Over the last two decades, the reach of technology has increased beyond leaps and bounds across the world. The advent of computers and internet to help mankind and make the world smaller, has slowly reached a point of being misused and has also become the cause for various disorders and addictions in the new age. The addition of smartphones, gadgets, hi tech video games have added to the list of addictions. The need for rehab to detoxify oneself is now included with new and tech savvy addictions. By 2020 few of the most common causes could be as the listicle below:
- Social Networking/ Internet- This is no surprise. Internet addiction is nothing new to be cited as one of the causes for the need for Rehab, but the new addition here is the social networking platform. Addiction to social media is becoming a serious issue of mental disorder. The urge of always checking for updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc., causes restlessness and anxiety. According to researchers few signs include: spending more than 8 hours a day on social media, constantly checking for views/comments/likes on an update, skipping social interactions just to be up to date with news feed.
- Smartphone- This has aided and gave birth to new age addictions. Social media disorders have been fueled with apps on smartphones. Not just social networking apps, but constant use of internet, the urge to always browse articles, getting a feeling of restlessness without smartphone for few minutes, continuous switching between apps are some of the reasons.
- Video Games: Addiction to video games as a cause for the need for Rehab is not new. But the ever emerging hi-tech virtual reality experiences in gaming has worsened the situation. This is a serious addiction and the cause for various health issues and disorders.
- Selfie Mania: This weird phenomenon of the urge to always take selfies may lead to narcissistic behaviors. Selfie addiction due to self absorbed, self obsessed traits lead to looking for approvals online to motivate and increase self esteem. Taking selfies, posting online, waiting for comments and thinking about them over and over again is not a healthy sign.
Directly or indirectly technology has increased new age addictions and paved way for various mental disorders. As prevention is better than cure, it is utmost necessary to understand the importance of control and check addiction levels before it’s too late.