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TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION:Negative Effects of Overusing the Internet

Jessica Commanda

Today, technology advances rapidly, and people are always looking for

the latest, greatest gadgets..

There is no denying that technology has many benefits;

however, the majority of society has forgotten the need for an equal balance between being

online and offline.

Technology has shortened the attention spans of Canadians and it is becoming more common for people to multi-task

on multiple devices (Krashinsky).

Marketing research revealed this multi-tasking habit. “They were on their phones, and … they were

reacting to what was happening on the TV even

when they weren’t watching it.” Alyson

Gausby from Microsoft Canada said (Krashinsky).

Families struggle to find device-free time when it comes to play time, and even during meals (Bielski).

Many families have started having “device-free meals” to encourage conversation and quality

connections (Bielski).

“Everybody says they’re communicating more with their kids by text,” says Clark Olson, father of two

sons. “That’s the paradox of this: We’re communicating more but we’re not communicating

deeply. That’s the disconnect.” (Bielski)

Parents text their children often, but it is usually only transactional and not actual conversation (Bielski).

Technology is also negatively affecting the

psychological development of

children, by decreasing their attention spans.

This includes TV, video games, internet ect.

(Taylor).

When it comes to learning to read, studies have shown that reading uninterrupted texts (actual books) is more

beneficial to children compared to text full of

hyperlinks and ads (Taylor).

Today’s children will have to be able to keep up technologically in order to thrive; however, during their

fundamental development years, it is still important to have play time without screens (Taylor).

Children and teens who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media are more than twice as likely to

have poor mental health (Jamieson).

Social media may be a way to connect with friends and family, but it can also be a

source of social comparison, cyber bullying and isolation

(Jamieson).

Teenagers, specifically, who spend hours online at night lack necessary

sleep, and increase their risk of anxiety and/or depression. They also

feel the negative pressures of social

media the most (Udorie).

There is an increasing “digital divide” between those who can and cannot afford internet access

(McGee).

Photo Credit: http://401kcalculator.org

This creates a distinct disadvantage for low-income individuals, students, families and seniors who are not able to keep up in an increasingly online world

(McGee).

Many senior citizens do not have access to or do not understand how to use new technology. This

generation has the hardest time adjusting to change as the world becomes more technological (Peacock

and Kunemund).

Photo Credit: Nicu Buculei

We have become so addicted to our devices that distracted driving rates continue to rise with issues from texting to playing games,

while behind the wheel (Wallace).

Technology has allowed us to become more connected in terms of instant and long distance communication.

However, we need to remember that real life, and in person connections are still important and that a balance can be struck between embracing

technology and remaining present in the real world (Fell).

Bielski, Zosia. “Portait of an e-family: How they’re making their hyper-digital lives work.” The Globe and Mail, 22 Aug. 2013, www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/how-families-are-making- their-hyper-digital-lives-work/article13924931/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016. Fell, Sara Sutton. “Balancing the Technology in Our Lives.” The Huffington Post, 1 Sept. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-sutton-fell/balancing-the-technology-_b_3530989.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.Gustke, Constance. “Technology, While Not a Fountain of Youth, Can Make Aging Safer.” The New York Times, 24 Jul. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/your-money/technology-while-not-a- fountain-of-youth-can-make-aging-safer.html?_r=0. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016Jamieson, Sophie. “Excessive social media use harms children’s mental health.” The Telegraph, 20 Oct. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/children/11943810/Excessive-social-

media-use-harms-childrens-mental-health.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.Krashinsky, Susan. “Advertisers cash in on attention spans of digitally savvy Canadians.” The Globe and Mail, 11 May 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com.proxy.queensu.ca/report-on- business/industry-news/marketing/microsoft-study-looks-at-attention-span-of-digitally-savvy-canadians/article24359527/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.McGee, Craig. “Have your say: How can we help Canadians gain better access to the Internet?” The Globe and Mail, 25 Nov. 2013, www.theglobeandmail.com/life/giving/have-your-say-how-can-we- help-canadians-gain-better-access-to-the-internet/article15585113/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.Peacock, Sylvia E., and Harald Künemund. "Senior Citizens and Internet Technology: Reasons and Correlates of Access Versus Non-Access in a European Comparative Perspective." European Journal of Ageing, vol. 4, no. 4, 2007., pp. 191-200Taylor, Jim. “How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus.” Psychology Today, 4 Dec. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-

technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.Wallace, Kelly. “Driving while distracted: It’s not just texting anymore.” CNN, 9 Aug. 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/health/distracted-driving-not-just-texting-pokemon-go/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.Udorie, June Eric. “Social media is harming the mental health of teenagers. The state has to act.” The Guardian, 16 Sept. 2015, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/16/social-media- mental-health-teenagers-government-pshe-lessons. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.

Works Cited

All photos courtesy of Jessica Commanda unless otherwise credited.