Causes Of Technology Addiction

“Sixty percent of parents say their children ages twelve through eighteen can’t give up their cell phones,” Reid Goldsborough states (62). This is one of the problems with technology plaguing the United States. Betty-Ann Cyr points out, hand-held devices, and the growing number of individuals with computers and web based devices, are causing use of technology to grow at an astonishing rate. In addition, the excessive use of mobile devices is particularly problematic to one’s health. Some of the issues technology addiction creates are depression, anxiety and loss of identity. Nada Kakabadese contends, “Americans are attached to technology 24/7 with laptops, blackberries and mobile phones, we’ve become a stressed out and anxious society. Families,

These variables include mental health history, personality and environment, according to Technology Addiction 101. If an individual is suffering from depression, anxiety or lack of sleep, or a person has low self-esteem they are also more likely to be addicted to technology. Technology Addiction 101 claims that those with low self-esteem turn to the internet to escape. In addition, internet users with low self-esteem use the internet “to connect with others in an anonymous, non-threatening way,” (Technology Addiction 101). The last variable that could possibly cause internet addiction is the person’s environment. Having an abundant amount of stress or not having a reliable support system can also increase the risk for internet addiction, Technology Addiction 101 claims. Although these factors could lead to internet addiction, it is not guaranteed that if a person contains these qualities they are addicted to the

Instead, individuals need to begin to address the problem. People need to understand the issues before trying to fix them (62). Goldsborough suggests parents should create limits for their children on technology use. For example, parents could ban cellphone use during meals, thus allowing the family to sit down and have a conversation. Also, parents can ban their children from using technology past a certain time at night. The time is up to the parent, but the recommended time is at bedtime, so children do not lose sleep because they are up late on their mobile devices. most schools do not allow children to have their phones or mobile devices out while the teacher is giving the lesson, and if student have their phone out, they are punished. The same standards should be used at home. If the children have their phone out at an inappropriate time, parents should enforce some sort of punishment