Introduction

Technology has changed the way we do things, making work easier. Nowadays businesses can be conducted online without physical contact between the buyer and the seller. People can access information easily, even with their mobile devices. This is actually among the many advantages of technology, growing economies in different ways. However, there is a price to pay. Technology has also negatively impacted the lives of people in many ways.

Since we are surrounded with our electronic devices, it is even becoming unlikely to enjoy your meal, or carry out your daily chores without being interrupted by a call or text from your cell phone. This is problem is not for adults only. Teenagers and children are also being exposed to technology, affecting them too. Almost each person living today has experienced the negative impacts of technology.

There are a multitude of problems we experience that are created by our exposure to tech. Here, we explore some of the negative impacts of technology today.

1. It affects our Sleeping Habits

The mobile devices which came about as a result of technological advancement are affecting our sleeping habits. They are small enough to be carried to our bedrooms, where we get notifications and messages that require our attention. Some people will even remain on their seats texting through the night, or even uploading photos to their social media accounts.

It is hard for us to keep the devices away, however much we may be tired. Sleepy or not, you may find yourself scrolling through social media to see your friends’ newest posts, or anything. There are even those who will wake up in the middle of the night to check their devices.

Like mentioned above, both kids and adults are affected by tech. Kids also spend many hours on their devices, maybe watching funny clips or other amusement videos. The devices are in all ways trying to get our attention, which is hard to resist especially when they have apps to keep us sucked in.

All these interrupt our sleeping patterns and overall rest. Furthermore, some devices, such as televisions, emit light which also affect our sleeping habits. So, you can at least ensure that your TV is off before you sleep to reduce the impact.

Engaging with your devices regularly just makes your sleep even worse. Using devices until late in the night affects the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone that is secreted by the brain. Affecting its secretion will thus make it harder for one to get a good night’s sleep.

2. Makes us Feel Isolated

Being over reliant on our tech can also make us feel isolated. Most people today contact friends and family virtually. This lack of physical contact between people can disconnect someone from friends and family and eventually lead to depression at times. Some of the friends we have online are not real friends at all.

The fact that we can reach our friends without visiting keeps us away from them since the need to visit is cut off. Instead, we prefer calling or even texting, which may lead to miscommunication. This kind of communication drifts us away from true human companionship. Such things may end up ruining our personal relationships in the long run, leaving us isolated. With the increase in modern ways of communication, distance between people increases, creating relationship issues.

A recent study found that people who use social media the most were more likely to feel socially isolated than those whose use it less. Thus, finding ways to reduce the use of social media may help reduce the feeling isolation in people.

3. A Source of Distraction

The kind of distraction we get from our tech gadgets is becoming a worrying trend. People will have conversations with mobile phones or tablets in their hands, possibly scrolling. This makes them lose focus on what they are doing leading to troubles. Even worse, some drive with the gadgets in hands!

The loss of focus we get from a notification, or message on our phones can really affect us. In the end, we might not achieve what we wanted because of the distractions. The bad news is that this doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.

4. Promotes a Sedentary Lifestyle

Technology has made it possible for people to have fun indoors. Most of this is achieved through playing video games, checking social media posts and even videos. Here, people miss out one of the essentials of life, that is, physical exercise. As you may already know, physical exercise helps us keep our bodies strong and lack of it may just lead to health problems.

The tech keeps us glued to our screens for so much time, leaving us with less time to spend outdoors doing other things. Such a sedentary lifestyle may lead to negative health effects such as;

• Premature death
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 diabetes

5. Leads to Bad Posture and Neck Pain

Most people lean over with their heads when using their mobile devices. If such behaviour is repeated several times, then one might experience neck pain and have bad posture. This can have a negative impact on our overall health. It is therefore advisable to try and sit upright even when using your mobile phone or any other gadget. This can be achieved by raising the devices at eye level to avoid the leaning.

6. Promotes Bad Behaviour, such as Bullying

The online space created as a result of technology is doing harm to the society. This is because it gives people courage to do bad things, say bad things or even bullying others hiding behind an online persona. Things that one can’t say in person is easily said online, where they can’t be held accountable. This is the disadvantage of anonymity that comes with the internet.

7. May Stunt the Imagination of Children

Some time back, when technology had not advanced this far, children had to come up with creative ideas to have fun. This is opposed to what happens nowadays as children rely more on technology, such as video games, for non-stop fun.

Children who overuse technology are more likely to have issues such as;

• Lack of attention
• Low creativity
• Delayed language development
• Delayed social and emotional development
• Poor sleep quality
• Low academic performance
• Aggressive behaviours
• Higher BMI
• Addiction to the technologies they are using
• Social issues, such as anxiety and incompatibility

8. Promotes a Shorter Attention Span

Social media is much to be blamed for the shorter attention span. Most people nowadays are on social media, scrolling from post to post most of the time. This is what causes a shorter attention span. The small character limits and short videos make the situation even worse.

9. Can Cause Eye and Ear Problems

The screens and audio devices are causing eye and ear problems. When we stay most of the time watching videos, playing video games or any other thing that keeps us staring at the screens, our sight is affected. Listening to loud music, on the other hand, causes ear problems. Long term exposure may lead to acute ear and eye problems.

10. Separates Families

Technology helps us connect with other people. Your best friend or relative can be one call away, encouraging you to call, rather than visiting. This might in turn lead to disconnection between you and your family, due to lack of physical contact.

11. Loss of Privacy and Risk of Hacking

Nowadays, someone can access your contact information, pictures and much more, with just a few clicks on your social media. Such information can then be used for hackers.

Some people even create fake profiles, pretending to be people they are not.  This has created the issue of online deceit. Thus, you can’t really be sure of the identity of people that you only meet online. Due to online deceit, many people have been lured into relationship with wrong people, with teenagers being the most vulnerable.

12. Causes Addiction

Technology is also addictive. There are a number of tech devices that we are usually having access, and it is becoming hard to step away. For instance, there are many video games built with the intention of addicting users. This way, the user spends most of their using the technology and losing track of important issues in the process.

13. May Cause Loss of Empathy

Technology may also lead to loss of empathy. As we continue being exposed to online violence, it may reach a point where it doesn’t bother us anymore.

14. Can Expose Children to Explicit Videos

The internet has lots of explicit videos which are not good for children. Most children have access to the internet and might as well get access to such videos. Parental controls may not be enough to protect the children as they may still access the videos elsewhere.

Also Read: Positive and Negative Effects of Technology on Our Lives

15. Causes More Energy Consumption and Pollution

Due to technological advancement, humankind is consuming more energy than before. This is because the electronic devices require electricity to run. Producing the gadgets also requires massive amounts of energy. Once the gadgets wear out and stop working, we remain stuck with the problem of pollution.

16. It Doesn’t Build the Best Social Skills

Due to the connection people are having online, most people are losing out on the crucial social skills. Nowadays, the face-to-face contact is minimal, affecting our abilities to pick up on social cues. This might ultimately lead to problems of miscommunication.

17. Increases Exposure to Drugs and Sexually Explicit Content

Social media has limited regulations and people can post nearly everything. It is because of this that sexually explicit content and drugs have become more widespread and easily accessible. Although such content might be okay for a consenting adult, it should not be exposed to children.

18. It Adds a Layer of Stress

The idea that we are constantly using our tech devices adds another layer of stress. Most people reach out for their mobile phones or electronic devices immediately they work, some keep checking the devices even when eating or doing other things. This adds anxiety and stress to our lives.

19. Leads to Phone Thumb

The overuse of our mobile phones in texting or pressing buttons can cause the development of tendonitis within your thumb. This condition, referred to as phone thumb, is painful and persistent.

Conclusion

There are many negative effects of technology. Some of the effects are caused by our over reliance on tech. We must therefore be keen when using our gadgets to ensure that we get the most out of them, while keeping the negative effects as minimal as possible. The best way to address the negative effects of technology is by minimizing the amount of time we spend on our screens and other tech.