Every day, technological advancements are made. While there are countless benefits to these advancements, there are also numerous drawbacks. Yes, it is nice to have mankind’s knowledge at your fingertips- produced by the average smartphone- but it is also problematic in terms of dependency. Speaking from personal observations, the vast majority of millennials do not leave home without their phone. Once again, this makes the tasks of communication, wasting time, and accessing information incredibly easy, but at what cost? It is fair to say that developed society is addicted to technology, and society is remotely unconcerned of this fact. At what point do we stop labeling smartphone addiction as the norm, but instead label it as it is, addiction.
…show more content…
Smartphone addiction is an increasing issue in society creating the problems of dependency, distractions, mental illness, and a lack of communication.
A recent study was conducted in Korea, with 255 different users collected. The results of the study concluded that the driving force of technological dependence is user satisfaction. The authors summarized that interactivity, control, communication, and responsiveness as being the most influential factors on user satisfaction (Fan ABSTRACT). There are numerous factors that play a part in technological addiction, all of them tie directly back to instant satisfaction for the user. For example, video games are always growing, especially on the app stores for smartphones. Mini games, such as Clash of Clans or Clash Royale by SUPERCELL instantly took the markets by storm. For the cheap price of $4.99, one could buy x amount of gems and move up faster in the game. There are no actual benefits in real life, yet so many people worldwide do not hesitate to dump vast amounts of money into a virtual game. Why? For the instant …show more content…
There is an entire category specific for social media apps in any given app store, signifying its importance on devices. With social media comes varying levels of mental sickness. On many platforms, such as Tumblr, disorders are seen as an aesthetic of their own, they are glorified. Viewers see “...content that encourages emotional distress and disordered thinking such as anorexic or bulimic consumption and exercise practices, suicidality or self-injury, or facilitating connections with other “problematic” users...” (Hendry 512). While to some this seems to desensitize and ease those who struggle with issues, it actually aggravates and compounds upon them, “There is significant potential for harm from online behaviour (normalisation, triggering, competition, contagion)...” (Marchant et al. 2). Tumblr is just one platform example of mental problems and social media, but there are many more. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all revolve around the basis of gaining recognition from peers through likes, notes, or retweets. The average millennial does not view these sites as a way to tell others about their life or know more about others, but instead to get as many likes as possible. Deep down, everyone just wants to be recognized and accepted, and social media preys upon this rudimentary feeling. But instead of creating a positive environment of acceptance, an aura of cold seclusion is
Smartphone addiction is an increasing issue in society creating the problems of dependency, distractions, mental illness, and a lack of communication.
A recent study was conducted in Korea, with 255 different users collected. The results of the study concluded that the driving force of technological dependence is user satisfaction. The authors summarized that interactivity, control, communication, and responsiveness as being the most influential factors on user satisfaction (Fan ABSTRACT). There are numerous factors that play a part in technological addiction, all of them tie directly back to instant satisfaction for the user. For example, video games are always growing, especially on the app stores for smartphones. Mini games, such as Clash of Clans or Clash Royale by SUPERCELL instantly took the markets by storm. For the cheap price of $4.99, one could buy x amount of gems and move up faster in the game. There are no actual benefits in real life, yet so many people worldwide do not hesitate to dump vast amounts of money into a virtual game. Why? For the instant …show more content…
There is an entire category specific for social media apps in any given app store, signifying its importance on devices. With social media comes varying levels of mental sickness. On many platforms, such as Tumblr, disorders are seen as an aesthetic of their own, they are glorified. Viewers see “...content that encourages emotional distress and disordered thinking such as anorexic or bulimic consumption and exercise practices, suicidality or self-injury, or facilitating connections with other “problematic” users...” (Hendry 512). While to some this seems to desensitize and ease those who struggle with issues, it actually aggravates and compounds upon them, “There is significant potential for harm from online behaviour (normalisation, triggering, competition, contagion)...” (Marchant et al. 2). Tumblr is just one platform example of mental problems and social media, but there are many more. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all revolve around the basis of gaining recognition from peers through likes, notes, or retweets. The average millennial does not view these sites as a way to tell others about their life or know more about others, but instead to get as many likes as possible. Deep down, everyone just wants to be recognized and accepted, and social media preys upon this rudimentary feeling. But instead of creating a positive environment of acceptance, an aura of cold seclusion is