Technology Addiction Facts And Background Story
Lets go back to the year 1996. A teenager has just been admitted to an alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre. Not only is his whole body shuddering, hes whimpering and shaking uncontrollably. In the lounge, he starts hurling chairs and tables around. One thing is crystal clear: He is in the worst stages of withdrawal.
But what did he consume? Crack? Vodka? Heroin? No, nothing of the kind. According to the psychologist he consulted, he had gone cold turkey from the internet. In 1996? Hard to believe, right? But waitwe bet youve looked at your phone at least once in the last 10 minutes. Been on the laptop? Opened Facebook? Read the latest news? In 2018, this withdrawal clinic would attract countless potential patients, smartphone zombies as a Deloitte study calls them, who have long been out of control of their internet use.
What Are Kids Doing Online
The amount of time teenagers typically spend on phones and other devices can be misleading as a measure of whether they are unhealthily engaged. Thats because many of the things kids do on those devices are age-appropriate activities that in the past have been done offline: socializing with peers, exploring personal interests, shopping, listening to music, doing schoolwork, watching movies or TV.
Texting and use of social media sites, for instance, have become important channels for adolescents connecting to others and being validated. Role-playing games allow kids to interact not only with friends, but to people around the world. A 2016 report by Common Sense Media concluded: What looks like excessive use and distraction is actually a reflection of new ways of maintaining peer relations and engaging in communities that are relevant to them.
Create Projects For Yourself
Its amazing how much you can accomplish when youre not glued to a screen. Compile a list of one-hour evening projects. List everything you can possibly think of: Organizing kitchen cupboards, touching up the paint on your bedroom walls, sharpening knives, sorting through your sewing materials. Then try to do one each evening.
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Habit #: Googling Everything
The mind behind Lost and Star Trek, JJ Abrams, mentioned in a TED talk that there is no mystery left in the world. We can know whatever information we want with just a quick Internet search. Abrams keeps sealed a mystery box he bought with his grandfather when he was just a child. Abrams has never opened the mystery box.
He is generally right: we dont let ourselves wonder enough.
And how many times have we all found ourselves saying I dont know . I bet we can just Google it Before I return to my friends with how many feet tall the Eiffel Tower is or whether Yelp was profitable last quarter, I get distracted.
Trigger: Not knowing something
Not only is the distraction harmful and I have now killed the conversation, but also the idea that more knowledge is necessarily good is quietly dangerous.
Sure, there is little harm to knowing more. But that is a shallow understanding of what happens. There is a real cost below the surface of Googling everything without a second thought: the gradual erosion of critical thinking skills and ones ability to form educated guesses. I am making an effort to stop myself before Googling information and getting lost in the twists of the Internet. This is a hard one to change because the triggers are often diverse, and not necessarily obvious. However, nowadays, one solution for me is simply seeing the Google search bar and forcing myself to justify what I am about to search for has helped me curb the behavior.
Look At Your Own Habits
What example are you teaching children with your relationship to electronics? When you have idle time how do you spend it? If you are checking your phone and needing constant stimuli, it might be time to wean yourself down from your own technology addiction.
Need something to keep hands busy and productive? Take up a hobby. Watch yourself through the eyes of your child and show them that you are willing to detox from electronics, too. Sometimes we need to reevaluate technology and the huge advancements and accessibility to understand how connected weve become.
Theres no app that can replace the importance of time spent in nature and with other humans.
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Are There Different Types Of Computer Or Internet Addictions
Internet or computer addictions manifest in several ways that cover various degrees and areas of Internet usage. They are the following:
- Information overload. Too much online surfing leads to decreased productivity at work and fewer interactions with family members.
- Compulsions. Excessive time spent in online activities such as gaming, trading of stocks, gambling and even auctions often leads to overspending and problems at work.
- Cybersex addiction. Too much surfing of porn sites often affects real-life relationships.
- Cyber-relationship addiction. Excessive use of social networking sites to create relationships rather than spending time with family or friends may destroy real-life relationships.
These are the most commonly observed types of Internet addiction. If you or someone you know is suffering from this kind of addiction, you dont have to face it on your own. We can help you. Just call at any time to speak to one of our trained advisors.
What Are The Treatment Options
The first step in treatment is the recognition that a problem exists. If you do not believe you have a problem, you are not likely to seek treatment. One of the overarching problems with the Internet is that there is often no accountability and no limits. You are hidden behind a screen and some things that you may say or do online are things you would never do in person.
There is debate in the literature whether treatment is necessary in the first place. Some believe Internet Addiction Disorder to be a fad illness and suggest that it usually resolves itself on its own. Studies have show that self-corrective behavior can be achieved and successful. Corrective behaviors include software that controls the Internet use and types of sites that can be visited with the majority of professionals in agreement that total abstinence from the computer is not an effective method of correction.
Some of the more common psychological treatments of Internet Addiction Disorder include:
- Individual, group, or family therapy
- Behavior modification
- Recreation Therapy
- Reality Therapy
In many instances, multimodal treatments have been employed to treat Internet Addiction Disorder. In this method of treatment, if you are suffering from this condition, you might be prescribed both medications and psychotherapy to treat your addiction to the Internet.
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Getting Help For An Internet Addiction
Any addiction is no laughing matter. It affects not only the addict but also everyone who surrounds them. If you think you need help for internet or computer addiction, or someone you know needs assistance to stop this addiction, we can help. Just call . We are here to help you get back on the road to an addiction-free life.
You Disagree With What Is Being Said
This is another thing that makes you an inadequate listenerhearing something with which you disagree with and immediately tuning out. Then, you lie in wait so you can tell the speaker how wrong they are. Youre eager to make your point and prove the speaker wrong. You think that once you speak your truth, others will know how mistaken the speaker is, thank you for setting them straight, and encourage you to elaborate on what you have to say. Dream on.
Disagreeing with your speaker, however frustrating that might be, is no reason to tune them out and ready yourself to spew your staggering rebuttal. By listening, you might actually glean an interesting nugget of information that you were previously unaware of.
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Is Addiction The Right Word
Psychologists disagree on whether “addiction” is a helpful model for this issue.
The concept of addiction comes from the issue of drug and alcohol abuse. These substances usually create a physical as well as a psychological dependence. It’s not clear that using the internet or computers is really “addictive” in the same way that drugs are.
If someone is spending too much time on their computer, that may well be a symptom of a problem rather than the problem itself. They could be dealing with anxiety or depression, and being on the computer makes them feel safe and in control.
They could be experiencing social isolation so they make friends online. Or they could be struggling to motivate themselves to do their jobs or schoolwork and start using the internet as a distraction.
But let’s leave the terminology aside. To prevent internet addiction from becoming a problem, you need to address these deeper issues.
With Tech Addiction On The Rise It’s Imperative To Understand The Risks Of Technology Overuse And Learn Strategies To Keep A Healthy Balance
Do you have a friend who can’t stop staring at their smartphone? Does this same friend unlock their phone over 60 times a day because of FOMO? Does your friend sometimes feel trapped by technology, enslaved by the prominent role it has taken in their business and personal life? If so, your friend needs serious help.
How did you…I mean, your friend, get so hooked on tech?
Well, since the beginning of the 21st century, Internet usage has increased by over 1,000%, and today the world is more connected than ever. Of course, we know technology has driven countless beneficial changes, but it has also created serious, unforeseen challenges.
Technology addiction, commonly termed Internet Addiction Disorder, or IAD, is a 21st-century epidemic that is impacting large numbers of people. Studies on the populations of America and Europe suggest that on the high-end, Internet addiction could be affecting as much as 38% of the population.
This is a staggering number, but it makes sense considering the widespread integration of the Internet into nearly all aspects of modern life. Not surprisingly, business people are an especially high-risk segment for IAD, with business today being more synonymous with technology and the Internet than ever before.
So what is the exact cause of Internet Addiction Disorder?
Here’s are 5 ideas to kick your tech addiction and take back control:
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Give Your Child More Freedom
The summer months are ideal for getting outside more and sitting in front of a screen less. This is the best tip for an older child who cant get enough video games. Give them the freedom to free-range with a friend, visit a local park, or just to explore!
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Start with smaller time intervals and let them enjoy exploring the neighborhood on their own. As a mom learning to encourage free-range play, its difficult to not feel panic at first. I stay positive by thinking of free-range play as a gift I can give my children to help them grow and discover the beauty of play and nature through their own eyes and experiences.
Do I Spend To Much Time Online
This is another question that leads nowhere.
Why? It does not help because the question if you are spending too much time online, can only be answered in context. It’s definitely not a way to answer the question: “How to know if you are addicted to the internet?
The only way to know is to look at your personal situation. You need to view the time you spend online in relation to your current life situation.
Time alone cannot be an indicator of being addicted or engaging in compulsive behavior.
Time must be taken in context with other factors.
In this day and age, the internet is a basic necessity to have a functional and normal social life.
It depends on your occupation. It’s a difference if you are a plumper doing physical work all day long or if you’re a college student, Ph.D. student or writing a book that needs a lot of research.
Another important factor to consider is whether you have any pre-existing condition such as another mental disorder. A person with depression is more likely to spend more time online than someone who doesn’t suffer from this.
Ask yourself whether you have problems or issues in your life which may be causing you to spend to much time on the internet. If you are suffering from a severe condition you should seek professional help.
Talking about whether you spend too much time online without your specific context is useless.
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Breaking The Internet Addiction Takes A Mix Of Trigger Control And Discipline
Nir, through his Hooked framework, helped me understand what made me behave in the way that I do. While I found the framework powerful as a person who builds products, I also found the framework useful from the other side of the table in breaking the bad habits that technology companies are encouraging me to develop.
This defense is manifests in trying to eliminate or rewire the triggers for these five bad habits that I shared, and so far, it has helped me lead a much more productive and deliberate life.
Acknowledge the bad habit. Identify the triggers. Either kill the triggers or rewiring the triggers to get you to do whatever you would rather do instead. Rinse, and repeat to break bad habits.
This has worked for me. What triggers are responsible for your bad habits, and how do you plan on eliminating the triggers or rewiring what those triggers mean?
Note: This guest essay was written by Jason Shah.
Do I Need A Digital Detox
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. You may want to digitally detox if you notice that youre experiencing sleep disruptions due to staying up late or waking up early to be on a device, if the internet is making you feel depressed, or if the constant need to be connected causes you stress. Other signs may include feeling anxious if you cant locate your phone, having FOMO if youre not checking the internet or social media, struggling to focus without constant checking behaviors, etc.
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Why Is Internet Addiction A Big Problem
As a society, we are currently coming to grasps with what Web 2.0 has done and is doing to us on a daily basis.
More and more psychologists, teachers, and government officials are beginning to understand that Internet addiction and social media addiction exist and it is dramatically warping our society and interpersonal relations.
Books such as Irresistible, The Shallows, and Digital Minimalism have lifted the wool off of our collective eyes and made us realize the problem is not to be understated or avoided.
If youre reading this article, its clear that you have a good degree of self-awareness. You realize that you probably have an Internet or even general digital addiction and you want to fix it.
Coming from that train of thoughtif you think of time as money , the amount of money you have wasted is staggering. Many people hate wasting money, yet that is what millions of people do when they spend excessive time on the Internet.
Realizing the effect Internet use has had on millions of people worldwide, it is easier to turn a more inquisitive eye towards our collective social media and Internet habits so we can ask the question:
What is this doing to me?
Diagnostic Criteria For Iad
The first serious proposal for diagnostic criteria was advanced in 1996 by Dr. Young, modifying the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling . Since then variations in both name and criteria have been put forward to capture the problem, which is now most popularly known as Internet Addiction Disorder. Problematic Internet Use , computer addiction, Internet dependence , compulsive Internet use, pathological Internet use , and many other labels can be found in the literature. Likewise a variety of often overlapping criteria have been proposed and studied, some of which have been validated. However, empirical studies provide an inconsistent set of criteria to define Internet addiction . For an overview see Byun et al. .
There has been also been a variety of assessment tools used in evaluation. Youngs Internet Addiction Test , the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire developed by Demetrovics, Szeredi, and Pozsa and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale are all examples of instruments to assess for this disorder.
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Each And Every Day More People Find Themselves Ensnared By And Addicted To The High Amount Of Stimulation Available On The Internet
Internet addiction is a hydra-headed issue with different causes and effects. Regardless of the causes, we know one thing:
The technology we use now is so incredibly pervasive that many people find themselves unable to lessen their use on social media or various other Internet-related devices such as the smartphone. It is a worldwide issue that people are becoming more aware of as the 21st century moves on.
In this article, Ill be diving deep into how to make the Internet work for you instead of visa-versa and lessen the grip of addiction on you if you have one.
Lets unravel some threads.
Note: Ive written a more comprehensive guide to quit social media. If you have a social media addiction rather than just a straight up Internet addiction, Id recommend you read that one.
To Build Deep Work Habits When Working On Windows And Mac Computers Delay Discounting Was Introduced
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Because there was no need to turn the software at any time users of FindFocus are not inclined to turn off the software due to fear of missing out or emergencies.
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