Technology is more common than ever – It is everywhere. We use technology first thing when we wake up, at school or work, while we are at home, and even right before we go to bed. Technology has become the new normal, and texting or Facetiming are a common way to communicate.

Also with social media people can share as much as they want for the world to see, and can see other people’s lives and how they live.

While technology does have many benefits and provides access to as much information and communication as we could ever need, it does have many harmful effects that some people might not know about. Daily and constant use of technology can have negative effects on both your physical and mental health. 

Physically:

Using devices such as smartphones, where you are looking downwards, or devices like a computer, if you aren’t sitting with the right posture, can both have effects on our backs, necks, spine, and overall posture. The National Institutes of Health stated that, “In our study, the use of smartphones, as well as prolonged sitting caused the typical rounded shoulder”

Looking at a screen for long periods of time will also have an effect on your eyes and head. Some of these affects can include: sore eyes, headaches, dry eye syndrome, nausea, and eye strain. Using technology before bed, such as watching television or playing a game on your phone, can also negatively affect the way that you sleep and the amount of sleep that you get.

Mentally:

Technology can really affect people mentally, as many have a fear of missing out when they see what others are doing online or they compare their achievements or looks to others online which can be very damaging, especially when much of the time what you see online is faked or edited. 

Everyone knows that technology can be a very big distraction, whether it is your cell phone, the television that is playing, or the laptop you are doing schoolwork on. Companies design their products, websites, apps, etc. to be engaging, distracting, and addictive. Their goal is to get people to spend as much time on their products as possible; the more time you spend using their products, the more money that they make. 

Technology can also heavily affect people’s social lives, with people becoming more used to talking over the phone or social media than talking face to face. With technology able to do more and more things for us, such as shopping, people have to do less and less, and don’t even need to leave their house. This can really affect people’s social skills, as well as affect their friendships and relationships by making people more distant. 

Technology is already used by almost everyone on a daily basis, and it is only becoming more and more common each year. While it is getting more common, it is also becoming much more expensive, and not everyone can afford to own it. 

Is technology all bad? Not at all, but if we continue using it as we do, bad things will become worse things, and everyone will suffer.