According to research*, 61% of respondents admitted to being addicted to the internet and their devices. We spend almost one day a week online and 50% of people prefer to communicate digitally than in person. How do you know if your internet use is a problem? Take this quiz and find out.
The Figures and the Experts on Internet Addiction
The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) doesn’t officially recognise internet addiction, although it classifies “internet-use disorder” as something that needs to be explored further. But many people working in the field say the condition is real. Experts like clinical psychologist, Jeroen Decates, maintain that it’s entirely possible to become an internet addict. You are especially vulnerable if you suffer from depression, anxiety or social awkwardness.“Some people feel more competent as a person online than in the real world. The difficulty is, if you’re living a better life in the digital world, that’s when the addictive element kicks in,” says Decates.
Some alarming stats:
- 67% of cell phone owners find themselves checking their device even when it’s not ringing or vibrating
- One out of ten Americans report depression; heavy internet users are 2.5 times more likely to be depressed
- The average employee spends 2 hours a day recovering from distractions
- 1/3 of people would rather clean their toilets than their inbox
- The average employee checks 40 websites a day, switching activities 37 times an hour, changing tasks every two minutes. However, only 2% of people can multi-task without a decline in performance.
- 33% of people admit to hiding from family and friends to check social media.
Internet Addiction and the health hazards
- 95% of people use some type of electronics in the hour leading up to bed.
- Artificial light from screens increase alertness and suppress the hormone melatonin by up to 22% – negatively affecting sleep, performance, and mood.
- Unplugging for just one day can give some users mental and physical withdraw symptoms.
- Studies have found that internet disorder can disrupt the brain’s wiring that can lead to some behavioural impairments in a similar way to drug and alcohol addiction; negatively affect dopamine, which relates to the reward system in our brain
- And that some people may even have a genetic disposition to developing an addiction.
Another US study suggests people who are lonely or lack social skills often use the internet as compensation for human connections that are missing from their lives. The researchers found they often use technology to avoid dealing with these issues, which then causes more problems, such as further isolation and disconnection from loved ones, as their internet use grows.There are also physical effects of spending too many hours looking at a screen. These include dry eyes or strained vision; back, neck and headaches; sleep problems; and weight gain or weight loss.
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Digital Detox Retreats & Social Movements
Digital Detox Retreats is the first internationally renowned tech-free personal wellness retreat in the States (of course). Attendees give up their smartphones and gadgets in exchange for an off-the-grid experience of growth, reflection, mindfulness, creativity, community and (dis)connection. They are asked to disconnect from devices to reconnect with self, community, and nature again.
These are their Rules:
- No Digital Technology
- No Networking
- No Phones, Internet or Screens
- No Work-Talk
- No Clocks
- No Boss
- No Stress
- No Anxiety
- No Fomo (fear of missing out)
Day of UnPlugging
In the States, they even have a National Day of UnPlugging happening from sundown to sundown on 9 – 10 March this year. If you take the pledge they send you a cell phone ‘sleeping bag’ so that you can literally put your phone to bed. The project is an offshoot of The Sabbath Manifesto, an adaption of our ancestors’ ritual of carving out one day per week to unwind, unplug, relax, reflect, get outdoors, and connect with loved ones.
At Creative Imagineering our team of geeks are part of the digital revolution and engaged with devices every day, but we know the importance of unplugging too. Chat with us if you’d like to plan a ‘UnPlugging Campaign’ for your company. We’ll disconnect to reconnect and ensure the result is a revitalised team.
SOURCES:
www.abc.net.au
www.telegraph.co.uk
www.nationaldayofunplugging
www.digitaldetox.org
*Research from www.digitaldetox.org