You’re talking to a friend as auto window tinting near me you walk down the street when you suddenly hear your phone vibrating in your pocket. “In a moment,” you say. I simply need to verify this. You reach for your device, but all you see is lint.
What took place? You are not dreaming; Phantom vibrations are what you’re experiencing. Not only does your phone educate you, but it also becomes a part of you! We mistake a slight muscle twitch or the movement of our clothes as an alert because we are so accustomed to receiving notifications via text, email, and phone calls. And because we don’t want to miss out, we have to check!
Reaching out to respond to a text message you never received might not seem like a big deal because roughly 90% of us have experienced this occurrence, and the majority of people say it doesn’t bother them much or at all. However, we need to be aware of the ways in which technology alters our brains, behaviors, relationships, and lives.
Your Brain on Technology: What happens in the brain when we stare at screens all day?
Our attention spans are decreasing. The dane cook brother average attention span was approximately 12 seconds a decade ago. It is now just eight, or one second less than a goldfish’s attention span.
We are unable to filter out irrelevant data. We are unable to eliminate irrelevant stimuli because we are constantly distracted. Our relationships, as well as our capacity for learning, are all impacted by this.
Information is not retained as effectively. We are unable to recall information because we are constantly distracted and multitasking. Millennials are more forgetful than seniors, according to a study! Even though we can find information on almost any topic online, we are much less likely to remember it.
We are becoming “less sophisticated thinkers.” Our brains are able to change and adapt thanks to neuroplasticity. However, as the author of The Shallows, Nicholas Carr: According to the article titled “What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,” “What you have to understand about neuroplasticity is that the process of adoption doesn’t necessarily leave you with a better thinker.” It might make you think less deeply.
In The Shallows, he writes: I once dived into the sea of words like a scuba diver. I’m now soaring through the water like a man on a jet ski.
Rewiring is literally taking place. Gary Small, a professor at UCLA, asked both seasoned Internet users and “newbies” to Google various topics in one study. He observed brain activity and discovered that veteran browsers displayed significantly more activity in particular areas. Small asked the new users to search the internet for an hour each day. He received the participants back six days later. He discovered that the novice searchers’ brains changed after being given another task. The naive subjects had already rewired their brains after spending five hours on the internet.
Also, this is for adults. Consider how technology affects the brains of infants and children. The “critical period” is from birth to age three. Our brains grow quickly because they get their information from their surroundings. Too many of the wrong kinds of stimuli are provided by devices.
When a parent reads a story to a baby or toddler, the following happens: She must put in the effort to learn and comprehend the words. She conjures up the images. She makes an effort to keep up with the story. She is exerting a lot of mental strength!
Now, what would happen if you placed her in front of an iPad and told her a story? She doesn’t have to develop or exercise those same mental muscles because the device thinks for her.
The mental effects last a lifetime. In addition, excessive reliance on technology may affect children’s interpersonal relationships. For instance, they lack the ability to “read” emotion and to empathize.
I never allowed my son to spend more than ten seconds in front of a screen until he was older than two, precisely for these reasons.
The Risks of Excessive Technology Use The typical smartphone user checks their device 110 times per day; 75% check it in the morning before doing anything else. When we leave our phones at home, half of us experience anxiety. Teens say they are “addicted” to technology for half of them. Take a moment to reflect on these statistics. They blow your mind.
A lot of people wonder, “So what? I check my phone occasionally? I frequently use my laptop or tablet. Not that important. However, excessive reliance on technology can result in significant life issues.
“The behavioral addiction of smartphone use begins forming neurological connections in the brain in ways similar to how opioid addiction is experienced by people taking Oxycontin for pain relief — gradually,” according to San Francisco State Professor of Health Education Erik Peper.
That “high” is what they get. Then they require more. Some people developed irresistible cravings just by looking at the Facebook logo, according to one study. That is one strong logo.
Everybody has heard stories: Because he was addicted to online porn, a friend lost his wife. A neighbor’s online gambling habit caused her to lose her home. A teen who played video games for ten hours a day ended his life because he became so anxious and depressed. Digital addiction is a real threat, whether through cybersex, video games, shopping, or excessive texting.
However, I won’t experience it. I won’t be affected. Sound familiar?
The truth is that digital addiction affects about one in eight people. Your life could be affected. Overuse of technology can have serious effects on your brain, relationships, and life, even if you don’t have a real addiction.
How can you tell if you’re having trouble?
I was rocking my four-month-old child to sleep last night. I was worn out and unmotivated. I picked up my phone without thinking and began scrolling aimlessly. It struck me after ten minutes: I say no to something for every thing I say yes to. In this instance, I was choosing a screen over my precious child. I’m basically saying to her that this screen is more important than her. That’s a mess now.
Other signs to look for include:
Friends and family are neglected by you.
When you’re using your device, you feel happy.
You’d rather chat, play games, shop, watch a lot of movies, or browse than sleep.
Concerning your use of technology, you are anxious, guilty, or depressed.
You do not engage in activities that were once enjoyable.
Head, back, and/or neck pains occur.
You’re too busy using the internet.
The thought of missing a text or email makes you anxious.
When you are unable to use your device, you become restless or irritable.
You use technology to escape difficulties and difficult feelings.
You would rather live in a virtual world than a real one.
Those fictitious vibrations are felt by you!
Even when you don’t hear or feel any notifications, you still check your phone.
