Digital devices in the contemporary age have become an integral part of daily lives. Rather smartphones, tablets, and computers are becoming means to stay connected with friends and family, access information, and entertain. As the saying goes, excess of everything is bad and this proverb is true with the use of digital media.
People, mostly teens and even children, are using excessive amounts of time on digital devices. The negative consequences of digital addiction could prove disadvantageous from social isolation, neglecting responsibilities, and physical health problems.
A study published in Nature Communications found that adolescents feel worse about their lives the more they use social media.
The more time girls aged between 11 and 13 spend on social media, the less likely they are to be satisfied with life a year later, the study from the UK revealed.
It also shows the same pattern for boys aged 14 to 15, and 19-year-old boys and girls. Researchers say their work cannot predict which individuals are most at risk. And they say many other factors – such as the exact nature of social media content and the people they are interacting with online – will have an impact on teenage well-being too.
Together with the increase in smartphones and the internet in recent years, there is a rise in reports that teenagers struggle with issues of mental health and concentration on studies.
Teens who are glued to digital devices, researches have shown, may neglect their personal hygiene and daily responsibilities, such as homework and chores, in favour of spending time online.
These are issues that need the intervention of all sections of society including parents, teachers, academia, and others. Understanding the true extent and the mechanics of the problem is also essential.
There are numerous benefits of Smartphones. Literally they bring the world to the hands of the user. In the present-day era, survival without a smartphone seems improbable. At the same time, the Smartphone’s have emerged as one of the biggest threats to privacy, tracking and disclosing personal data to technological giants, which always want to cash in on the information for earnings. Smart phones use more battery and sometimes people are unable to use their phones to make calls during emergencies, thereby defeating the original purpose of mobile phones.
It seems time to reflect on the excess use of smart phones. While the use of smart phones cannot be altogether discarded, people need to put some resistance which needs to be increased with time so that ill effects can be minimized. In a nutshell, there is a need to find a balance between online and offline life.
