Psychological effects of technology, which everyone should be aware of


We live in the age of the network society. Now, what does that actually mean? It is a society with no spatial barriers where the world has become a global village. The Internet, mainly social media networks remove the orthodox limits of social communication. We are constantly connected, plugged in, and available offline. With this change in society where individuals are connected continuously arise many questions regarding our health and happiness.

So, how does technology affect our lives?


The Internet provides us with the opportunity of accessing vast amounts of knowledge with minimum effort. With so much information at our fingertips, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of websites, social media posts, and videos. It is quite possible that the internet could be a dangerous place. For some people, this online overload can cause cognitive disorders and other mental health issues. According to a survey, the biggest negative effect of technology is psychological issues which are faced by 50% of the users (Valkenburg and Piotrowski, 2016)[1].

Negative effects of technology on mental health

Overuse or dependence on technology may have adverse psychological effects, including isolation, depression, and anxiety.

Isolation

Technologies such as social media are designed to bring people together, yet they have the potential to affect negatively in some cases.
A study on young adults aged 19-32 years says that people with higher social media use were more than three times as likely to feel socially isolated than those who did not use social media as often (Primack et al, 2017)[2].

Photo Courtesy of Loneliness NZ

Finding ways to reduce social media use, such as setting time limits for social apps, may help reduce feelings of isolation in some people.

Depression and Anxiety

One of the most troubling things about technology is its correlation with increased rates of depression, particularly in people who spend a lot of time on computers. It's not surprising though, once you realize that computers can ruin our sleep habits and affect us in other ways mentally.

According to a research journal, those who receive more negative interactions online and were susceptible to social comparison face higher levels of depression and anxiety. Greater social media use, night-time specific social media use, and emotional investment in social media are all associated with poorer sleep, and higher levels of anxiety and depression (Woods, and Scott, 2016)[3].


However, the reverse was also true. The authors of a 2016 systematic review discussed the link between social networking and mental health issues. According to their result, people who had more positive interactions and social support on these platforms appeared to have lower levels of depression and anxiety (Seabrook, Kern, and Rickard, 2016)[4].

So, while there does appear to be a link between social media and mental health, a significant determining factor is the types of interactions people feel they are having on these platforms.



In conclusion, the recent boom in technology has changed the average lifestyle of human beings. While technology has many positive effects, there are some possible risks. Anyone uncertain about the effects that technology has on them may want to take steps to cut back on their use of devices and screen time and re-evaluate how they feel with and without these devices.


References:

  1. P. M. Valkenburg, and J. T. Piotrowski (2016), “Plugged In, How Media Attract and Affect Youth”

  2. Brian A. Primack, Ariel Shensa, Jaime E. Sidani, Erin O. Whaite, Liu yi Lin, D. Rosen, Jason B. Colditz, Ana Radovic, Elizabeth Miller (2017), “Social Media Use and Perceived Social Isolation Among Young Adults in the U.S.”
    [https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(17)30016-8/fulltext]

  3. Woods, and H. Scott (2016), “#Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem”, Journal of Adolescence, pp. 41- 49. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140197116300343]

  4. Elizabeth M Seabrook, Margaret L Kern, and Nikki S Rickard (2016), “Social Networking Sites, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review” [https://mental.jmir.org/2016/4/e50/]


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