Makala Moore

15 November 2015
Professor Thomas
English 1102
Inquiry Thesis
Technology as Addiction: More harm than help?

"In todays world technology has become a compulsion, like an itch you have to
scratch"( Soong, Jennifer). Technology engulfs nearly every aspect of our lives on what
seems like a normal basis. We are able to connect with friends and family all over the
globe within a few short seconds through Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, Tumblr and of
course by sending a text message from your smart phone.
Technology is commonly recognized for its convenience in keeping in touch with
our friends, family and even business partners with the click of a button. In Laurel
Storms article titled Positive effects of Technology on Communication however, she
pontificates the role of technology in overcoming disabilities as well as having the ability
to reach a broader audience when communicating. Storm mainly focuses on technological
devices such as hearing aids and cochlear devices in the aid of boosting hearing in
partially deaf people as well as restoring hearing to the completely deaf. In addition, she
briefly touches on the ability to better communicate as the reach of the message shared
widens significantly. An example that Storm uses to reiterate this aspect is the ability to

organize and coordinate social events such as meetings, parties and protests via Facebook
and Twitter (Storm,Laurel).
It is this, addictive, luxury however that is quickly taking place of face-to-face
interactions and relationships. Is it possible for technology to actually make us feel more
alone rather than connected? After much consideration it is this question that I decided to
focus my inquiry project around. This is a very controversial topic in that depending on
whom you ask; you will most likely receive many different answers and opinions. As a
college student in my late teens however, I feel as though this is a huge problem that we
are all guilty of but dont always recognize. It is this point that drove me to discuss the
relationship between technology and addiction.
In order to understand and take the issue of technology addiction seriously you
must first realize what true addiction in regards to technology consists of. Since it is not
officially listed as a mental disorder there is not an exact definition however, according to
psychologist David Greenfield, technology addiction typically takes one of three forms
consisting of internet addiction, sexual content addiction or social media addiction
(Greenfield,David). Lisa Strohman, Psychologist and founder of the Technology and
Wellness Institute, agrees warning that if you find yourself withdrawing from people,
losing time due to technology or noticing negative consequences at work or in
relationships that you could be a technology addict (Strohman,Lisa).
Initially, I began researching the who and what of addiction by focusing on the
three different types of technology addiction as mentioned by Greenfield: Internet, sexual
content and social media. While there are many different opinions and statistics geared

toward these types of addiction, I found that a majority of scientists were able to agree on
three set explanations. Internet addiction is classified as a high dependence on Internet
connected sources such as browsing online shopping sites for an extended amount of time
(Greenfield,David). Like Internet addiction, social media addicts cannot resist the urge to
use sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Greenfield explains this further by stating Their
work performance or academic performance may suffer because theyre so distracted,
tracking and broadcasting their lives on these social media sites (Greenfield, David). On
the other hand, those who are addicted to the sexual content aspect of technology
addiction are in a sense obsessed with browsing sex related content via the Internet
(Greenfield, David).
Upon reaching a better understanding of the different forms of technology
addiction I decided to look deeper into the mental side of addiction. I feel as though in
many cases of addiction we often times place the blame solely on the person, as if it is
something they can control, without taking into account the battles they may be facing
mentally. When the words mental and addiction are roped into the same sentence we
often times think immediately of drugs or gambling however, technology addiction and
mental instabilities go hand in hand.
The article Technology, Anxiety and Depression by Noam Lightstone focuses
on ways for people to cope with anxiety and depression. While Lightstone has published
many articles in regards to anxiety and depression, this one is structured around how
technology directly correlates to these disorders.

Throughout the article, Lightstone directly ties the feeling of depression and
anxiety to the use of technology by stating ways that this occurs. He specifically points
out that the over use of technology, especially social media platforms, is a method for
seeking self-validation. This desired validation comes solely from the constant thoughts
of how many likes you received on a photo, the number of emails you received that day,
and maybe even how many new text messages you have. It is this desire that creates an
immense level of anxiety and even depression. As stated by Lightstone, Its like a drug,
again creating a cycle of wanting to check our devices constantly (Lightstone, Noam)
As a college student who does not suffer from anxiety or depression, I found it
difficult to make the connection between technology and these mental illnesses. That was
short lived however as I ran across the issue of social media and body image particularly
in girls. While technology for most is a gateway to easy communication, for some it is a
way to compare lifestyles with unrealistic celebrities such as Kim Kardashian via social
media. An article that I found to be extremely prevalent to this issue is that of a professor
at Cleveland State University by the name of Richard Perloff. This article titled Social
Media Effects on Young Womens Body Image focuses entirely on the unrealistic
lifestyles perceived through social media.
Throughout the article Perloff discusses the gratification that many gain from
social media. His main argument is that those who do suffer from body image issues turn
to social media to boost their confidence and experience desired gratification. This is
achieved through seeking validation of physical appearance through an abundance of
photos and post on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Perloff

also touches on the idea of comparing photos of yourself to those who are less attractive
or significantly more attractive such as celebrities (Perloff,Richard). His point is that
because ultimate satisfaction of these needs typically cannot come externally, but
internally, young women can end up feeling disappointed and hurt (Perloff,Richard).
This really spoke to me in that I often find myself comparing my own photos to
those of Kendall Jenner and other famous celebrities. What I fail to realize when doing so
however, is that no celebrity REALLY looks like what his or her pictures perceive. Not
only do they have professional make-up and hair artists on call around the clock but these
photos have also been retouched and photo shopped.
As with any type of addiction following the initial step of admitting and realizing
that you are addicted, you must devise a plan to overcome it. Obviously being addicted to
technology does not constitute the same care as someone who is addicted to for instance;
Heroin however, it is crucial that there are changes made to the lifestyle. According to
Psychologist David Greenfield, typically a detox period will be prescribed to reset the
nervous system in which absolutely no technological devices are available to the patient.
Few extreme cases require prescription medications however, there are several available
that are proven to cut down on compulsive behavior habits (Greenfield,David).
Greenfield stresses that most cases of technology addiction are very mild and can be
reduced by making minor changes at home including:

Scheduling a day every few weeks to be completely disconnected from

technology for at least 24 hours

Planning a social event that involves face-to-face interactions

Finding hobbies that dont involve the Internet such as swimming or

backpacking

Keep a daily log of how much time you spend on the computer, on your
smartphone and watching TV every day- calculating this will help to
realize the severity of the addiction

(Greenfield,David)

In classifying technology addiction it is imperative to take into consideration

the motive behind the user especially when dealing with social media, as well as the
feelings that this addiction can lead one to. In psychologist Michael Broders article
titled Social Media causing a Distancing Phenomena To Take Place He insists that
You have to think about what is motivating the Internet experiences people are
having in the first place to predict whether they will benefit or not on the
relationship (Broder,Michael). An example of what Broder is trying to say to a
slightly different extreme might be that of two people buying a gun. One person
might be buying the gun for a decoration in their gun case while the other is about to
commit a mass murder.
As there are many negative effects tied to technology there are also many positive
however it is essential for readers to understand that not everyone who uses technology
will become addicted. Broder reiterates this by pointing out that for one person, social
media could be very beneficial, but for another it could have a very negative impact on
them. (Broder,Michael). Those who may already suffer from anxiety and/or depression
as well as carry addictive tendencies are at a significantly higher risk.

If it keeps up, man will atrophy all of his limbs but the push-button finger this
quote by Frank Lloyd Wright sums up my inquiry question more efficiently than any
piece of statistical data ever could. Technology is something than has become impossible
to avoid. Although many do not see technology as anything other than convenient, I see it
as something that is metaphorically trapping people and causing them to in a sense serve
it more than it serves them. An addiction so strong that we are unable to have a full faceto-face conversation without checking our smartphones for a new text message. In a
world where technology is quickly encompassing all aspects of our everyday lives,
consider unplugging yourself.

Works Cited

Broder, Michael. "Psychologist: Social Media Causing A

'Distancing Phenomena' To Take Place." CBS DC. CBS
News:DC, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Lightstone, Noam. "Technology, Anxiety, And Depression Why I Loved Going
Without A Cell Phone For Two Months And Other Technology Fast
Experiments." Light Way Of Thinking. 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
Perloff, Richard. "Social Media Effects on Young Womens Body Image Concerns:
Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research." Link.springer.com. A
Journal of Research, 29 May 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Scott,Jennifer."AreYouAddictedtoTechnology?"EverydayHealth.com.Everyday
Health,9Oct.2014.Web.23Nov.2015.
Soong, Jennifer. "When Technology Addiction Takes Over Your Life." WebMD.
WebMD. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.
Strohman,Lisa. "AreYouAddictedtoTechnology?"EverydayHealth.com.Everyday
Health,9Oct.2014.Web.23Nov.2015.