Technology Addiction - Cellphone Addiction - Internet Addiction
Everyone needs to
learn how to
balance the
digital world with the
physical world. You
can easily
spend a lot of time in front of a computer
screen or in front of your
television, so how do you know when you're
over doing it?
Why can't this machine remind me that I have spent
too much time working
and that I should
take a break and get some air, or
get some
exercise, or just
do something totally different? You should
learn how to control
technology instead of continuing to be
victimized by
technology.
Screen time or computer time is
relative.
If you're using your device for learning and using it to expand your
knowledge and awareness, then you're benefitting from technology, instead
of suffering from it.
Technology is
machinery and
equipment
that is
developed for
practical purposes using
scientific
knowledge.
Technology is the
sum of
techniques,
skills,
methods,
and
processes that are used
in the
production of
goods or services or in the accomplishment of an
objective or when
solving a
problem.
Technology Types
-
Emerging
Technologies -
Technology Use -
Technology Abuse -
Addiction -
HyperconnectivityGadget is a small
mechanical or
electronic device
or
tool, especially an
ingenious or
novel one.
There's nothing wrong with technology. What's wrong is peoples
lack of knowledge
and
understanding about technology use. People would still struggle with
the same problems if certain technologies like cellphones and the
internet didn't
exist. People would still struggle with the same problems that they have
for over the last 100 years. People still struggle with anxiety, shame,
insecurities, guilt, embarrassment, depression, addictions, death,
suicide, abuse, harassment, peer pressure, threats, fears, and people
still have
confusion about sex.
People also have problems with their ego, and with being over confident,
and
pretending that
they're smart. So not much has changed, except that we have better
tools now. What we don't have is a better education system and more
responsible
media outlets. So
people are suffering from the same old problems. This means that we have a
lot of work to do. Like with any tool, there's
good ways and
there's bad
ways, and there's right ways of doing something and there's
wrong
ways of doing something. Just like with everything else in the world, it's how
you
use it that will
determine the benefits or the damage that you cause. There is a lot of
things that people need to learn.
Technology Hubs -
Maker Space
-
Social Networks -
Technology RevolutionPeople use
communication
technology for all kinds of reasons. People want
friendship, people
want to
feel connected, people need to be connected, people also want
convenience, people want to look like they're doing something important
even when they're not, people want validation,
people want to be
reassured or
reinforced so that they
feel better about
themselves and also get some kind of indication about what they're doing
and what they're saying actually means something, people want to feel like
they're
living, and sometimes people just need a
distraction,
something to break up the day, something to remind them that
there is
always something to do and always something to think about. The problem
is, most people never learn enough about themselves or the world around
them in order to use technology in a way that is more beneficial and more
rewarding. And if the technology impedes your learning and slows down your
progress and development, then technology will do more harm than good,
like it is now for millions of people. Too much lost
potential.
In the near future, every child will see a tablet, smartphone or a
computer as a
learning and teaching
machine, and not as a toy or a play thing. They will understand that
computers are incredible tools and an
extension of human intelligence that
can be used to solve almost every problem in the world. Future children
will respect technology and not let technology become a distraction or a
dependency. They will in
fact understand that they are the most important technology on the planet
and that they hold the future in their hands.
Electromagnetic Radiation.
Are You Lost in the
World Like Me? (Animated Short Film by Steve Cutts on youtube).
“
Not My
Child” is an ignorant excuse that a parent gives when they want
other people to believe that they have raised their child appropriately
and effectively, and that they have an open and honest relationship with
their child, and that they don't hide things from each other. This type of
delusion is never known until the parent finds out that they have been
fooling themselves about how well they know their child and how good their
relationship is. Not my child! My child would never do that. My child does
not make mistakes, or hide things from me. My child is a good and
decent human being. You must have the wrong
kid, or the wrong parent? Or maybe I'm wrong?
Brain Hacking - Who Controls Who
Brain Hacking
is a term used to describe a set of techniques or methods that are used
for gaining some type of control over a persons mind and
influence what
they think using
misinformation
that is combined with some form of
psychological
manipulation, which does
more harm than good by causing irrelevant behaviors
and creating unnecessary
distractions.
If a
parasite can hack the brain, and
if a
virus can hack the
brain, then you can assume that a human can also hack the brain, especially when
humans are
made of viruses and
can be also be influenced by
parasites.
Your
sub-conscious is like a
back door for a hacker, it's a vulnerability for
propaganda.
How do you know when you're
being targeted?
How do you know if this
false sense of dominance over
technology is actually the other way around? Power can corrupt in
both directions.
Is it just an
addictive personality
or is it just an
undereducated
mind?
Hacked is to obtain
unauthorized access to a
computer, network or a
brain. And when the
hacker captures your
attention, then they can
influence you
and
manipulate you, and
you will never know that you were hacked unless you
wake up and
wise up.
Are you totally aware?
Are you educated enough?
Do you have free will?
Illusion of Control -
Your mind has been Hijacked -
Mind Control -
Freewill is an illusion -
Dreams -
Computer Viruses -
Addiction -
Those who control language,
control the mind. Those who
control what's taught
in schools, also control the mind.
New human rights to protect against '
mind
hacking' and
brain data theft
have been proposed.
Click Bait
should only happen when you are actually seeking something valuable, like
valuable information that the brain can use, which would make this type of fishing
to be
called
research. The lure
is your
curiosity,
and the benefit of the catch is
progress.
Automation Paradox: Our dependence on smart technology has led to a
paradox. As the technology improves, it becomes more reliable and more
efficient. And because it’s reliable and efficient, human operators start
to depend on it even more. Eventually they lose focus, become distracted,
and check out, leaving the system to run on its own. This is fine until
something unexpected happens. The unexpected reveals the value of human
beings; what we bring to the table is the flexibility to handle new
situations. Machines aren’t collaborating in pursuit of a joint goal; they
are merely serving as tools. So when the human operator gives up
oversight, the system is more likely to have a serious accident.
Automated
Safety Systems leads to a dependence on them, and that this dependence
undermines the contribution of the human operator, leading to greater
danger. Pilots have become too reliant on
Automation and lack basic manual
flying skills, leaving them unable to cope in unusual circumstances. If
the designer of the program has not thought of a
situation that the
machine does not know how to respond to, and that situation in fact
occurs, the machine is going to do the wrong thing. So a critical role for
human beings is oversight—just being there in case something goes terribly
wrong. The big danger today is that no one has access to all the knowledge
necessary to understand and control modern sophisticated technology. And
technology is getting more sophisticated at an even faster rate than ever.
Exploiting Peoples Need to Feel Accepted
Validation by Proxy is to
feel better about oneself by viewing oneself
not as an individual but as
part of a larger group. In this state, one
need not accomplish anything oneself but can take great
pride in the
accomplishments of others as though they are
personal accomplishments
because the group is viewed a personal extension.
Need to Belong
-
Acceptance -
Vicariously -
Ego -
Fake
People -
Self-Verification
Intermittent
Reinforcement is given only
part of the time when a subject gives the desired response. It is often used
instead of continuous reinforcement once the desired
response is conditioned by continuous
reinforcement and the
reinforcer wants to reduce or eliminate the
number of reinforcements necessary to encourage the intended response. The
most effective training regime is one where you give the animal a
reward only sometimes, and then only at
random intervals, like a
slot
machine in a
gambling
casino, creating a compulsion loop providing players with a never-ending
sequence of new content and goals.
Variable ratio
reinforcement is where players receive rewards on a random
schedule, and avoidance is where players are punished for not playing
enough. Checking email is a behavior that has variable interval
reinforcement. Sometimes, but not every time, the behavior produces a
reward. Occasionally checking your email will get you one of these
rewards. And because you can never tell which time you check will produce
the reward, checking all the time is reinforced, even if most of the time
checking your email turns out to have been pointless. You still check
because you never know when the reward will come. Many people refer to
their Blackberry as a
crackberry, and with good reason. It is obvious that
many people are addicted to their Smartphone or electronic devices that
keep them in touch with their friends, work, and family. Many people often
check their phone the first thing in the morning and don’t put it down
until they go to bed.
Stroke
Someone's Ego is to flatter and
praise
someone in order to make them feel good, but not because they deserve
praise, but because they're
insecure. So it's better to give someone praise than to deal with the
depression or the negativity that they will express when they don't get
the praise they feel they deserve or
expect. Be careful not
to
spoil the person because they could
get worse and require even more
attention.
It's not a good idea to want
to be liked by everyone when you don't
even like everyone. You can't live a life of
contradictions and
have it both ways.
It's
delusional.
Though it's important to be
recognized, you should not look for
approval or need approval in order to
do something important, or to
feel important or to feel valuable. If you
require approval, you might not get it. And if you do get approval, this
does not necessarily mean that you're doing something valuable.
Feedback is
important and so is
peer
support. But these things are not always necessary. What is necessary,
is the belief in yourself and who you are, and the belief in what you are doing is valuable.
Technology Addictions - What Am I Actually Addicted To
Internet Addiction refers
to excessive
Internet use that interferes with daily life, especially when
the internet is used for
non-learning purposes and
irrelevant actions that
reduces learning potential and the ability to
progress and to
mature. Don't confuse internet addiction with
poor social skills or
confuse it with
poor technology skills.
And don't confuse
popularity with
value.
Internet Addiction -
Net Addiction Recovery -
Addiction (WebMD)
Addictions
(habits) -
Operant Conditioning -
Porn (sex) -
Internet Safety
Computer Addiction is a form of
behavioral addiction that
can be described as the excessive or compulsive use of the computer which
persists despite serious negative consequences for personal, social, or
occupational function. Another clear conceptualization is made by Block,
who stated that "Conceptually, the diagnosis is a compulsive-impulsive
spectrum disorder that involves online and/or offline computer usage and
consists of at least three subtypes: excessive gaming, sexual
preoccupations, and e-mail/text messaging". Computer addiction is not
currently included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-5) as an official disorder. The concept of computer
addiction is broadly divided into two types, namely offline computer
addiction and online computer addiction.
Offline
computer addiction is normally used when speaking about excessive
gaming behavior, which can be practiced both offline and online.
Online computer addiction, also known as
Internet addiction, gets more attention in general from scientific
research than offline computer addiction, mainly because most cases of
computer addiction are related to the excessive use of the Internet.
Experts on Internet addiction have described this syndrome as an
individual working intensely on the Internet, prolonged use of the
Internet, uncontrollable use of the Internet, unable to use the internet
in an efficient, timely matter, not being interested in the outside world,
not spending time with people from the outside world, and an increase in
their loneliness and dejection.
Distractions -
Wasting Time -
Social Network Addiction
Technophile is a person who is
enthusiastic about
new
technology or has strong
enthusiasm for
technology.
Technology is just like your brain, it's how you use your brain that makes all
the difference. It's how you use the
words in your vocabulary. It's how
you
interpret those words in your vocabulary, it's how well you maintain
your vocabulary. And it's how well you expand, update and add to your
vocabulary so that you continually
progress and prosper. So you may have
to use other technology tools in order to accomplish this task of
expanding your vocabulary, and expanding your understanding of yourself
and the world around you. Today there is an enormous amount of
valuable knowledge and information in the
world, and you will need technology to access this knowledge and to
utilize it. So it's not about whether you need technology or not, it's
about what
you need to learn, and what tools are needed to help you learn?
TV Bad Side Effects on Children
-
Bullying -
Suicide
-
Brain Rot
Internet addiction affects the behavior and development of adolescents.
Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that
could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new
study.
Digital Media Use and Mental Health - Digital Addictions and Digital
Dependencies.
Hacked.
Training cognitive control in children does not change brain or behavior,
especially when it doesn't include a high quality education.
If people can be easily
brainwashed and
influenced by the TV and by
internet media platforms, then they can also be educated and informed by
the TV and by internet media platforms.
Technology Dependence -
Blue Hackers.
Video Game Addiction
Video Game Addiction is an excessive or
compulsive
use of
computer games or video games, which
interferes with a person's
everyday life. Video game addiction may present itself as compulsive
gaming,
social isolation,
mood swings, diminished imagination, and
hyper-focus on in-game achievements, to the exclusion of other events in
life. Try not to become a
ghost in the shell with a
stand alone
complex.
On-Line
Gamers Anonymous.
Competitive Gaming League of Legends and e-Sports (youtube)
Geeks and Depression Panel (youtube)
Game Addiction Law South Korea.
Researchers 'see' vulnerability to gaming addiction in the adolescent
brain. Researchers found that adolescents with more symptoms of gaming
addiction showed lower brain activity in the region involved in
decision-making
and
reward processing; this blunted
response to reward anticipation is associated with higher symptoms of
gaming addiction over time and suggests that reduced sensitivity to
rewards, in particular non-gaming rewards, may play a role in problematic
gaming.
Steam users have spent $19 billion on games they’ve never played.
A few lucky kids
winning a million dollars playing video games is like winning the lottery.
You would be a moron if you told your kids to play video games because
they could have a chance at making some money. That's like telling someone
to play the lottery because you heard that someone actually won. Besides
that,
you're only talking about money, not
value or
purpose.
Video Gaming Films (brain washers) -
Learning Games
Violent Video Games can cause
child aggression, but so do a lot of
things. People were
aggressive way before video games
came along, and millions of people
are aggressive without ever playing video games. And there are millions of
people who have
played violent video games but did not become more aggressive. So what is the
major cause of aggression?
Rage and
violence have all kinds of causes.
Ignorance and
abuse are just two major
causes of aggression.
Abusive People like to
watch Contact Sports.
Does watching
violent movies with
marvel super hero's
influence violence? Do these movies influence
revenge?
Children's Violent Video Game Play associated with increased Physical
Aggressive Behavior. If violent games don't influence
violent or
ignorant behavior, then what does violent games influence? What is the
purpose of playing violent games?.
Dungeons & Dragons
video game effects on players. 60 minutes D&D special
1985. (youtube)
Countries where video games are
prevalent have no increase in
mass shootings or murders.
You have to improve education and not
just have more regulations.
Interactive screen use reduces sleep time in kids. While screen time
is generally known to affect sleep, new research suggests that interactive
engagement, such as texting friends or playing video games, delays and
reduces the time spent asleep to a greater extent than passive screen
time, like watching television -- especially for teens.
Life in a Networked Society (youtube)
Screen
Time is the amount of time spent using a device with a screen such as
a smartphone, computer, television, or video game console. The concept is
under significant research with related concepts in digital media use and
mental health. Studies show that screen time
directly impact child
development, and mental and physical health. The positive or negative
health effects of screen time are influenced by levels and content of
exposure. To prevent harmful exposure to screen time, some governments
have placed regulations on its usage. But governments fail to understand
that it's what's being transmitted is the problem, and not the screen
itself. When education is dumbed down,
children don't have the
skills or the knowledge to manage technology tools. And most children
and adults are also unaware that most of what is available on TV, is
damaging by design. The
idiot box has become the
skinner box.
Beyond screen time: Complex factors shaping child development. New
research challenges views on screen time, revealing factors such as
parental mental health and the type of screen being used may have some
impact on child development.
Transfer Deficit refers to a study that showed children who were
younger than 3 years old, experienced difficulty learning because of
certain over used video habits, which can have negative affects on
behaviors, actions, language, spatial search and object retrieval.
Children learn best from reality and from real people
interactions.
Though some videos games can help improve focus and attention skills, they
are hardly used effectively or designed effectively. We need to design
technology that is eye friendly with brain safe imagery and has high
quality real life stimulation.
Telemedicine -
Digital Therapy.
How
screen time and green time may affect youth psychological outcomes.
Less Screen Time and
More Green Time are associated with better
psychological outcomes among children and adolescents, according to a new
study.
Children’s
Digital Media Center
Nature Deficit Disorder means that human beings, especially
children, are spending less time outdoors resulting in a wide range of
behavioral problems.
Human Computer Interaction
(interfaces)
Technophobia
-
Technological Unemployment
Happiness -
Regurgitator (youtube) - Rotting my brain once again, it's always the
same it never ends.
Time Management
-
Depression
-
Disinhibition
-
Public Exposer
Controlling children's behavior with screen time leads to more screen
time, study reveals. But it all depends on what the screen time is
used for, educating yourself or just wasting time. Is it
time well spent?
Cellphone Addiction. Approximately 60 percent of college
students admit they may be addicted to their cell phone. Women
college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their
cellphones and men college students spend nearly eight. And
sadly this
cell phone use is not all related to learning.
Three Ways Smartphones Are Designed To Keep You Hooked,
Notifications, Bright
Colors and Visual
Cues.
Humane Tech.
Phantom Vibration Syndrome is the perception that one's mobile phone
is vibrating or ringing when it is not ringing. Humans are particularly
sensitive to auditory tones between
1,000 and
6,000 hertz, and basic mobile phone ringers often fall within this
range. Phantom vibrations develop after carrying a cell phone set to use
vibrating alerts.
False Alarms.
Not to be confused with
Internal vibrations are like tremors that happen inside your body.
You can't see internal vibrations, but you can feel them. They produce a
quivering sensation inside your arms, legs, chest, or abdomen. It's not
clear what causes Buzzing sensations. These buzzing sensations are usually
physical, not auditory, although some people do hear the buzzing sounds.
They're a strange symptom without a clear cause that can create
significant distress in those that experience it.
Don't sleep with
your cellphone -
Time Management
I use to have a
pay as you go smartphone with
no
data plan and no e-mail. This was because I spent most of
my time working in front a full size computer. So when I went out, I could
break from my PC. This way I'm not always checking my phone or being
distracted. If something is important, then someone will call me, and I will
also check my e-mails when I get back home to my full size PC.
AFS =
Away From the Smartphone - AFK =
Away From the Keyboard
Real
Life refers to
life in the
real world. It distinguishes between
actual and
fictional or
idealized worlds, and in acting to
distinguish between performers and the
characters they portray. More recently it has become a popular term on
the
Internet to describe events,
people, activities and interactions occurring offline, or otherwise, not
primarily through the medium of the internet.
I'm
Alive.
IRL stands for
In Real Life.
Virtual
Reality -
Isolation
Digital Culture
is a period in human history characterized by the shift from traditional
industry that the Industrial Revolution brought through industrialization,
to an economy based on information
computerization. The onset of the Information Age is associated with
the Digital Revolution, just as the Industrial Revolution marked the onset
of the Industrial Age. The definition of what digital means (or
what information means)
continues to change over time as new technologies, user devices, methods
of interaction with other humans and devices enter the domain of research,
development and market launch.
Digital Detox
-
Digital Detox
-
Rest -
Camp Grounded
-
Get Away House
-
Tech-Free Vacation -
National Day of Unplugging
Tame Your Digital Diet (youtube)
Commonsense Media -
Media Literacy
Even the Smallest Addictions can do more Harm then
Good. The good news is, there are good addictions and not just bad
addictions. You have to
choose
wisely. A good
routine should
always have a systems check that includes being aware of any new
behaviors, habits that will eventually do more harm then good. Do you want
to feel good? Then you must include one extremely important step in your
routine, that step is called learning. Because there's nothing more
exhilarating then learning something new for the very first time,
especially something that you never knew before, knowledge that makes you
realize that there are more beneficial alternatives to the ones you are
currently choosing. And not just choices in the physical world, but the
numerous choices that we all have in the thinking world. Everything
happens in the mind. The physical world has no meaning without the mind.
Learning is powerful, but only when you
consume
the highest quality knowledge that is available. If you feed the body
junk food, then the body begins to fail
and becomes diseased. Same with the mind, if you feed the mind
junk knowledge and junk
information, then the mind also begins to fail and becomes diseased. And
like some diseases, they happen gradually over time, almost unnoticeable.
And then one day, your life begins to suffer. All from the accumulation of
bad choices. Now what? You will now do what you should have done in the
beginning, which is to make better choices, and not just physical choices,
but mental choices as well. The body needs
exercise, the Mind needs exercise too.
Fear of Missing Out - FoMo
FOMO or
Fear of Missing Out is when you
overreact and think that you're missing out on having a great
experience or missing out on a
tremendous opportunity because you were not able to attend something that
you believe would be enjoyable or useful to you. Just because you're not
personally involved in something, or do not take part in something, this
does not mean that you can't
learn
something or
vicariously enjoy
the experience by talking to the people who did attend the event. The fact
is,
you can't do everything and you
can't be everywhere, so you need to
make
the best of a situation no matter what happens. FOMO is can be
interpreted as a pervasive
apprehension that others might be
having rewarding
experiences from which one is absent. This social
angst
is characterized by a desire to stay
continually connected with what
others are doing. FOMO is also defined as a
fear of regret, which may
lead to a
compulsive concern that one might miss an opportunity for
social
interaction or novel experience, or miss a profitable investment or
buying something or
some other satisfying
events. In other words, FoMo perpetuates the
fear of having made the
wrong
decision on how to spend time, as "you can imagine how things could be
different". What about The Fear of Not Missing Out? What would have
happened if you did something different? Or what about the fear of not
doing something interesting, something that you can
brag about or feel
good about doing? Are you
insecure?
And what if you did miss out on something, and then
something bad happened? Would you have
survival
guilt?
No
Regrets, there are
millions of different things that happen every single day, with or
without you. Make the best of every situation where ever you are.
Worrying about the things that you're not doing,
will ruin the time that you spend in the
present moment. The place and
time that you're living in now is the most important.
Worker Burnout - Fear of
Not Doing Enough -
PerfectionismI experienced FOMO when I was younger, and it was really
ignorant of me because it had nothing to do with reality. But as I learned
more about
human behavior
and all the other
knowledge that I have
collected, all that crappy guilt and
anxiety
disappeared. You need to
balance friendships and life. You have to know
the difference between
looking for attention and just looking for an interruption
or a distraction. It's not all or nothing. You have to master technology
and be in control of your life.
Learn to use technology
more effectively and efficiently. If you can't do one thing, then do
something else. That is why you should always have
goals, because there is always something to do at some step or at some
level of development. Don't
limit your creativity, use it. And don't expect miracles and don't be
surprised when they happen. I needed my commitment and devotion to the BK101 project in order to assure its progress and development. Of course I
had to make many sacrifices because you can't do everything or have a so
called normal life. You have to have
balance
and every once in a while you have to
mix things
up and modify things, if not, you could burnout very quickly.
Nomophobia is an irrational fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
White Spots App
visualizes the invisible electromagnetic cloud and shows the invisible
digital network signals all around you. A network scanner world map of
cell phone reception and Wi-Fi connections. A GPS based route planner to
help you travel to places that are off the grid near you. To be connected
or not to be connected, that is the question, which mostly depends on your
needs at that moment in time.
Phubbing is the habit of snubbing someone in favour
of a mobile phone.
Documentary:
Offline is the new luxury (VPRO backlight) (youtube)
More than 75 percent of undergrads
reported texting while in class, and in-class texting was linked
to an average drop of half a letter grade in the course. Most
college students are heavy smartphone users who get anxious and
stressed within 10 or 15 minutes if they can't check their
phones. Turn your phones off at the beginning of each class.
Learn to
Unplug, learn to
Focus.
Learning how to use technology effectively as a tool is
important. But more important is being able
to do the same task
if you had no tools at all. You don't want to depend on certain
tools always
being there. You must have the skills and the knowledge
to survive without technology.
Being Vulnerable by Choice is Risky and illogical.
Technology is Just a Tool
Social
Media might promote narcissism, smartphones could cause
insomnia, and screens seem to be making our kids less
empathetic. We’re over-stimulating ourselves with useless
information and mind numbing activities.
"I know that it is absolutely necessary to
unplug from technology every now and then, and experience
freedom and the outdoors. But I can't imagine a life that was
always unplugged, meaning, a life that was not able to educate
itself and learn about the human experience and learn about the
world around us.
If we stop feeding on knowledge and information, we become
disconnected."
Men,
Women & Children - Official Trailer #1 (2014) - With Adam Sandler,
Jennifer Garner Movie HD (youtube) - At first I didn't like the film because it puts the
blame on
technology. But if you stop blaming our problems on technology,
what you are left with is a great conversation about our
problems, problems that we have had for a very long time, way
before all these new technologies came along. I wish there were
more movies like this, but our ignorant society puts a price tag
on everything, so if a movie doesn't make money, then very few
people see the movie, how freaking stupid and sad is that?
Knowledge and information needs to be judged by its value, and not
by
some
arbitrary price. We have a dysfunctional society that
creates dysfunctional families. Yes there are problems with
the
internet, but we also have problems with
TV,
Radio,
News Papers,
Magazines, and our
Schools. Our Schools are incredibly
inadequate. Students are not learning enough. So
technology is not the problem, the problem is our inadequate
education that fuels our lack of understanding. So we blame our
problems on everything else, except for the fact that we're
ignorant and naive. This is a great film, but only if you
understand the film correctly. Internet addiction is just
another addiction. An addiction fueled by our
inadequate education, and our inadequate public awareness
that is fueled by our dysfunctional media outlets. When we
improve education, and improve public awareness, then all these
problems will go away. The internet makes our obsessions more
accessible, but the internet also makes knowledge more
accessible, so it's how you use the tool, not the tool itself.
If you don't use technology effectively, then misuse could cause
you to become defectively worse. And the same thing goes for
almost anything in our world. A knife could help you prepare
food, but a knife could also be used to murder a human. The
world is now full of
distractions.
424,000 car accidents were a
direct result of distractions while driving. Smartphones,
dashboard navigation systems, all rank high in top distractions.
Distractions come from lack of knowledge. Like addiction. When you lack
the discipline to control your focus, then you will always be vulnerable
to distractions. And when you lack the knowledge, skills and experience
that helps create Focus, discipline and control, then that will also make
you more vulnerable to distractions. 99% of our problems happen because
things are misused, usually by people who haven't learned how to use
something effectively and efficiently. We have a lot to learn. And if we
learn the right things at the right time, then technology will save us,
but if we don't learn the right things at the right time, then technology will destroy us.
Men, Women and Children (film) (wiki).
Physical Injuries - Abusing Technology
Musculoskeletal symptoms among mobile hand-held device users and their
relationship to device use: A preliminary study in a Canadian university
population.
Text-Neck describes the
neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone,
tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long.
Spinal Injury
(posture) -
Pain
Upright, an adult’s head puts about a dozen pounds
of force on the spine, according to a 2014 paper. But tilted 15
degrees, as if over a phone, the force surges to 27 pounds, and to 60
pounds at 60 degrees. (That’s the weight of four Thanksgiving turkeys).
NYC people staring down at their smartphones.
It’s harmful when you’re younger, because the
bones are still malleable and pliable and they may be deformed permanently.
Older people can suffer too because their spines are prone to narrowing,
making them susceptible to injury.
Dr. Kenneth Hansraj -
Usability.
A 2011 study of nearly 140 mobile
device users linked internet time to right thumb pain, as well as
overall screen time to right shoulder and neck discomfort. Another found
that smartphone overuse enlarges the
nerve involved in
carpal tunnel,
causes thumb pain, and hinders the hand’s ability to do things like pinch.
Dopa Solution Repetitive Strain Injury.
Sitting too Long can cause serious Physical
Problems -
Standing
DesksMobile-Phone Distraction Deaths
- 100 people died every day in or near vehicles in America. 37,166 fata car
crashes in 2015. Driver error was a factor in 18,538 fatal crashes 57.6%.
Distracted Driving.
Eye Injuries - Too much Screen Time
Computer Vision Syndrome is a condition resulting from
focusing the
eyes on a computer or other display device for protracted,
uninterrupted periods of time. Some symptoms of CVS include headaches,
blurred vision, neck pain, redness in the eyes, fatigue, eye strain,
dry eyes, irritated eyes, double vision,
vertigo/dizziness,
polyopia, and difficulty refocusing the eyes. These symptoms can be
further aggravated by improper lighting conditions (i.e. glare or bright
overhead lighting) or air moving past the eyes (e.g. overhead vents,
direct air from a fan).
Flicker
Rate.
Don't forget to
blink your eyes. People's eyes dry out when they are staring for too
long. Close your eyes and
squint,
then roll your eyes and move them around to lubricate your eyes. Do not
open your eyes too fast when they are
dried shut because you can pull the muscles in your eyes.
Sunlight Effects Thinking
-
Hot Temps
Bias
Lighting is a weak
light source on the backside of a
screen or
monitor
that
illuminates the wall or surface behind and just around the display.
The purpose of bias lighting is to reduce the perceived brightness of the
display as a result of the contrast with the slightly illuminated area
around it. This reduces the eye strain and fatigue that occurs when
viewing a bright display against a very dark background for an extended
time, and increases the perceived blackness and contrast of the display. (Behind my Monitor is a Window
which works like bias
lighting).
How to Decrease Eye Fatigue while watching TV or a Computer by
using Bias Lighting.
The
screen
resolution or pixel density needed depends how far your eyes are from
the
screen. The farther away from the screen you get the lower the pixel
density needed. If the screen is too bright it will increase eye strain.
If the screen is not bright enough or to dark then the screen will be more
reflective and also cause eye strain. Controlling the light in the room is
key and changing the distance that you sit or
stand from the
screen can also help.
Bright Light Alters Metabolism -
Protecting your VisionSmartphone users
experience Temporary Blindness after checking their screens in bed.
Transient Smartphone Blindness - Vision loss for up to 15 minutes at a
time.
Differential Bleaching of photopigment tricks the phone eye into
thinking it’s actually gone blind.
This is what
happens to your brain and body when you check your smartphone before bed (youtube)
Blue Light has effects on Sleeping
-
Light Therapy -
Light Information
Effects of Blue Lights Technology. Blue light is defined as having a
wavelength
between 450−495 nm. This short wavelength means that blue light is a
type of
high-energy visible light, defined as having a wavelength between 380
and 500 nm. Violet, indigo, and some blue-green light are other types of
high-energy visible light. Blue light sources are becoming increasingly
common in today’s environment. Exposure to
blue light comes from a variety
of technologies including
computers, smartphones,
televisions, lights. Much of the exposure arises from light
emitting diodes (LEDs). Today, many white LEDs are produced by pairing a
blue LED with a lower-energy phosphor, thereby creating solid-state light
(SSL). This is often considered “the next generation of illumination” as
SSL technology dramatically reduces energy resource requirements.
Increasingly, people are exposed to blue light via everyday technology.
The 2015 Pew Research Center study found that 68% of U.S. adults own a
smartphone and 45% own a tablet computer. The study also found that levels
of technology ownership vary by age; 86% of Americans 18-29 and 83% of
those 30-49 own smartphone. Younger Americans also use high rates of blue
light technologies. The survey of Common Sense Media in 2013 also
demonstrated that 72% of children age 0–8 years old used mobile devices
for watching videos, using applications or playing games. Moreover, 93% of
teens owned a computer or had access to one at home. In contrast,
smartphone ownership and computer rates are lower for older Americans.
Blue light exposure has been shown to impact health. Natural exposure to
blue light during the daylight hours boosts people's energy, alertness and
mood. However, elongated exposure to the waves transmitted through screen
devices during the evening can
disrupt
circadian rhythm and cause various health effects including a
disruption in
normal sleep schedules.
Scientists believe this is caused by blue-light-sensitive intrinsically
photosensitive retinal ganglion cells suppressing the production of
melatonin and/or stimulating the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the
hypothalamus.
Daily Exposure to Blue Light may accelerate aging, even if it doesn't
reach your eyes. Prolonged exposure to blue light, such as that which
emanates from your phone, computer and household fixtures, could be
affecting your longevity, even if it's not shining in your eyes. New
research suggests that the blue wavelengths produced by light-emitting
diodes damage cells in the brain as well as retinas, according to a new
study in a model organism.
Morning blue light treatment improves sleep in patients with PTSD.
Researchers explore a noninvasive, drug-free treatment that offers hope
for healing from the severe symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder.
When you're looking at computer screens and other
digital devices that emit significant amounts of
blue
light, this unfocused visual "noise" reduces contrast and can
contribute to digital eye strain.
Blue light
filters really work in protecting your eyes from the blue light
that computers, tablets, and phones emit. But these are not the only
source of blue light. A blue light filter app may be a great way to reduce
exposure if not to eliminate. Night light settings to adjust the level of
blue displayed. Actually all display screens emit blue light which can
keep you up at night. Night Light feature reduces this blue light so that
if you work late at night, your brain can be ready for a good sleep. Night
Light displays
warmer colors to reduce eye strain
and to make it easier to sleep at night.
Orange or Yellow Tinted Lens
Glasses can help block blue light.
Carbon Shade red
lenses can block over 99.8% of the blue light range.
Dark Therapy also called scototherapy, light restriction and darkness
therapy, is a treatment which involves eliminating all
light, or all blue
light, in a subject's environment, for a period of several hours prior to
bedtime. Dark therapy manipulates the
circadian rhythms acting on hormones
and neurotransmitters. It has been proposed recently (2005) to combine the chronobiological manipulations of light/dark and/or
sleep/wake therapies
with psychopharmacological medication for depression as well as for
circadian
rhythm sleep disorders.
Light Therapy -
Biophotonics
Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells are a type of
neuron in the retina of the mammalian eye. The presence of ipRGCs were
first noted in 1923 when rodless, coneless mice still responded to a light
stimulus through pupil constriction, suggesting that rods and cones are
not the only light sensitive neurons in the retina.
Melanopsin is a
type of
photopigment belonging to a
larger family of light-sensitive retinal proteins called opsins and
encoded by the gene Opn4. In the mammalian retina, there are two
additional opsins, both involved in the formation of visual images:
rhodopsin and photopsin (types I, II, and III) in the
rod and cone photoreceptor cells,
respectively.
Seeing Problems (sight) -
Eye Knowledge (eyes)
Arrestin are a small family of proteins important for regulating
signal transduction at G
protein-coupled receptors. Arrestins were first discovered as a part of a
conserved two-step mechanism for regulating the activity of G
protein-coupled receptors in the visual rhodopsin system.
Does Dim Light make us Dumber? Spending too much time in dimly lit
rooms and offices may actually change the brain's structure and hurt
one's ability to remember and learn, indicates groundbreaking research by
Michigan State University neuroscientists.