We live in an age of abundance. Abundance in good things like connections, healthcare and information. Abundance in unhealthy things, like alcohol and other stimulants, being online and, here too, information.
Alcohol is fun to consume every once in a while, but drinking it more than three glasses a week can cause serious damage to your liver and overall health. Three glasses a week might seem like a very small amount to a lot of people because of the abundance mindset, but in reality is quite a lot. The same thing goes for our devices. When used well, we can reap benefits that no other civilization in history has been able to. But, when used poorly, we turn into zombies and lose grasp of what really matters.
These once-so-great things have become harmful not because they are bad in their nature, but because there is so much of it.
Addictions
A lot of people would disregard being online as an addiction because it doesn't attack our inner organs like our liver the way alcohol does, or makes us spend all our money just to get our next hit of dopamine from our favourite drug. Or do they?
The definition of addiction as we see it in the dictionary is as follows.
noun Physiological or psychological dependence, as on a substance.
noun The condition of using something on a regular or dependent basis.
noun The condition of being habitually occupied with or involved in something.
Physiological or psychological dependence, as on a substance.
There is a psychological dependency to our screens because of the constant stream of information and output, giving us dopamine boosts. Dopamine is a hormone we make naturally in our brain, but the amount of it that's made while scrolling and constantly finding new things to read, to see and to interact with is far from natural. It makes us dependant on our devices, because real life gives us significantly less dopamine. It works similarly to more standard drugs, which similarly give of boosts of hormones -- often dopamine, too -- to make the user feel good for the period of time they're using it.
The condition of using something on a regular or dependent basis.
People on their phones has become a common view. In the metro, walking on the street and even
while having a dinner out. The amount of time people spend on their phone has gone up by an incredible amount since the start of this millennium. Disregarding other types of screens for now, the average time people spend on their phones, including the older generations and the youngest, is 5.4 hours a day. That makes 37.8 hours a week -- almost a full-time workweek.
13% of millennials spend 12 or more hours a day. That's 84 hours a week. In perspective, there's 168 hours in one week, with ideally 49 hours of sleep (7 per night, but that amount is not always met thanks to busy schedules and demanding jobs). That leaves 35 hours a week of time not spent on phones. With these statistics, we haven't even tapped into other devices like laptops or pc's yet. Not to mention time at work or school. Put into context like that, it is ever too regular a use.
The condition of being habitually occupied with or involved in something.
We've talked about the time on screen, which is being occupied with something directly. Being involved with something indirectly is when you, without actually using it, are thinking about the thing. A lot of the time, without even using it, we're thinking about whether or not there's new information available. You might associate the word information with doing research or reading articles, but information goes beyond that. Wondering if your new post has gotten any likes, if there's new emails, or posts on your instagram feed, if that one person has texted you back yet. Without even noticing, you might be occupied with your phone more than you think. That is where the phone addiction lies.
Neanderthal-Mind
We've come a long way since ape-men. Inventions like the lightbulb or the toilet have made our lives more liveable and improved the quality of our day-to-day existence. The growth, especially the last century and even more so the last few decades, has been increasing so much that the line in the graphs that show invention and technology before that time is pretty much flat.
Now, what is the problem here, is that our inventions have improved by millions of percents from ape-men to now, but our minds have not. Not as much as our inventions have, at least. Our minds were not made for the amount of information that we register everyday, whether it be on your phone or in real life, with ads and bits of information placed everywhere throughout cities. The humans mind never needed that kind of function, and evolution is not anywhere as fast as our technology advances. This makes our minds forget a lot of what it consumes, as to not overload it.
Do you remember what you saw or read ten minutes ago?Our phones are like slot machines. If you've ever been in a casino, you know how some people there are like zombies, mindlessly pulling the lever. You could ask them what they spun ten minutes ago, and they would not be able to recall. There was just too much input to remember things like that.
Our attention span has decreased because of this phenomenon. It's harder and harder to focus, since if it took everything it saw, smelled, felt etc. and stored it, it would burn-out in just seconds.
Social contact
Even though the word 'social' is in the name of 'social media', we can only classify it as false advertisement. Because though it is true that we can see what our cousin in Australia is doing everyday from all over the world, and we can speak to our friends even when they are miles and miles away, our brain doesn't register these activities as actually being social.
In order for your brain to register an interaction as social, it needs to be convinced that you are with someone. And, talking through a cold, glass screen is not being with someone, however much we feel like we are with our thinking brain. This leads to you feeling lonely and unsatisfied even though you may have plenty of friends you talk to, which, in turn, worsens your mental health.
Anxiety and depression
"The more people use their phone," Dr. Nancy Cheever, who spearheaded research on the relationship between cellphone use and anxiety at California State University, Dominguez Hills, "the more anxious they are about using their phone."
She warns that there is little known about the long-term effects that phone-induced anxiety can have on your overall health.
"If you're constantly connected, you're going to feel anxiety," Cheever said. "And the more people feel anxiety, that can lead to other things like worsened mental health and physical ailments."
1. Constant Connectivity and its Toll
The advent of smartphones has ushered in an era of constant connectivity. While staying in touch with friends and accessing information on the go is undoubtedly advantageous, the downside is the perpetual state of alertness it fosters. The continuous stream of notifications, messages, and updates creates an environment where individuals feel an unrelenting pressure to be digitally present at all times. This persistent connectivity has been identified as a significant contributor to heightened stress levels.
2. Social Media and the Comparison Trap
Social media platforms, often accessed through our smartphones, have become arenas for comparison, where curated snapshots of others' lives can breed feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. The desire to measure up to the seemingly perfect lives depicted online can be a breeding ground for anxiety and depression. The curated nature of social media exacerbates the tendency to perceive others' lives as unattainably idyllic, leading to a detrimental impact on mental well-being.
3. Sleep Disruption and the Blue Light Effect
Our phones emit a blue light that can disrupt sleep patterns. Prolonged exposure to screens, especially in the evening, interferes with the body's natural circadian rhythm, making it challenging to attain restful sleep. Sleep deprivation is a well-established factor in the development and exacerbation of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
4. Escapism and Isolation
While smartphones offer an escape from reality through games, apps, and social media, excessive usage can lead to a paradoxical sense of isolation. The more time spent in the digital realm, the less time available for genuine face-to-face interactions. This isolation can contribute to feelings of loneliness and disconnection, known precursors to mental health challenges.
5. The Allure of Instant Gratification
Smartphones provide a constant source of instant gratification – be it through likes, comments, or immediate access to information. This instant reward system can create a dependency that, when unmet, can lead to feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction, adding another layer to the complex relationship between phone usage and mental health.
In short, the danger lies not in the devices themselves but in the way we interact with them. Acknowledging the potential pitfalls of excessive phone usage is the first step toward creating a healthier relationship with our screens.
Is it really all bad?
As mentioned earlier, every addiction often has its roots in something positive, a useful aspect that enhances our lives. The trouble arises when we tip the scales with overuse. Virtually everything can be beneficial in moderation. Take phones, for instance—they're excellent servants but notorious masters, much like many other aspects of our lives.
Consider the power of thinking. It's a fundamental human ability that has propelled our evolution. However, in the age of constant rumination, we risk losing touch with reality. It's not that thinking is inherently bad; it's the excessive and obsessive use of it that turns the tables.
So, here's the deal: don't bid farewell to your phone altogether; bid adieu to those endless hours spent glued to it. Treat it as a tool, not as the puppet master pulling your strings. You wouldn't spend six hours a day hanging out with a rake just because it's a useful tool. Instead, it patiently waits for the moment you need it. That's the kind of relationship you want with your phone—where it serves you, not the other way around.
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