As numerous individuals know, I’ve discussed the negative effects of technology on numerous occasions. Particularly, I’m speaking about things like cell phones, game titles, tablets and private computers, individuals devices we embrace within the daily matters in our lives. I’ve contended there’s no documented proof it improves productivity (a minimum of avoid the U.S. Department at work), which affects our socialization skills especially in the area on interpersonal relations. Such technology may let us express our creativeness faster, to rapidly access information, to talk with anybody in the world and share things like notes and photos, but there’s absolutely nothing to substantiate it enhances our capability to think. Contrary, it diminishes using the mind. For instance, lots of people can’t perform fundamental math without an automatic calculator We can’t communicate except by constant texting We no more believe we are able to compose letters or essays with no word processor, etc. It shojuld not be a small question to look at a typical office come to a whole dead stop once the power is cutoff. Research has also proven that extensive utilization of such devices really lowers IQ. As Hicks highlights in the book, “Digital Pandemic,” technology is able to alter the brain that it may assume exactly the same automatic mannerisms because the technology we use. What this means is we’re subliminally modifying our lifestyles to adjust to technology.
We have a tendency to consider drugs as chemicals or substances which are either employed for medication or like a stimulant or depressant affecting the nervous system, therefore causing alterations in behavior. Under this paradigm, medicine is made available to the blood stream orally, injected or smoked. In comparison, personal technologies are absorbed through our senses particularly sight, seem and touch which, consequently, stimulates and arouses the mind, and offers a handy venue for escapism. If utilized in moderation, there’s little problem, however when utilized on an extended basis it results in addiction and may alter moods, perceptions, and thinking patterns which results in both good and bad side affects. One apparent positive side-effect will be a feeling of accomplishment as with winning a game title or effectively finishing an activity. The negative effect though originates from extended use whereby people become determined by their technology to carry out a number of mental functions, for example math and writing. Further, we become impatient for results once we grow familiar with instant information, immediate cash, instant photos, instant food, instant everything, and for that reason, we dwindle loving toward any kind of delay which increases levels of stress and results in anger.
I contend our extended utilization of technology results in a rise in violent behavior. This can be a proposition that’s difficult to prove because it is hard to locate reliable data tying technology to violent behavior. Also, things like road rage, sports rage, work rage, bullying, anger management, animal cruelty are relatively recent phenomenons and were not very prevalent only a couple of short decades ago. Consequently, finding reliable data over an long time is extremely limited. The nearest factor I possibly could find was data in the Bureau of Justice Statistics (its “Arrest Data Analysis Tool”) which revealed a rise in assault, sexual abuse, and threatening communications during the last 10 years (the time when using personal technology soared). However, there’s no direct link with technology to be the cause. Because there’s no hard data, my premise will stay an idea until sufficient data could be put together tying the 2 together.
When it comes to addiction, technology exhibits exactly the same kind of forces as chemical dependency or, at the minimum, gambling that also doesn’t need drugs within the usual sense. Really, the parallel between technology and gambling addiction is very outstanding, and could be just like devastating. One interesting are convinced that attests to the strength of technology addiction is “The Planet Unplugged,” a worldwide media study brought through the Worldwide Center for Media and also the Public Agenda (ICMPA), College of Maryland. In their conclusions, the report comments about how students within the study handled the possible lack of media (meaning electronics):
“Not having media during ‘The World Unplugged’ study made students more aware of the existence of media – both media’s benefits as well as their limitations. And possibly what students grew to become most aware of was their absolute lack of ability to direct their lives without media.