As a company that specializes in providing digital solutions for organizations of many shapes and sizes, we often witness the excitement generated by the access to new technology. But we also see the negative impacts of technology, especially with kids. As financial company Credit Donkey warns, “In a world of instant gratification and continual distractions, technology has the ability to make users easily distracted, impatient and continually bored. Technology can also make users forget important information, communicate in shorthand, and be incapable of deep thinking.” But of the many negative impacts of technology, we believe these are the eight most important.
1. Depression and Other Mental Health Issues
A University of Michigan study found that Facebook use led to a decrease in happiness and overall life satisfaction. The cause of depression may be exaggerated expectations triggered by online reality, and unrealistic social comparisons. Says Saju Mathew, M.D., a Piedmont primary care physician, “When we get on social media, we are looking for affirmation, and consciously or not, we are comparing our life to the lives of others,” he says. “As a result, we may not enjoy what’s in the moment.”
Also, research from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden found a link between heavy cell phone use in young adults and depressive symptoms. This is what some call “Chronic Smartphone Stress,” which is caused by constant anticipation of a message, email or other notifications, and the depression that might follow from the lack of them.
2. Lack of Sleep
Most adults sleep with their cell phones nearby, and so do their children. In fact, four out of five teens sleep with their cell phones in their room, and nearly a third of them sleep with the phones on their beds. Unfortunately, as The Washington Post reports, “The blue light emitted by the screens of mobile devices has been associated with poor sleep, researchers say, but mobile devices also can cause emotional stimulation—through violent games or engaging forms of social media—that also can impair sleep or simply delay the moment when people fall asleep.” A lack of sleep impacts your health and personality.
3. ADHD
As any school administrator can tell you, there has been a tremendous rise in ADHD over the last 15 years. In fact, there has been a 43% increase in ADHD or ADD diagnoses between 2003 and 2016 according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the exact connection between technology and ADHD is incomplete, a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association reports teens who frequently use modern digital media platforms, such as social media, also show an increased risk of ADHD. And a study done at Duke University found that, at-risk adolescents experienced more conduct problems and higher ADHD symptoms on days they used technology frequently.
4. Obesity
The increased obesity in children has been well documented. According to the CDC, 18.5% of America’s youth is now considered “obese,” compared to just 5% a few decades earlier. One cause of obesity is a lack of physical activity, and children who overuse electronic devices are less physically active. While play time has been shown to improve mood and increase self-esteem, sedentary activities (such as Internet use) not only lead to decreased physical activity but have been linked to feelings of social isolation and depression.
5. Learning Barriers
As Credit Donkey reports, “Studies show that students, and people in general, are less apt to remember information because they know they can find it within seconds online. The study also shows that students are more likely to remember where to get the information rather than remembering the information itself.”
Additionally, a survey by antivirus company McAfee found that 21% of students admitted to using their internet devices to cheat, such as by texting a friend, looking up answers or even sending pictures of their exams to others. The same survey reports that 47% of those students reported knowing someone who used a device to cheat.
While the Internet can be a great source of learning, these reports remind us that they can also be a barrier to it, and one of the negative impacts of technology.
6. Decreased Communication and Intimacy
According to a Pew Research study, 25% of married couples admit to texting each other while home at the same time. Also, 25% of couples have felt their spouse or partner was distracted by their cell phone when they were together—and that number jumps to 43% for younger adults (18 to 29-year-olds). While the study reports that 74% of adult Internet users say the Internet had a positive impact on their marriage or partnership, 20% said the Internet impact was mostly negative.
7. Cyberbullying
You may already know that cyberbullying is the use of the Internet, cell phones, video game systems or other technology to send or post messages intended to hurt or embarrass someone else. A 2007 Pew Research study found 32% of teens were victims of cyberbullying. Nearly a decade later, a 2016 study by the Cyberbullying Research Center found those numbers were nearly identical. The National Crime Prevention Council puts that number even higher, at 43%. The NCPC also reports:
• Nearly 20 percent of teens had a cyberbully pretend to be someone else in order to trick them online or get them to reveal personal information
• Seventeen percent of teens were victimized by someone lying about them online
• Thirteen percent of teens learned that a cyberbully was pretending to be them while communicating with someone else
Yet only 11% of teens speak with their parents about incidents of cyberbullying.
8. Loss of Privacy
With a few clicks, anyone can discover someone’s Facebook page and collect contact information, pictures and much more. The information can then be used for hacking and viruses. Anyone with email knows that hackers are constantly scheming to get people to reveal credit card information, social security numbers and so on.
Stopping the Negative Impacts of Technology
Many of those negative impacts of technology can be avoided with better and more open communication along with increased cyber education. This not only provides a greater awareness of one’s own actions, but helps users recognize the actions of others. As a leading provider of Internet security services, as well as cloud services and other technology solutions, we see the good and bad of technology every day. Technology can be a wonderful thing, bringing people closer together, delivering a nearly unlimited access to knowledge, promoting freedom of expression and providing countless conveniences from shopping to learning. And while the pitfalls are also numerous, so are the resources available to combat them.
If you have any questions about the negative impacts of technology, please reach out to us at DYOPATH. As experts on cybersecurity, we are always eager to share our knowledge and advice, just as we are always delighted to discuss the many services we provide for schools and businesses.
