It’s a simple fact that technology is essential to the workings of everyday modern life. Our cars have touch-screen displays, grocery stores have automated checkout machines, and our perceptions of the world are impaired by simply by opening social media. Sure, this may be what humanity has been working toward: convenience, connection, and hand-held intelligence, but have we gone too far with implementing these things into our regular lives? Why can we no longer stand being bored, forcing short entertainment down our throats to pass the time? And why does it feel impossible to step away from the digital world inhabiting our minds?
Science Direct claims that “Estimates posit that over 210 million people worldwide…” are addicted to technology. While the exact definition for an “addiction” is vague, Northwestern Medicine says “You may have a technology addiction if you: compulsively check email, social media, text or use the internet excessively, have a preoccupation with being online, are lying about or hiding the extent or nature of your online or smartphone use, [or] struggle with controlling your online or smartphone behavior.”
Numbers are only on the rise as the use of electronic devices has integrated itself into our daily routines. In the school and workplace, it is essential to remain up-to-date with emails, requiring a constant check of notifications, or having an endlessly reloading inbox displayed in front of us. Two Language Arts teachers at Washington High School talked about how email culture impacts them individually. Layne Sheetz said, “…I do definitely feel pressured to make sure that I am on top of my email throughout the day,” Mark Hilton remarked how “frustrating” the sheer amount of emails he’s responsible to keep track of can be.
In my personal experience, it’s roughly the same for students. I’ve been told many times throughout my high school career to “always check my email” and how important it is to be on top of student-teacher communication. Classrooms have moved away from paper and pencil, requiring students to use computers to succeed in class. Common Sense Media states, “In 2019, 59% of teens did homework on a computer every day.” Hilton, in response to a question regarding how technology affects classroom life, expressed that some sort of device is used “…pretty much all day every day…” and that as a teacher, he has to “…try to be kind of careful about not just like sitting here and getting sucked in here [the computer], and just remembering there’s like human beings in my classroom that I do want to–and need to–connect with.”
Apart from educational resources, free time in schools is often also paired with the use of devices. It’s for reasons such as this that some parents blame schools for contributing to their children’s obsession with the internet. Elaine Glaser of The Guardian explained, “I flinch internally when my five-year-old tells me she plays computer games in what primary schools call ‘golden time’ rather than enjoying some other more wholesome reward.” Using screen time as a prize only encourages obsession, as children connect praise and relief following their work with the internet, rather than enjoying time outside or doing something creative.
Some worry that this reliance on technology is hurting our youth, causing them to lose interest in unplugged activities. In an interview with Addison Doyle ‘26, she said that if she didn’t have access to her phone in her free time she’d “…probably read more. Or like journal. I’ve always wanted to journal. Or scrapbook. I would love to scrapbook.” She proceeded to reason that she doesn’t have enough time for those things with her busy schedule, but also had previously told me that her screen time last week was “…only 55 hours and one minute.”
However, it’s not just time and hobbies that are impacted by technology usage, but health too. Ryan Farnum ‘27 spoke up about how phone use affects sleep, reasoning that “…if you just don’t have your phone you go to sleep earlier.” He stressed that nighttime is “…where I feel like a lot of people’s screen time comes in.” On top of this, which is something that’s fairly commonly known nowadays, is the impact that social media and the internet have on mental health. A publication from the National Library of Medicine titled “Brain Anatomy Alterations and Mental Health Challenges Correlate to Email Addiction Tendency” states, “…excessive use of online social networking displaces daily time spent with peers and family, leading to the withdrawal from interpersonal offline activities. This, in turn, increases negative emotions, such as depression symptoms.”
Ironically, however, sometimes it is the fear of missing out on human connection that plasters us to our devices. Farnum 27’ relayed, “… if you get invited somewhere and you just don’t have your phone, … you’re missing out on opportunities.” He believes that this FOMO (fear of missing out) is one of the big problems that impacts younger generations especially when it comes to technology use. Opposingly however, FOMO can also cause people to lose interest in disconnected socialization, as New Choices Treatment Centers explained that some people worry they “…might miss out on rewarding experiences or important information if they disconnect from their digital devices.” Further, “The desire to stay connected and in the loop can lead individuals to compulsively check their devices and engage with technology excessively, even at the expense of real-life interactions and responsibilities.”
This compulsion to stay “in” with trends is only encouraged by influencers, paid by companies to promote their products. This is where the term “Limbic Capitalism,” as coined by David T. Courtwright, comes in. In an interview with Vox, he explained “limbic capitalism is just my shorthand for global industries that basically encourage excessive consumption and even addiction. In fact, you could make that even stronger and say not only do they encourage it but now they’ve reached the point where they’re actually designing it.” Social media goes hand-in-hand with the term, pushing overconsumption excessively. From fast-fashion hauls to useless “items you need to buy,” society, fueled by the internet, is pushing us to stay connected to keep up with these ever-changing fads. Reports from Credit Karma tell us that “…a new study conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma among 2,042 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, nearly 2 in 5 Americans (38%) have purchased products advertised on social media in the past year; among them, nearly a quarter (23%) have charged $1,000 or more to credit when making such purchases, whether using a credit card or buy now, pay later service.” It is reasonable to assume that since our use of social media and technology in general has such an impact on the economy, it is unlikely that big businesses will allow its fundamental nature to cede to optional entertainment.
The remaining question is, how do we rid ourselves of these addictions? Is such a thing possible in a world where we rely on the convenience of our devices, or do societal pressures force us to say goodbye to a tech-free life? Perhaps balance is key, yet I still find that hard to achieve. If workplaces and other obligations require our dedication to checking notifications, are we ever going to be able to separate ourselves from a screen?
