TECH EDUCATION

How To Not Get Addicted to Technology

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For some reason its like technology has become a god of some sort today unknowingly to many people because of the amount of dedication that majority of people have attached to it. Most people will spend the entire day busy on technology sometimes even not doing anything much but just watching, uploading and downloading videos and music, social Medias like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and so much more. This ends up affecting the other activities outside technology like doing paper works, attending to clients, doing house chores and so much more. In the long run you will have accumulated work that would have been done earlier had it not been for the addiction you have to technology. it’s said addiction is bad…..that is so true and this article will prove a lot more on how you shouldn’t get addicted to technology especially in this day and era where new things keep coming up in technology for example the latest iPhones  and so on.  But first;

RELATED POST: What Is Technology? Definition, Advantages & Disadvantages

 

What is technology addiction?

Technology addiction is from time to time also referred to as internet addiction, Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) or Internet Use Disorder (IUD) and this is a very grave problem that involves the lack of ability of a user to control the use of various types of technology. The most common types of technology include the internet, tablets, smartphones plus social networking sites.  However you should be informed that the addiction to various types of technology has not yet been documented as a disorder on its own but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been a problem on the radar of health experts since the 1990s. Luckily, later on in 1995, the Center Of Internet Addiction was established by Kimberly Young, PsyD and that is when the very first treatment plan for technology was created based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques.

How do you know you are addicted to technology?

  • If you easily get destructed by the web
  • Loss of interest in activities outside social media
  • Obsessive checking of text messages
  • Feelings of agitation when unable to go online
  • Social withdrawal
  • A feeling of jubilation when online
  • Spending long hours on technology

These and among others are some of the symptoms given by the ReSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program co-founded by Hilarie Cash.

With that brief introduction, now we can go ahead on some ways of how to not get addicted to technology through these easy 9 steps below;

  1. Skip the dawn technology sign in: now most people that are addicted to technology will make sure to check-in first thing in the morning….even before getting out of bed or having morning devotion. This is more like breakfast to them and it includes things like checking emails, on social medias like Facebook or Instagram  they will want to check the ‘likes’ they scored and so on from the time they slept. This will therefore end up weakening productivity through consuming the mind with a whole lot of everything even before you have a chance to focus on much more important errands ahead. In order to control this kind of addiction, you need to change you morning routine by being active physically like for example you can perform some light stretching, cleaning, yoga, read newspapers or a good book, meditate and so much more. This way when you get to office or school you will be feeling a lot more refreshed and not dull.
  2. Get involved in outdoor activities: if you are a technology addict you need to ask yourself a question like when was the last time you got involved seriously in an outdoor activity without worrying or constantly having to check on your phone? If you don’t quite remember when then it’s time to choose an outdoor activity over technology and become more healthy and physically fit. This is because in this era most technology addicts would rather remain glued on their devices after all there are more than millions of other games they can play online. So you will have to make it a rule especially when you are home that you will not be online when the sun is shining rather you will go for a walk, get involved in some games, ride a bike, and have a good conversation with someone and so much more for sometime like approximately a minimum of an hour. It is better if this rule can apply to everyone in your household so there won’t be any temptations.
  3. Remove or minimize internet interference: if you want to not get addicted to technology then you will have to either minimize any sort of internet interference or just remove it while you are busy working or socializing. This is because these internet interferences can be so disrupting like imagine you are in the middle of a meeting or working on a design of a presentation for a customer then ding…ding! An interruption like email or a messenger message from facebook arrives and for a while it gets your attention and you totally put aside what is more important because getting back and being fully undistracted might be quiet hard.  These kinds of interruptions will definitely put you back so you will need the various tools that are designed for them to assist you have them under control. Like for example you can install a browser extension like StayFocused that will let you be able to set up time limits for viewing the different websites. Better still you can just switch off your internet connection for a while till you get the job done then turn back.
  4. Control your web search: most times when you have a lot of time in your hands then you might end up searching the web pages for almost everything and yet most of these things might not really be helpful. Some of the things you might be searching for, you already know it and others are found right in the books in front of you. Even if you are searching the internet for inspiration, you should be aware that the good quality original works requires digging into some personal experiences and beliefs. This way even if you don’t do so well, at least you will have learnt a lot rather than just copying someone else’s work online.
  5. Stop being idle: the reason why some of you are so addicted to technology is because you have too much time in your hands to waste and therefore you only resort to one thing…..technology all day, week and year long. This is because with technology, people and work will be reached regardless of the time and place unless of course the network server is quiet slow or doesn’t reach some areas. Some of these devices are very portable letting you carry them in your pockets and this way it will just be a click away and sometimes you can use it to take some breaks off from your tight schedule. Some ways of getting busy is through joining the Camp Grounded that is founded by Levi Felix which is a 100% off-the –grid summer camp designed for adults. Through this, you will be connected or reconnect with your own novel thoughts, your creativity will be heightened, your blood pressure lowered and therefore get the best out of what life has to offer.
  6. Create phone free zones and time: it is not a secret that these phones usually create an obstruction between its owner and the subject that is at hand and this way it will somehow contaminate the purity of an experience and that is why you will have to create a phone free zone and time so that you don’t get addicted to technology. I know it’s not easy especially in the beginning but eventually you will get along particularly when you set some rules and endeavor to follow it. Like for example you can say in your house no one is allowed to touch their phones during meal times or if you stay alone then make it a game like with friends in a way that you can stack up your phones for a while while having a meal in a restaurant or a drink in the bar and the first person who picks up their phone gets to pay the bills. If you can’t do any of the above, then always take time to appreciate the beauty of your phone every time you are tempted to pick it up instead and eventually the pressure will cool off and you will realize hours actually go by without you touching it.
  7. Rebalance your brain: scientists have proven before that we need to trains our brains in a way that it won’t get used to the same routines over and over again. This is because it will eventually get bored that is why you need to rebalance it. Like for example if your routine involves waking up and spending the whole day on technology and doing a few activities like eating and sleeping then your brains will get bored….and you will yawn all day long. But if you keep doing different things that are new to the brains then it will awaken and be alert at registering new things as you put it to work. For instance you can learn a new game, it doesn’t matter whether it’s outdoors or indoors or you could challenge yourself through reading a minimum of 30 pages of your book and so much more before you go back and check on your device. Make sure that the reading material you get or activity you choose is perfect and this way sooner than later you will have found a new hobby away from technology addiction.
  8. Value yourself more: you need to start valuing yourself more in order to not get addicted to technology. This is because it is said that people with low-self esteems or the loners tend to be more frequenters of chat rooms and other forms of technology without them having to face the other individual or get involved in other social activities. They end up turning to the web and social media to assist them get away and at the same time connect with other people in a way that is anonymous but non-threatening too. Such people need to talk to a therapist or get some help from someone responsible so they can value themselves more and rebuild their confidence so that instead of spending a lot of time on technology, they can instead use that time to socialize with others.
  9. Get someone to mentor you: there are times when we just can’t take control of an addiction alone and fully solve it and it is in such times that we require someone to come in to mentor us. So make sure you get someone who is much disciplined and can help you not to get addicted to technology. Like for example you can draw a timetable together of all your daily activities and in between or at some point they will help you squeeze in technology. This way as time goes by you will greatly improve and then you can also mentor someone else. You will also realize that you will have accomplished a lot more during that time that you would have not had it not be for the help of your mentor.

Conclusion:

In this fast world, it is impossible to run away from technology because it’s everywhere from the phones we use and so on. Some of us work in an environment that is surrounded by technology and therefore we can easily get addicted. Now making the decision not to get addicted to technology is all about a personal choice….like you have to be intentional about it from the word go otherwise you might end up rotating in circles. In the end it is for your own benefit….thank us later!

References:

Vanilla Farmer, Amazon Retailer & Tech Researcher. Yosaki is my personal blog but I'm working on some big tech project back doors. I will keep on posting various topics on things I have knowledge about.

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