1. Let’s look at some important statistics
1.1. According to (MLOT, 2013)
1.1.1. 61 percent of Internet users are classified as addicts
1.1.2. Unsurprisingly, 18 to 24-year-olds account for the majority of Internet addicts (71 percent)
1.1.3. 4% of teenagers are online gambling addicts
1.1.4. In United States of America, Revenue from online casinos was $29.3 million in 2010
1.1.5. There are 40 million regular visitors to porn sites
1.2. According to a survey by websense.com in 2006 • The average American spends about 24% of his/her working hours on cyberloafing activities
1.3. According to a survey conducted in 2013 by mapsofworld.com, • 75% of Twitter, Facebook and website visitor community users said they stay on-line longer than intended.
2. How bad is technology Addiction for us?
2.1. Addiction to technology cause several mental and physical health problems. According to (Roogirl, 2013), these are some main effects of Technology addiction;
2.1.1. Lack of social skills
2.1.2. Obesity
2.1.3. Depression
2.1.4. Poor sleep habit
2.1.5. Lack of privacy
2.1.6. Neck and head pain
2.1.7. More violence
2.1.8. Loss of eyesight
2.2. According to (CBS News,2012)
2.2.1. A study finds that internet addiction may actually damage the brain similar to having too much alcohol or drugs
2.2.2. A study, published in the Jan. 11 issue of PLoS One, Researched and compared the brain scans of technology addicted people with non-addicted people. They found that scans of internet addicted people showed evidence of disruption in neural pathways related to emotions, decision-making, and self-control. (News, 2012)
3. Main cause of Addiction
3.1. Will you consider using your mobile phone or laptop for hours if it is not connected to internet? i don't think that i will be checking my mobile phone again and again in that condition. So, I believe that the main cause of addiction to technology is Internet. In addition to this, the addiction to internet is defined as IAD (Internet addiction disorder) and it is seen as a serious health problem these days.
4. My Creative aspect
4.1. I made a Mindmap to explain the discussion. I have seen many mindmaps before and I believe that this is a good way of explaining. However, I never made one before and I took a challenge for myself to make this. This was a very unique and helpful experience for me. I am glad that we get a chance to learn something new in every discussion.
5. What is Addiction?
5.1. (CBS,2012) An addictive behavior means that you are compulsively repeating that behavior at the cost of everything else in your life.
6. What is technology addiction?
6.1. Some incidents related to technology addicted people:
6.1.1. According an infographic by (MLOT,2013)
6.1.1.1. Daniel Petric (17 years old): shot his parents after they confiscated his Halo 3 video game.
6.1.1.2. Chris Staniforth (20 years old): Died from a blood clot caused due to playing Xbox for 12 hours straight.
6.1.1.3. South Korean couple let their newborn daughter starve to death while they were away at a cyber café playing an online game through the night.
6.1.1.4. Chuang (18 years old): Died in an internet café in Taiwan, after playing the computer game Diablo 3 non-stop for over 40 hours.
6.2. According to Kelly (an instructor from Study.com), “Technology addiction refers to the uncontrollable urge to use technological devices such as computers, smart phones, and gaming systems.” (Kelly)
6.3. How to manage if you are addicted? Solving problem!
6.3.1. It is important to develop self-control. According to (Mashable,2015) you should: 1) Turn off notifications when you are trying to focus 2) Don’t use your phone before bed
6.3.1.1. Here are some Quick Tips From an article by Joel Falconer (co-founder of Methodic Studios)
6.3.1.1.1. Set your computer usage boundaries early on
6.3.1.1.2. Spend time with your family and friends outside
6.3.1.1.3. Modify your routine
6.3.1.1.4. Limit use of the computer for recreational purposes
6.3.1.1.5. Track your progress
7. Am i addicted to technology?
7.1. Yes, I will consider myself as technology addicted due to these reasons;
7.1.1. I call myself "Technology addicted" because I feel I rely upon technology too much.There are many reasons behind my answer and some of them are listed below;
7.1.2. I study very hard and try to read all the course material. Obviously, our course material can be found online so, I keep using my laptop to learn.
7.1.2.1. Affected Eyesight
7.1.3. For recreation, I love playing games and each time I start playing, I spend hours on gaming.
7.1.3.1. Lack of outdoor activities
7.1.4. I find myself distracted due to notifications.
7.1.4.1. Unable to focus
7.1.5. I can’t leave anywhere without my mobile phone
7.1.5.1. Addiction
7.1.6. I spend more time with my laptop or mobile phone than I do with people.
7.1.6.1. Lack of social interaction