Has An Increase In Technology Use Caused The Rise In Mental Illness In The U.S.?
The advances in technology have brought myriads of boons to the human civilization, ranging from information availability to “one-click-away” communication to anytime entertainment. Internet, cell phones and video games – these are the life-line of today’s human population. In spite of all the goodness, excessive use of technology has paved its way to be a curse in today’s world leading to various health problems, especially affecting mental health. As technology has evolved, so has the number of mental disorders emerging from our constant use of the same.
The Internet – it has become the answer to almost all our queries today. A question pops in our mind, a few keystrokes and – Voila! We have our answer. Not only questions, but the internet also gives us friends. A galore of social sites has given solace to the lonely soul. Used in moderation, the internet can be a big aid; but when it becomes an obsession, things turn sinister. Research suggests that excessive Internet use carries some of the same risks as gambling: It can lead to social isolation, depression and failure at work or school. The Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford, Pennsylvania, says internet addiction has become a growing legal issue in criminal, divorce and employment cases. Citing some survey data from the 2003 MARS OTC/DTC Pharmaceutical Study,( which was a mail survey conducted on 21,106 adults in the United States conducted in the first quarter of 2003), 10.1% said that they have experienced depression in the past 12 months, either self-diagnosed or professional diagnosed. Within this study, 59.2% of the respondents said that they have used the Internet within the past seven days. Among these Internet users, 10.0% of them said that they have experienced depression in the past 12 months.
Next comes the mobile phone- a friend that can be carried around in the pocket. A study –“Mobile Phone Use and stress, sleep disturbances and Symptoms of Depression among Young Adults, a prospective cohort study” by Sara Thomée, Annika Härenstam, Mats Hagberg (BMC Public Health,2011:11) states that “Consequences of high quantitative mobile phone exposure included mental overload, disturbed sleep, the feeling of never being free, role conflicts, and feelings of guilt due to inability to return all calls and messages.” Also a condition called ‘nomophobia’- the feeling of anxiety when people are away from their phones has become so serious that it has found place in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and has prompted a dedicated Nomophobia treatment program at Morningside Recovery Center in Newport Beach, California. An experiment conducted by two doctors found that heavy-users are most likely to be affected by nomophobia.
Also, another commonly occurring problem for mobile-users is the “Phantom-Ringing Syndrome”. In other words, a delusion of the brain that the phone is buzzing when it’s silent or completely absent. Though not categorized as a mental illness yet, there may come a day when our brain’s misplaced response mechanism will affect us in a big way.
In addition to the above, video games need a special mention. The debate about the effects of violent video gaming on young minds has been persistent. Studies show that kids labeled excessive gamers spend an average of 31 hours a week playing video games. Common symptoms are falling grades, poorer relationships with parents and interest in more violent games. The scientists believe that this behavior in childhood is a precedent for long-term mental illness. They warn that pathological gaming is not a “phase” and those with a problem still had a problem two years later. Although there are few reliable sources regarding video game addiction in the United States, there has been a rise in the number of self-help groups in recent years. Moreover, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting incident, where a 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members in a mass murder may be cited as an example as to how these video games wrapped in violence and gore entice the young minds and compel them to do wrong.
Citing the above, it would not be wrong to conclude that increase in technology use has emerged as a serious jeopardy in today’s world. It has inflicted man with several mental illnesses, from stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, addiction – leading to ruined relationships and careers. If not taken under control now, it would not be long when man would not remain social and healthy anymore.
References
1.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738383_6
2.http://www.news-medical.net/news/20110117/Excessive-video-gaming-may-lead-to-mental-ill- health-problems-for-kids-experts-warn.aspx
3.http://www.techhive.com/article/2054386/eight-new-mental-illnesses-brought-to-you-by-wait-for- it-the-internet.html
4.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting
5.http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata346.htm
6.http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/12/technology-exacerbate-mental-health-problems.html
7.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-volpi-md-pc-facs/technology-depression_b_1723625.html
You’ve read a health care essay sample that demonstrates how an academic paper should be written. However if you can’t handle essay writing, get help from WriteMyPapersOnline. With our help, you can forget about your worries as our writers are professionals in academic writing. All you have to do is to place an order on our site including all your requirements and setting the deadline.