With the help of technology, there is more information flowing into people’s lives now than ever. Technology has improved life for many Americans, and nearly half of this country’s adults say they can’t imagine life without their smartphones. Although technology has improved our connections and day-to-day lives, there have been several studies revealing the negative impacts digital stress and addiction play on our physical and mental health.

 Much like cigarettes, you can get addicted to using your phone or other screens. How can you pinpoint if you have a dependency or addiction to digital media or technology? Some of you may automatically know that you do, others might think they could be and a select few might be in total denial. Whatever your status is, let’s look at a couple tell tale signs of digital dependency.

  • Being a “constant checker”. This encompasses those who constantly check their emails, texts or social media accounts. 

  • Having heightened stress levels or anxiety when you can’t connect to your devices or there is a data or internet outage.

  • Inability to prioritize or missing deadlines.

  • No sense of time or losing track of time easily.

Although there are a million reasons why technology is great for us, there are some major downsides too. One of them comes with our mental state. We need to watch out what we do on our screens and how long we use them to avoid the following issues:

  • Stress might come from maintaining a large network of Facebook friends, feeling jealous of their well-documented and well-appointed lives, the demands of replying to text messages, the addictive allure of photos of fantastic crafts on Pinterest, having to keep up with status updates on Twitter, and the “fear of missing out” on activities in the lives of friends and family.

  • Computer/phone breakdowns or connection issues can lead to elevated levels of adrenaline and mental fatigue- which 20% of Americans claim is the most stressful thing about being attached to technology. Prolonged elevated levels of adrenaline can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure- which then lead into physical side effects!

  • Many have seen reports or know someone who has been involved with an internet bully. This can have serious impacts on mood or self-esteem. In severe cases, this can lead to increases in depression and suicide.

  • Lastly, 45% of Millennials report that because of technology, even when their family is together, they feel disconnected from them. 38% Gen Xers, 23% of Boomers and 16% of Matures say the same. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Millennials are more likely to report that technology is a source of conflict in their home. Being connected virtually can cause strains in your in-person or “real-life” connections. 

Usually when we talk about digital stress and addiction, we think of mental side effects. However, there are negative physical side effects for staying glued to a screen for extended periods of time. These include poor sleep quality, headaches, neck and/or back pain and dry eyes.

If you, or someone you know, is becoming stressed by or addicted to their technology, here are some ways to help:

  • Don’t allow cell phones at the dinner table or when meeting with a group of friends.

  • Turn off your notifications so you aren’t constantly getting alerts to check your phone.

  • Take shorts breaks for all tech. Stand up and take a 3-5-minute walk or spend 3-5 minutes stretching. Not only will this relax the muscles in your eyes, it will also get blood flowing throughout your body, increasing your cognitive awareness.

  • Having social media or other screen time be your reward is a great way to be both productive and to reduce your time spent with a screen. For example- you can play 20 minutes of that new game you really like if you vacuum the entire house.

  • With children, some great tips when using screens are to (1) set time limits and (2) encourage educational screen use. Setting time limits will make sure that your child is doing other important healthy habits, like exercising! Encouraging educational screen use will help keep kids off social media and also enhance their love of learning.

Hopefully this has opened your eyes to having a healthy relationship with the digital world. Now turn this screen off and get outside! 🙂

Written by Megan Landean