Top Signs You're Addicted to Technology

Technology has evolved in many ways over the recent years, we are now working more fluidly and flexibly than we ever have before, including from home, at cafes, and around other people who make us feel more supported. The problem is that technology isn't just in the workplace anymore. There was once a time you would go to work to use a computer, and come home to watch TV.

Now, you can access TV in restaurants and cafes, at the gym, in the park, the Internet is readily available on your smartphone and that goes with you everywhere, and the level of technology that you incorporate at work is completely different than it used to be. We don't just look at the Internet for the facts that we need for education anymore. We are looking at how to clear cookies on iPhone 14 Pro and how to upgrade our phones or jailbreak them. We're looking at how we can improve technology while simultaneously not realizing how technology could be taking over our lives. Are you addicted to technology? Let's take a look and see the signs that you might have a problem.

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• You are wasting a lot of hours. It's virtually impossible to live without technology in this day and age. Whether we're doing it with ring cameras on our front doors or virtual shopping lists on our refrigerators, technology has seeped into every corner of our lives and we're all enjoying it. But the problem is that it's difficult to escape, which means that if you are not enjoying it or you are not enjoying spending half of your time standing and staring at a screen, you can't really get away from it. Have you ever had the phantom rings? When you continue to increase your time spent on the Internet, you might think your phone is buzzing or ringing when it's not making a sound or a movement. You're spending a lot of time staring at your phone or your tablet or your computer or the TV, and that's a good sign you need to step away from the technology.
  
• You realize that you crave it. If you start finding it hard to just go to the bathroom without bringing your phone with you for entertainment, or you can't just leave your phone at home just in case you miss out on something when you're out of the house, there could be a problem in that. The constant bright screens and the instant gratification brought by games and your phone can wire the brain to demand a certain level of stimulation. The problem is that there is an overly demanding amount of time on your time when you are on the phone all the time. People expect you to respond to messages instantly, because that's what you've always done. You are expected to be available to other people all the time. You then end up craving that level of attention, and that's a good sign that you are addicted to technology.
  
• You can't just use one screen. You're working on your laptop but watching TV on your iPad and answering messages on your phone. You're cooking in the kitchen while your Alexa tells you the recipe and you're watching a movie on your iPad. This level of multitasking by watching multiple forms of media at the same time is a very good sign that you have a problem. It can also be linked to anxiety and depression. Try and cook a meal or go for a shower without the entertaining noise of your TV show in the background and see how it makes you feel. Separating out your devices and appreciating and focusing on one thing at a time can really make a difference, but it does take time to strip back that need.
  
• You're missing out on the real world. If you are going to a concert and spending half the time watching the concept through your phone and recording it, there's a problem. Literally nobody wants to watch the concert that you've attended through the tiny camera on your phone. You might think you're going to record it and upload it to Facebook but what's the point? Nobody wants to see that! You should be engaging in the activities that you want to do with your family while not doing it through your phone. You are not present anymore, and that's a problem.
  

Technology is supposed to enhance our lives, it's not supposed to take over. That may be contradictory to read given the level of screen time we have these days, combined with the amount of artificial intelligence technology that's coming out. However, you have the choice as to how much technology you engage with, and if it is becoming a problem then you need to seek help from your doctor and a good healthcare provider who can talk you through addiction.