictions to tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
• Students depend on their electronic devices. Alarms, reminders, notes, recording, schedule… Everything is on their phones or computers. So, in consequence, students spend a lot of time on their devices in order to have their lives organized.

In the past few years, the increase of electronic device addiction has been so striking that essays about addiction are now a common assignment. For many, this is a delicate subject, very hard to approach. To solve that problem, there are services that offer addiction research paper topics, which make the students’ job much easier. These services can also help if what you need is a free essay example to use as a guide for your essay about addiction to gadgets. In any case, the fact that this subject is constantly studied in schools and colleges is an example of the influence it has on our daily lives.

Consequences of gadget addiction

Electronic device addiction is not a simple and inconsequential problem. There are many issues that can derive from the excessive use of gadgets. An electronics addict can suffer emotional and psychological consequences that can seriously affect their futures:

• Tendency to procrastination.
• Dismissal of responsibilities.
• Acute depression.
• Social isolation.
• Technostress, a new condition that consists of trying to work as effectively a computer, which is impossible for humans and only creates a state of constant frustration.

Besides the emotional and physiological consequences, there are also physiological consequences that affect an electronics addict. These are more numerous and some of them are new conditions that didn’t exist before the technological boom. We tell you about them:

• The cell phone elbow. This is an issue that happens to people that held the phone up in their ears for long periods of time. This syndrome that causes pain in the elbow and forearm.
• The eye strain. This is a consequence of the blue light that its emitted by electronic screens. It causes tiredness and redness in the eyes.
• It can provoke hearing problems. Something especially common in students that are gamers and use headphones. These problems can become chronic if not attended properly.
• Thumb damage. Texting, scrolling, holding the phone, pushing buttons repeatedly for long periods of time. These are activities that can cause damage in the thumbs when done on a daily basis. This damage causes pain and long term harm.
• Low sperm count. Recent studies show that men who are gadget addicted suffer from low sperm count when they don’t have a good WiFi connection. There is still to determine if this causes permanent damage or if it is reversible.

The addiction to electronic devices is an example of the problems of our modern world. It is a big issue in our society that shouldn’t be taken lightly and need to be addressed properly in order to avoid permanent damage in the affected people.

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• Sample Essays

IELTS essay sample: Has gadgets affected the creativity of young people?

by Manjusha Nambiar · February 4, 2016

Essay topic

Nowadays leisure industry products like gaming consoles and modern gadgets are widely used by young people. The use of these products reduces the creativity of the young generation. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion.

Sample essay

Modern gadgets like smartphones and gaming consoles are quite popular with young people. Many of them make it a point to buy new gadgets as soon they hit the market. Gadget addiction has both destroyed and nourished the creativity of young people. I will explain my stand with examples in this essay.

Young people who spend a lot of time with their gadgets have reduced social skills. They live in a fictitious world of their own and often have trouble building relationships with others. They can’t imagine an existence without their gadgets and get panic attacks if they don’t have access to their machines. These people tend to have poor academic grades. They don’t have time to concentrate on their studies and they have limited understanding of the world around them. Most of these folks don’t read or write. They won’t be able to write even a simple letter if they don’t have access to the internet. In other words, these people will find it difficult to survive if you place them in a world where there is no internet or smartphone.

On the flip side, there are countless youngsters who have used the potential of gadgets and technology to unleash their creativity. They make apps and games. They write blogs to educate and entertain the world. We are living in the midst of a startup boom. If we take a look at those startup founders, it is not hard to see that they are young men and women in their early twenties. They are inspired by the power of technology and want to make a constructive difference to the world. They use their gadgets to change the world.

To conclude, technology can be a bane or a boon. It depends upon the way we use it. Young people need to realize that gadgets aren’t for killing time. They have better uses.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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Addiction of Gadgets Essay

Addiction of Gadgets Essay : We are providing an essay on the very famous topic that is “ADDICTION OF GADGETS” for 500 words. It will help to the students to understand that how to write an essay on this topic. For writing any kind of essays, students should have a clear understanding about the related topics. They should know that which points should be included. This article will save a lot of your time and will also help you to gather all the important information regarding the topic as well ….!

Essay on Addiction of Gadgets for Class 10, 12, Mains Exam (UPSC, PSC, SSC)

As we all know that we are living in the 21st century. Where  Science and the technology takes place. In this modern era the science and technologies has become the most essential part of our life. We can’t even imagine about  life without it.

All that luxurys and the comfort we have today are the results of the science and the technology that makes our life more easier and comfortable.

As we all know that the gadgets like the smartphones, laptops, tablets, ipads and so on are one of the greatest discoveries  founded by the humans. For making their survival easier and comfortable on this earth.

In today’s date we can see that the smartphone has become a very essential asset of our life. It has made our life easier and joyful. By using the Smartphone we can call our family member or our friends. No matter how far we are from themselves but still we can call them or see them via vedio calling. There are a lot of features are available in the mobile phones  which helps us to do a productive and fruitfull work in our daily life.

Students can see their online lectures on the smartphone. We can manage our banking accounts on the mobile phones very easily for that purpose we don’t have to go to the bank. There is only one thing needed and that is our bank account should be linked with our mobile number so that by using such kind of softwares we can manage our banking accounts on the smart phones  as well. Nowadays, we can see that making the payment or transfer the money to the other people has become easier than before.

But still at the other hand  there can be seen some negative consequences also.

There are some social media apps which helps us to connect to the people all over the world. People uses that apps so much and  get addicted towards it so badly. They spend their valuable time on the smartphones. Excessive use of these gadgets can lead a harmful effects on our physical as well as mental health . We should understand that our physical and the mental health is also important. Instead of using the smartphone with no means we should do some exercises or yoga, we can also go for a walk or do meditation for half an hour  as well. It will help us to improve our immunity as well as to keep calm in the stressful situations.

We should avoid the extreme use of the gadgets and the children also should take interest in the outdoor activities and in the toys.

Spending the quality time with family or the children can help one to end their attachment with the gadgets. There will be whatever such as TV, PC, phone or something else we should set up the time limit to use  these kinds of gadgets accordingly. People should plan a day out with their friends  rather than chatting with them on Instagram or any other Messenger softwares.

Due to the excess use of the gadgets people are suffering from the mental as well as emotional health problems. Watching the mobile display for long time can make one feel anxious and stressed.

It is a darker side of the gadgets uses which we should understand and stay aware from it and also make sure that we are using it appropriately.

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Mass Tech Layoffs? Just Another Day in the Corporate Blender.

By Ashley Goodall

Mr. Goodall, who previously worked as an executive at Deloitte and at Cisco Systems, is the author of the forthcoming book “The Problem With Change.”

Silicon Valley, home of so many technological and workplace innovations, is rolling out another one: the unnecessary layoff.

After shedding over 260,000 jobs last year, the greatest carnage since the dot-com meltdown more than two decades ago, the major tech companies show little sign of letting up in 2024 despite being mostly profitable, in some cases handsomely so. In their words, the tech companies are letting people go to further the continuing process of aligning their structure to their key priorities , or “transformation” or becoming “ future ready .” Behind these generalities, however, some tech companies are using what has hitherto been an extreme measure in order to engineer a short-term bump in market sentiment.

Investors are indeed thrilled . Meta’s shares are up over 170 percent amid its downsizing talk. And where stock prices go, chief executives will generally follow, which means it is not likely to be long before the unnecessary layoff makes its appearance at another publicly traded company near you.

These layoffs are part of a tide of disruption that is continually churning the work days in corporations everywhere. If you’ve spent any amount of time working at a company of pretty much any size, you’ll be familiar with what I call the resulting “life in the blender”: the unrelenting uncertainty and the upheaval that have become constant features of business life today. A new leader comes in, promptly begins a reorganization and upends the reporting relationships you’re familiar with. Or a consultant suggests a new strategy, which takes up everyone’s time and attention for months until it’s back to business as usual, only with a new mission statement and slideware. Or, everyone’s favorite: A merger is announced and leads to all of these and more.

Now, no business prospers by standing still, and there is no improvement without change. Course corrections, re-orgs and strategic pivots are all necessary from time to time. Technological changes continue to demand the restructuring of major industries. But over the last quarter-century or so, the idea of disruption has also metastasized into a sort of cult, the credo of which holds that everything is to be disrupted, all the time, and that if you’re not changing everything, you’re losing.

You can take courses in disruption at the business schools of Stanford, Cornell, Columbia and Harvard. You can read, on the cover of a leading business magazine, about how to “Build a Leadership Team for Transformation: Your Organization’s Future Depends on It.” And if it is the catechism of chaos you’re after, you can buy the inspirational posters and chant the slogans: Fail fast; disrupt or be disrupted; move fast and break things. Part of this, of course, is a product of the hubris of the Silicon Valley technologists. But part, too, is the belief that the fundamental task of a leader is to instigate change. It is hard to remember a time when there was any other idea about how to manage a company.

Moreover, because a majority of corporate executives — together with the consultants and bankers who advise them, the activist investors who spur them on and the financial analysts who evaluate their efforts — have been raised according to this change credo, the constant churn becomes a sort of flywheel. A leader instigates some change, because that’s what a leader does. The advisers and investors and analysts respond positively, because they’ve been taught that change is always good. There’s a quick uptick in reputation or stock price or both, the executives — paid, remember, mostly in stock — feel they have been appropriately rewarded for maximizing shareholder value, and then everyone moves on to the next change.

But it’s hardly clear that this is having the desired result. Studies of merger and acquisition activity have pegged the rate at which they destroy — rather than increase — shareholder value at something between 60 and 90 percent; a Stanford business school professor, Jeffrey Pfeffer, has argued that layoffs seldom result in lower costs, increased productivity or a remedy for the underlying problems in a business; and few of us who have lived through re-orgs remember them as the occasion for a sudden blossoming of productivity and creativity.

Seen through the eyes of the people on the front lines, the reason for this gap between intent and outcome comes into tighter focus. After all, when the people around you are being “transitioned out,” or when you find yourself suddenly working for a new boss who has yet to be convinced of your competence, it’s a stretch to persuade yourself that all this change and disruption is leading to much improvement at all.

“It’s exhausting,” one person I spoke to about change at work told me. “It’s soul-sucking,” said another. One person told me that after the combination of two departments, his people were like deer in the headlights, unsure of what they should be working on. Another had 19 managers in 10 years. Another told me that perpetual change drained the energy from work: “You say the right things in the meetings, but you don’t necessarily do what needs to be done to make it happen.” Another learned to watch the managers and be alert when they stopped dropping by or communicating: “It is like before a tsunami, when the water goes. You don’t see the water, and then the tsunami comes — all of a sudden, it comes, hard. When everything is calm, I worry.”

Of the dozens of people I spoke to, every single one had some sort of change-gone-bad story to share. And these sorts of reactions are about more than simple frustration or discontent. They are rooted in the psychological response we humans experience when our sense of stability is shattered and our future feels uncertain, and indeed the scientific literature has much light to shed on exactly why life in the blender is so hard on us. Experimenters have found, for example, that our stress is greatest when uncertainty , not discomfort, is at its peak — and uncertainty is the calling card of change at work. Then there is the question of agency: a well-known series of experiments conducted by Steven Maier and Martin Seligman in the 1960s discovered that when we sense we are not in control of a situation we give up trying to make things better — this is “learned helplessness” setting in.

Other researchers have described our fundamental need, as a species, for belonging , and the importance of our social groupings — which helps to explain why we don’t like it when our teams are disassembled, reshuffled and reassembled. And others still have shown that we have — perhaps unsurprisingly! — a deep-seated need for things to make sense in our environment, a need that is so often thwarted by the generic C.E.O. statements and exaggerated cheer-speak with which most change initiatives are communicated.

But while the essential response of the human animal to uncertainty and disruption is hard-wired, the degree of change we introduce into our workplaces isn’t. It’s often a choice. We’ve reached this point because the business world seems to have decided that change is an unalloyed good, and so there is no amount of it that is too much, and no cost of it that is too great.

Were more leaders to be guided by the science of change, or by the stories that people on the front lines share, they would quickly discover that it is stability that is the foundation of improvement. Only once we begin to honor people’s psychological needs at work, by thinking twice before launching into the next shiny change initiative and by paying more heed to the rituals and relationships that allow all of us to point our efforts in a useful direction, can we begin to do justice to the idea that a company must be, first, a platform for human contribution if it is to be anything else at all.

Ashley Goodall, who previously worked as an executive at Deloitte and at Cisco Systems, is the author of the forthcoming book “The Problem With Change.”

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