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 - Technology Addiction - Brain Hacking - Dopamine - Games - Gambling - Screens - Hyperconnectivity - Burnout - Unplugging - A.I. Love

Gadget is a small mechanical or electronic device or tool, especially an ingenious or novel one.

Technophile is a person who is enthusiastic about new technology or has strong enthusiasm for technology.

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 Revolution

People 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.

"With the internet, if you are not plugged in, that means you are unplugged. And things that are unplugged, are most likely to be thrown away or ignored."

I didn't learn everything from the Internet, but I did learn a lot about a lot of things, because of the internet.

They say "Knowledge is Power". But only if knowledge is distributed equally will power will be equal to all, which in turn will make knowledge a blessing instead of a curse."

I can't fight every battle that comes my way, for if I did, I would be fighting all day" Fight or Flight?

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 - Screens - Blue Light - Brain Drain - Computer Viruses - Addiction to Dopamine - Don't Blame Technology

Schools and the Media are filled with prompt injections. The human brain has been hacked and hijacked by psychotic psychopaths who have the money and the power to do evil things to people all over the world. Now the same scumbags in power are just repeating this malicious process with A.I machines. Every deviate behavior that humans suffer from trickles down from the top

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.

Apps can trigger a trancelike state or dissociative state, known as a "machine zone" or "dark flow," in which people lose track of their sense of time and place. They continue to use an app or play a game even when it damages their health.

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 - Addiction (WebMD).

Social Network Addiction - Distractions - Hacked Brain - TV Bad Side Effects - Brain Rot - Brain Drain - Desensitization - Burn Out - Alarm Fatigue - Wasting Time - Rewards - Like Button - Intermittent Reinforcement - Popularity - Recovery - Addictions - Operant Conditioning - Porn - Triggers - Social Network Bots - Internet Safety - Bullying - Suicide - Screen Time - Don't Blame Technology

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.

If schools never teach students how to use technology effectively and productively, then students will always suffer from their own ignorance.

Unhealthy Dopamine Stimulation occurs when the release of dopamine becomes excessive or imbalanced, leading to negative consequences for mental and physical well-being. This can happen through overstimulation, such as excessive screen time or substance abuse, or through a lack of healthy activities that naturally promote dopamine release, which is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Dopamine is crucial for motivation, pleasure, and reward processing in the brain. It also plays a role in learning, attention, and mood. Unhealthy dopamine stimulation can contribute to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and psychotic disorders. High dopamine levels in certain brain regions are associated with manic episodes and hallucinations, while low levels can lead to apathy, lack of motivation, and reduced pleasure. When the brain experiences a constant stream of dopamine, it can become less sensitive to the effects of natural rewards, requiring more intense experiences to trigger the same response. Activities that were once enjoyable may no longer bring the same satisfaction. Excessive dopamine stimulation can contribute to heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms. The brain's reward system may become overstimulated, making it difficult to focus on tasks or engage in everyday activities. In some cases, high dopamine levels can paradoxically lead to a lack of motivation and energy. Excessive screen time, social media, and other forms of entertainment can create a constant stream of dopamine release, desensitizing the brain's reward system. This can lead to a decline in pleasure derived from everyday activities and a need for more intense stimulation to achieve the same level of satisfaction. Excessive screen time can lead to headaches, eye strain, and fatigue. Drugs like cocaine and heroin can trigger massive dopamine release, leading to addiction and tolerance, where the brain requires increasingly larger doses to achieve the same effects. The dopamine rush associated with certain activities or substances can create a craving for them, leading to addictive behaviors. The dopamine rush associated with certain substances or activities can lead to dependence and addiction.

You need to minimize exposure to constant social media updates and engage in activities that promote mental clarity and focus. You need to exercise, spend time in nature, practice gratitude, and engage in creative pursuits that can naturally boost dopamine levels and promote a healthy well-being. You must also get sufficient sleep, which is essential for restoring dopamine reserves and maintaining overall health. Screen time should be more about learning.

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?

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.

Screen addiction and suicidal behaviors are linked for teens, a study shows. A new study finds that addiction to social media, mobile phones and video games is linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. With social media, they found that almost 60% had low levels of addiction to social media and that stayed stable over the years. But about a tenth had increasing addiction that peaked around year three and four of the study, and a third showed increasing addiction. "I play video games so I can forget about my problems." "Avoidance is a key symptom of both anxiety and depression."

Digital Media Use and Mental Health - Digital Addictions and Digital Dependencies. Hacked.

Recommendations for studying the impact of AI on young people's mental health. Experts highlight the need for a clear framework when it comes to AI research, given the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by children and adolescents using digital devices to access the internet and social media.

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?

Violence on TV: What happens to children who watch? Boys exposed to violent screen content in the preschool years were more likely to become antisocial and violent themselves a decade later, in their mid-teens, a new study shows.

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.

Technology Distraction refers to the decreased productivity, focus, and mental well-being caused by constant connectivity, notifications, and screen usage in work and in personal life. Over using technology or ineffectively using technology can impact performance by causing sensory overload and reduced attention spans, often leading to lower-quality work or safety risks. Distractions can have severe consequences in dangerous occupations such as aviation and using heavy machinery. Distractions are also linked to reduced mental health and reduced sleep quality. Digital distractions, such as constant email checks or social media, can lead to reduced productivity, with significant aggregate costs in the workplace. Constant notifications and multi-tasking can create sensory overload, discomfort, and a reduced ability to engage in deep, creative thinking. Technologies and social media platforms are often designed to capture attention, which can lead to unintentional, habitual, and distracting usage patterns. The urge to constantly check devices, often fueled by the fear of missing out or FOMO, or habitual and addictive patterns.

To Reduce Technology Addiction and to effectively manage technology tools, some solutions include digital detoxes, notification management, and setting up tech-free zones. Manage notifications and turn off non-essential alerts to reduce interruptions. Create Tech-Free Zones and Tech-Free Times and designate specific areas, such as bedrooms, as tech-free to improve rest. Digital Detox is to periodically disconnect for short breaks or entire weekends to recharge. Practice Mindful Consumption and set specific times to check emails and social media, rather than allowing constant, habitual checking. Use Do Not Disturb Mode or use Airplane Mode to eliminate distractions.

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 than 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 - Perfectionism

I 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

When your head is upright, an adult’s head puts about a 12 pounds of force on the spine. But tilted 15 degrees, as if over a phone, the force surges to 27 pounds, and to 60 pounds at 60 degrees, which is the weight of four Thanksgiving turkeys. Keeping your head up while hiking. Maintaining a head-up posture is crucial for good posture and balance. It prevents slouching, reduces strain on your neck and back, and can help prevent fatigue. Looking ahead helps you anticipate trail conditions, spot potential hazards like rocks, roots, or uneven terrain, and make better decisions about your footing. Depending on the trail condition, you may have to look down and focus on your footing. But when the trail is not too technical, you should make a conscious effort to lift your head up and look ahead, even when the trail is uneven. You can start by scanning the trail 5-10 meters ahead rather than looking directly at your feet. Instead of looking down, use your peripheral vision to identify potential obstacles. You can scan the ground just a few feet in front of you. Core muscles play a vital role in maintaining good posture. Incorporate core strengthening exercises into your fitness routine.

NYC people staring down at their smartphones.

Bad habits can be 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 Desks

Mobile-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 - Blue Light

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).

Blue Light has effects on Sleeping - Light Therapy - Color Influence - Light Information - Biophotonics - Flicker Rate - Brain Hacking - Screen Addiction - Burnout - Spine

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 or LEDs. Today, many white LEDs are produced by pairing a blue LED with a lower-energy phosphor, thereby creating solid-state light or 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. Exposure to blue light, like that from TVs, can affect dopamine by stimulating reward pathways in the brain, which can lead to increased dopamine levels and potentially contribute to feelings of anxiety, irritability, and poor focus.

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.

The Nearsightedness explosion may be fueled by dim indoor light, not just screens. Myopia is skyrocketing around the world, often blamed on endless screen time — but new research suggests the real culprit may be something more subtle. Scientists at SUNY College of Optometry propose that it’s not just devices, but the combination of prolonged close-up focus and dim indoor lighting that may quietly strain the eyes. When we concentrate on nearby objects in low light, our pupils constrict in a way that may reduce how much light reaches the retina, potentially triggering changes that lead to nearsightedness.

Screen Time is Relative. If you don't use technology productively and wisely, technology can hinder learning instead of accelerating learning and making learning more adaptable and productive. Using laptops, tablets and interactive whiteboards in education settings is relative. If you don't educate students on proper use of technology and information delivery systems, they will suffer and become vulnerable to misuse and also be harmed. This is why improving education is so extremely important. There are many more harmful and bad influences and vulnerabilities in society than just technology. But ignorant people don't know this, which is why ignorant people attack and censor things they don't understand. Technology is not the threat, the real threat is ignorance.

Too much screen time may be hurting kids’ hearts. Too much screen time in youth may set the stage for future heart and metabolic diseases. Experts say better sleep and balanced daily routines can help offset these effects and safeguard lifelong health. Whether it's screen time, book time, or ruminating time, it's all about managing time to reduce wasted time and maximize productivity.

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.

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.

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 Vision

Light used as a weapon. A Light emitting diode incapacitator is a weapon designed like a flashlight. It emits an extremely bright, rapid, and well-focused series of "differently-colored random pulses". Before human eyes can focus in on one frequency, another frequency comes on, causing intracranial pressure, which results in headache, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, irritability, and visual impairment to the target.

Smartphone 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)

Excessive screen time can negatively impact both physical and mental health, potentially leading to issues like obesity, sleep disorders, eye strain, anxiety, and depression. It can also impair social-emotional development, reduce attention spans, and hinder cognitive abilities.

TV Screens affect the Mind. When transitioning from old, less bright TVs (like CRTs) to newer, brighter displays (LCDs, OLEDs), several factors related to the visual experience can affect your perception of time. Modern TVs offer significantly higher brightness and contrast, leading to more vivid and immersive visuals. This heightened sensory experience can increase arousal and capture attention more effectively than dimmer displays. When you are deeply engrossed and visually stimulated, your perception of time can be altered, making it seem like time is either flying or dragging. The shift from older to newer TVs involves a complex interplay of visual enhancements, display technologies, and the broader psychological effects of digital media. The brighter, more vivid, and often smoother visuals, coupled with the faster pace and engaging nature of modern content, can all contribute to a perception that time is experienced differently when watching a new TV compared to an older one. The increased detail and realism of modern displays can make the on-screen content feel more novel and engaging. Novelty, whether it's new experiences or fresh information, is a key factor in how our brains process and perceive time, often making time seem to pass more quickly. Modern TVs often employ a feature called motion interpolation (or motion smoothing) to compensate for differences in frame rates between content and the TV's refresh rate. This can create an "overly smooth" or "hyper-real" look, sometimes referred to as the "soap opera effect". This artificial smoothness can make motion appear faster or slower than intended by the original content creators. Modern monitors also tend to have lower persistence of frame, meaning the images don't linger on the screen as long as on older CRTs. This, combined with faster shutter speeds in camera technology, can make movement appear as a rapid sequence of still pictures rather than the smoother, more blended motion seen on older equipment. This difference in how motion is rendered can also impact our perception of time. Studies show that seeing more prominent or memorable scenes can create the impression that time is moving slower, while cluttered imagery can compress time perception and make it seem to speed up. This connection between visual stimuli, memory, and time perception can be affected by the increased detail and clarity offered by newer TVs. Beyond the technical aspects of the screen, the nature of content and interaction in the digital age itself can influence time perception. Instant gratification, constant notifications, and the blurring of work/leisure time due to digital devices can collectively distort our sense of time, making it feel accelerated at times and timeless at others, says a Medium article. Here's how watching TV can affect time perception. Immersion: Engaging content can lead to a state of flow, diminishing the awareness of time. Reduced external cues: TV viewers may be less aware of cues like light changes or sounds that help anchor time perception. Dopamine release: Engaging programs can stimulate the brain's reward system, potentially leading to a loss of time awareness. The "dopamine clock hypothesis" proposes that increased dopamine levels speed up the internal clock, leading to an overestimation of time. Sedentary behavior: Extended TV viewing can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, which may impact cognitive function and time perception over time. Studies show that increased brightness, whether from a stimulus or the background, can lengthen the perceived duration of time intervals. One theory suggests this is because higher contrast and brightness may increase activity in the early visual processing stages of the brain, leading to better signal quality and consolidation in memory-related areas. Excessive TV screen time can negatively impact mental and cognitive health, potentially leading to issues like depression, anxiety, reduced attention span, and even cognitive decline. Prolonged exposure can overload sensory systems, making it harder to focus and leading to digital fatigue, characterized by brain fog and mood swings. Extended screen use can cause digital fatigue, a state of cognitive exhaustion leading to difficulty concentrating, brain fog, and mood changes. Burnout - Technology Abuse.