2014. A year marked by the fusion of mobile technology and social networks which have radically changed the way we communicate, how we buy products and even the rules of social etiquette.
Many experts have compared the role of technology in our lives to drugs: It expands our horizons and our consciousness through the sharing of ideas but there is a harmful element that gradually degenerates our standard of living. In both cases, addiction is imminent.
For example, the documentary “What's On Your Mind?” directed by Shaun Higton shows the number of lies that the average person posts on their social networks to hide feelings of affection, loneliness and emptiness or failures at work.
However, the abuse of technology and social networks doesn't just cause psychological problems. Obsessive typing or texting for several hours cause problems with the fingers which triggers tendonitis.
But this is not a new phenomenon. Each new technology can lead to additive behaviors. It happened with telephone, television, video game consoles and now with ICT (Information and Communication Technologies).
This modern form of addiction has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) which states that 1 in 4 people suffer from some type of behavioral disorder related to technology.
A trendy expression has been “nomophobia” –no mobile phone phobia– to describe feelings of panic or stress when not connected to the phone, but actual clinical diagnosis include techno anxiety and phantom vibration syndrome. Is it true what they say about the addictive repercussions of technology or is it simply a fear of the unknown and change? Leave me your comments below to start the debate.
Jorge Chavez is Senior Editor at Mijo! Brands Mexico.