Technology is making great strides. This brings many benefits to society, but along with it, there are no small risks. Through the constant growth in the number of subscribers, hundreds of thousands of downloads of mobile applications are the clearest proof. But because of that ease and convenience, sometimes we become “addicted” to the internet without realizing it. “Digital age” diseases are also following each other to destroy the human body.
We are slaves to Internet addiction
According to a survey conducted by Common Sense Media (CSM) (a non-profit organization on education and helping children, parents, teachers and policy makers negotiate media and technology), up to 50% of teenagers feel they are addicted to the internet and mobile devices. In 1,240 interviews with parents of children aged 12 to 18, 59% of them were addicted to digital technology.
“Technology addiction can happen to anyone,” says digital addiction expert Holland Haiis. “If your child wants to play games at home alone instead of going out to the movies or meeting friends to connect socially, they may be addicted to electronic devices.”
A 2011 review of 18 studies by Common Sense Media found that about 26% of teenagers and college students were addicted to the Internet. With the convenience that the era brings, the number of people addicted to technology is becoming more alarming than ever.
Yahoo and Flurry define this: “A mobile phone addict regularly opens an application or device 60 times or more per day. According to this report, the number of people addicted to technology has increased by nearly 59% in the past year from 176 million people in 2014 to 280 million people in 2015”.
People also liken it to, if internet addicts established a country, it would become the 8th largest country in 2014 and the 4th largest in the world in 2015 in terms of population.
Internet addiction and its unpredictable effects on health
With the above figures, let’s take a look at ourselves again. Are we immersed in the virtual world? And if you need a reason to seriously do it, see the next section.
Vision
The World Health Organization (WHO) has studied that just by being exposed to the screens of electronic devices for more than 3 hours a day, the eyes will have a risk of 90% vision loss. When used a lot, users tend to look closely, causing the optic nerves to have to adjust a lot, causing stress and fatigue. This habit also increases the risk of eye diseases due to infection.
Accidents
Right after the number of accidents when drinking alcohol, it is none other than using mobile phones to surf the web. According to recent data, with just 2 seconds of glancing at the screen, you have increased your own risk up to 20 times.
Reduced work and study efficiency
Known as the “second teacher” of everyone, it is enough to see the usefulness that technology has brought. But for those who are addicted to the internet, it will take up most of your time, along with a decrease in concentration and work quality.
Memory loss
According to a survey by Kaspersky Lab (a Russian security software manufacturer and distributor), Digital Amnesia is increasingly widespread and has become a disease of the times. It is when we forget all the information when we “entrust” the memory and storage to a technical device.
Depression in adults, autism in children
If young children are exposed to technology early, they will not only be affected physically, such as eye disorders (myopia, astigmatism), motor disorders (slow walking, poor gross motor skills), and obesity. More worryingly, signs of autism such as loss of communication ability, and slow speech will greatly affect the child’s entire childhood.
The iHunch symptom (a psychological disorder caused by digital devices and internet addiction that tends to bend the head forward, shoulders slumped, and arms drooping) has shocked many people about the destructive power of technology. Many studies have also shown that people with clinical depression often have strange postures similar to this symptom.
Increased risk of cancer
According to CNN Health magazine, exposure to a lot of blue light from LED lights, phones, and tablets increases the risk of breast or prostate cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified the radiation emitted by mobile phones and confirmed that such radiation is capable of causing cancer in humans. Technological breakthroughs bring huge benefits to the progress of society, but their consequences also give us headaches. So to make the most of the benefits and minimize the risks, we must act immediately.
