Negative Effects of Technology
December 26, 2017
The use of technology has changed the world that we live today and this continues to evolve daily. Although we are lucky to live in a world where this is going on around us, it too has its downsides. The impact of technology on our social, mental, physical and environmental health can be devastating if we don’t keep ourselves in check. Here are some of the main issues we are facing due to technology.
Effect on the Environment
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| Deforestation and excessive use of technology leads to the destruction of our environment |
The effect of technology on environment is so huge that there are drastic climate changes around the world.There is damage in the form of global warming, extinction of birds, plants and also greater propensity for diseases.The summers are getting super-hot while the winters are getting very chill.the cold countries are experiencing less cold while hot are experiencing more cold and vice-verse.This makes the normal living quite tough than usual. We may need to adopt for comforts like air condition system tackle the change. But this will be detrimental to the animals, plants and climate as a whole.These changes are due to increase in pollution, heat generation, inactive life habits, excess reliance on gadgets, Excess Deforestation, Excess power consumption.
Depression
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| A Man sitting depressed inside of what look like a box made of keyboards |
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. The artificial light from TV and computer screens affects melatonin production and throws off circadian rhythms, preventing deep, restorative sleep.
There’s no denying that the Internet has been the most influential force on society in the past hundred years — perhaps even in all of human history. Never before have we had such unprecedented access to news, knowledge, and entertainment from cultures all around the world.
At the same time, this wealth of access has led to something called digital information overload, and our minds simply aren’t able to handle that kind of constant influx of information without making some big changes along the way.
Smartphone addiction is basically a subset of Internet addiction, but it is so prevalent today that it deserves to be in its own category. We love our smartphones, and if we were asked to give them up for even a day, I doubt many of us would be able to without feeling that itch.
Lack of Privacy
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| A Guy using his laptop closely monitored by two cameras |
The rapid pace of development by technology companies often throws up new cultural and ethical challenges. The internet has stripped the world of privacy. Long gone are the days of having an unlisted telephone number and staying offline to keep your information safe from prying eyes.
With a few flicks on a keyboard the average person can find anyone’s address and contact information. For those with more sinister intentions, the use of phishing, viruses and hacking helps to find any information they wish to obtain. Plus, people have no sense of privacy online. They don’t think twice about tweeting every move they make, freely giving out their location on Google Map and putting their entire life story on Facebook.
Isolation
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| Everyone is busy in the social world far away from reality ,who is really isolated? |
Technology has had a bad impact on the way humans socialize because it causes people to be less interactive. Social isolation is a health condition that can become very severe and lead up to depression, anxiety, despair and many other things.
Social isolation is characterized by a lack of contact with other people in normal daily living, such as, the workplace, with friends and in social activities. We isolate ourselves by walking around in our own little world, listening to our iPods or staring at the screen of the latest mobile device even when we are around other people. Studies have shown that people who are socially isolated will live shorter lives.
Technology Addiction
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| A man tied to his mobile phone |
Technology addiction sometimes called Internet addiction or Internet use disorder (IUD) or Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a fairly new phenomenon. It’s often described as a serious problem involving the inability to control use of various kinds of technology, in particular the Internet, smartphones, tablets and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Technology addiction isn’t always easy to recognize, especially since many of us must now be “plugged in” so much of the time, whether for work, school or for other reasons. And if a tech addiction is tough to spot, it can be even harder to admit. In fact, denying how much time is spent on devices, social media and the Web is a common warning sign.Obesity
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| Two obese kids sleeping in the couch with their playstation |
An increase in exposure to technology goes hand in hand with a decrease in physical activity. As children spend more time sitting in front of the TV or computer, they spend less time outside running around and burning off calories -- and energy. Over time, combined with an increase in snacking, this can lead to significant weight gain. The more time people are spending engrossed in video games, talking to friends online and watching funny cat videos on YouTube, they are spending less time being active or exercising.
Developmental Issues in Children
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| Young girl reaching for electronic book reader |
Technology has completely changed virtually every aspect of our society over the past few decades, from the way we work to the way we socialize and everything in between. One of the differences that have been most noticeable is the change in the way that children play and interact with each other from previous generations. Although technology does provide many positive benefits for learning, it also can have several negative effects on child development and quality of life.
Children are using more technology now than they have ever used in the past. All of the negative effects that social media and television is having on adults are far greater when it comes to the developing minds of children. There is no way to know what long term effect technology will have on our children because this is the first generation to have unlimited access.
Lack of Empathy
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| Manager scolding his co-worker |
Empathy is the ability to share someone else's feelings is perhaps the most important trait humans demonstrate. It's not a purely human attribute in fact, even rodents possess it but humans are particularly good at it. It allows us to love, learn, communicate, cooperate and live in a successful society. It doesn't matter what terms from evolutionary biology or psychology we use to define the behavior. What matters is that it makes the world go 'round and allows us to survive.
The constant stream of violent scenes on video games, TV, movies and YouTube causes people to become desensitized to destruction of any kind. The normalizing of bad things happening and the culture of narcissism created by social media creates a society of people who lack empathy. When people stop caring, the world goes to hell in a hand basket.
None of us would change the advances in technology as they continuously improve our lives, however we do need to be aware of its negative impact also and set time aside for technology free time. Be more mindful of the time you spend using technology. If you have longer conversations with Siri than you do with real people, it’s probably time to put the phone down. Force yourself to have an electronic-free day or weekend. When you go on vacation, don’t take your phone or at least put it on “do not disturb”. Creating balance will help you enjoy the benefits of technology without becoming a mindless internet zombie.
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