While the world is in disarray because of the pandemic, technology became the most trusted source for anything. May it be information, finances, and even daily needs. As a result, technology rose to the occasion and became a powerful force in the world. It seems that most of the things we do depend on it nowadays.
Technology indeed made a positive impact all over the world. It brought the world closer to each other. Now you are able to communicate with anyone from any corner of the world. And you can do it in real time. You can do things you used to do outdoors in the comforts of your home.
You can do your shopping online and pay using an online bank transfer. You can meet with your boss, and attend business meetings online. Just use your smartphones or laptop and go to a virtual meeting. You can be in that meeting in a coffee shop, your front porch, and even your bedroom.
Students can go to school via virtual classes. You can use gadgets to track your heartbeat, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. There are even more health monitoring gadgets available online. You can learn many things while using search engines. Learn how to cook, do some arts, and do many other things while watching vlogs.
No one can ever deny that technology did marvelous things. It has a good effect on your personal life and your career. Society at large became dependent on it. But, too much dependence on anything ends up being bad for you. It is called overusing and worse it can lead to addiction.
Science has shown that gadgets, social media, and too much technology lead to problems. It may cause physical and mental health problems. At the onset, it may cause eye problems, posture problems, and lack of focus. But in the long run, it may cause permanent long-term health issues that you and your loved ones will soon regret.
This article will discuss those negative effects. And to learn practical tips to overcome the negative effects of technology.
1. Mental Health Problems
Statistics have shown facts that may have adverse effects on your mental health. For example, adults have the tendency to check their social media accounts 100 times a day. That’s a total of 700 times per week. While kids are capable of using social media for more than nine hours a day.
As a result, adults that are exposed to social media for hours experience mental health issues. They happen to feel lonelier, more anxious, and feel isolated than those who do not use social media as much. Imagine the amount of negativity that surrounds the virtual world. Multiply it by the amount of time you spent absorbing the negative energy. The chances of experiencing depression become higher.
And when you become that target of negative interactions, anger is very much present. This affects your relationships, your work, and your mental state. That’s why a recent study shows that depression among men increased by 22%. While depression among women increased by about 51%
These are not the kind of depression that is subtle. It affects their view of life and relationships. They neglect taking care of their personal hygiene. Worse, they started to entertain hopelessness and suicidal tendencies.
2. Physical Health Problems
The most common physical effect of too much use of technology is eye strain. But as simple as it sounds, the effects are something you will regret if taken for granted. For example, eye strains caused by exposure to gadgets may cause the following:
* Irritation
* Red Eyes
* Dryness
* Blurred and impaired Vision
* Headaches that start around the eye area.
The good news is, these effects are highly manageable. You can thank God and science that glasses for the visually impaired are now available. For years all you need are eye drops for eye irritation relief.
Unfortunately, that’s just the tip of eye problems caused by the use of technology. The bigger problems are called exposure to blue light technology. And blue light is proven to be very toxic to the eyes. It leads to macular degeneration and damages the eye’s retina. All these effects lead to permanent loss of vision.
Aside from eye problems, there are other negative physical effects of technology. One of them is lack of sleep that leads to insomnia. As you skip physical activities in exchange for online gaming, you begin to gain weight. This leads to obesity that causes many other health problems. Some of them are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems to name a few.
They say that knowledge means winning half the battle. Now that you know the bad side of technology, it means you can map out a plan to avoid these bad effects. You can review ways to cut down on phone time. Or you can learn tips on how to stay positive despite the negativity that surrounds social media. You can even set at least 24 hours a week without gadgets.
It is also good to set a schedule for physical activities. And you do them while your gadgets are out of reach. Practice dinner time to be free of gadgets, no one answers the phone while eating. There are many other tips online. But what matters most is you keep your body and brain healthy even in the era of high technology.
