Unconscious Technology Use / Increased Screen Time

Technology has begun to take up more space in our lives with the advancing age. Technology can have good and bad consequences in our lives depending on the way it is used and the duration of its use. As technology use increases unconsciously and uncontrolledly, psycho-social and physical problems begin to occur in our lives.

As the time spent using technology increases, some mental problems may arise in the person. Those who use the internet unconsciously and for very long hours have difficulty in daily life activities, speaking, learning new things, keeping their attention focused on something for a long time, and reading.

Physical Effects of Technology Overuse

• Disturbance in Body Posture
• Numbness in the Hands
• Physical Weakness
• Stinging and Burning in the Eyes
• Muscle Pain
• Numbness in the Hands and Difficulty in Use

Psychosocial Effects of Technology Overuse

• Feeling Depressed
• Increase in Anxiety Level
• Feeling Lack of Self-Confidence
• Loneliness, Desire to Be Alone
• Difficulty in Establishing Face-to-Face, One-on-One Relationships
• Suspension

Reasons Underlying Technology Addiction

• Avoiding the urge to deal with the stress of daily life responsibilities
• Desire to get away from anxiety
• Avoiding social situations
• Not wanting to communicate face to face
• The person has an online game addiction (The person’s desire to be successful in the game, the person’s desire to have a very strong character in the game may lie in the person’s effort to prove herself in social environments).

Long-term use of technology for a specific purpose may increase and cause a person to become addicted to technology over time.

Who is Technology Addict?

In order to understand whether a person is addicted to technology, the following situations can be evaluated;

• How does a person feel when he or she is away from a technological device (phone, television, computer) to which he or she is addicted?
• How much time do you spend uninterruptedly with technological devices?
• How often during the day do you use a technological device that you think you are addicted to?
• Does he/she postpone daily tasks in order to use technological devices?

Substance Addiction and Technology Addiction (Behavioral Addiction) Are Similar!

These two types of addiction, which seem quite different, affect the same point in the brain.

What are the aims of overcoming technology addiction?

• To minimize the risk of addiction,
• To avoid spending time in front of the screen without realizing how time passes,
• To be able to transform problematic use into healthy use,
• To reduce thoughts of procrastination,
• To prevent health problems that may occur in the eyes.

What Kind of Methods Can Be Used in the Fight Against Technology?

• Screen time and technology use should be kept under control from childhood.
• Children should not be introduced to technological devices at a very early age.
• We should help children and young people to have a wide social circle and encourage them to do activities that are appropriate to their age and taste.

Useful Links: Yeşilay Technology Addiction

SOCIAL MEDIA USE

What are the Dangers of Social Media?

• Jealousy that occurs when you see someone else getting things you can’t get.
• Stress,
• Having Difficulty in Time Management,
• Depression,
• Low Self-Esteem (wanting to show oneself as someone one is not, wanting to make changes to the parts of one’s photos one does not like),
• Deterioration in sleep quality,
• Health problems (such as posture disorders in long-term use),
• Emotional Exhaustion.

Why Do We Continue to Use Social Media?

• Not realizing that using Social Media is harmful,
• Social Media use is associated with contexts such as Fear of Missing Out, studying, and driving.
• Social Media use is associated with contexts such as Fear of Missing Out, studying, and driving.
• If their posts do not get as many likes as they would like, they feel the need to produce better ones.

Social Media Disease Caused by Internet Addiction: FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

FOMO is known as the fear and anxiety of not being able to follow developments. People with this disease want to constantly follow the agenda and not miss anything. When a person cannot follow something, if they miss a small detail, they can feel left behind and incomplete. In order to be able to follow this and not feel incomplete, they constantly spend time on their phone and social media.

What Other Problems Arise With FOMO?

• Sleep problems,
• Eating disorders,
• Inability to plan and program,
• Disorder in life,
• Feeling unhappy,
• Distraction,
• Loss of self-esteem.

What are the ways to get rid of FOMO?

• Reducing the Time Spent on the Internet (Performed gradually),
• Reducing the use of technological devices,
• Working on Realizing That You Are Not in the Virtual World with Mindfulness Exercises.

What is Nomophobia (Fear of Being Without a Phone)?

• It comes from the English expression ‘No Mobile Phone’.
• People are afraid of being deprived of their phones and the communication they provide through them.

What is the Relationship Between Nomophobia and Social Media?

In order to access social media, technological devices, especially smartphones, are needed. Social media can make a person feel special and happy. For this reason, social media addiction can occur over time.

What are the symptoms of nomophobia?

• The desire not to stay away from the phone,
• A desire to stay away from situations, places and environments that will cause him/her to stay away from the phone,
• Feeling incomplete when your phone is not available,
• Decreased attention span,
• Feeling the need to rearrange their daily routines to stay connected to their phone.

What can be done to combat nomophobia?

• Starting the psychotherapy process,
• Accepting that you may have nomophobia and wanting to fix it,
• Starting CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy),
• If it is at a very advanced stage, take medication during the same period,
• Doing Breathing and Relaxation Exercises.

Request for Postponement

If we constantly put off things we need to do and think about them because we are postponing them, this can put pressure on us and push us to procrastinate even more.

What are the Causes of Procrastination?

• The Way We Were Raised By Those Who Raised Us
• Internal Conflicts We Experience
• Personality Traits

How Can We Combat Procrastination?

• A person should set small goals for herself and try to achieve her real goal.
• Since the size of the work may cause her to procrastinate, she should divide the work into small sections and complete them gradually, one by one.
• Realistic time plans should be made.
• A person should say no when necessary and focus on her work.
• A person should say no when necessary and focus on her work.