Screen Addiction and its impacts on human life

By: Muhammad Tayyeb Siddiqui, Country Director Xponential Coaching

We live in the digital era, where technology tremendously impacts human life by making it easy and more comfortable. While technology has minimized human efforts and made processes efficient and easy, it has also resulted in various problems for human life. Screens have become an essential part of our daily routines. From televisions to laptops and smartphones, we are surrounded by screens. Many human needs are now associated with these screens, and we can’t live without them. Despite the importance of screens in our lives, they have also become an addiction due to excessive and mostly unnecessary use of social media and mobile games. Although screen addiction is a problem for all age groups, it has more effects on youth, especially teens. In this blog, we will be discussing the issues of screen addiction and possible solutions.

What is addiction?

Before understanding screen addiction, it is important to understand what addiction is. Addiction is a complex condition where an individual has a strong physical or psychological demand or drive to do something or use something despite the harmful consequences on one’s life. Addiction can involve behaviors such as gambling or gaming, leading to compulsive patterns. Underlying addiction are changes in the brain’s reward, motivation, and memory circuits, making it difficult for individuals to control their desires.

What is screen addiction?

Meaningful and purposeful use of screens is not an addiction whether it engages hours on screens. Although individuals must minimize screen use due to its impact on their health, it is not addiction when it is used with meaning and purpose. Screen addiction refers to excessive use of electronic devices, particularly screens such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and televisions. It involves an uncontrollable desire to engage with social media or gaming, which leads to various harmful consequences, including physical health, emotional and social imbalances, spiritual and intellectual damage, loss of productivity, and overall mental well-being.

What are the signs and symptoms of screen addiction?

It is crucial to recognize the signs and symptoms of screen addiction for an early intervention. Symptoms may include:

1. Increased Screen Time: Spending an excessive amount of time using electronic devices, often at the cost of other vital activities such as prayers, work, socializing, or physical exercise.
2. Neglecting responsibilities: Neglecting important responsibilities like work, education, religious obligations, health, and social responsibilities.
3. Loss of control: Feeling helpless and unable to control the urge to check notifications, play games, and browse social media.
4. Social isolation: Preferring online presence over face-to-face interactions leads to poor connections with family, friends, and social circle.
5. Withdrawal symptoms: Experiencing lousy temper, anxiety, or mood swings when unable to access electronic devices or when attempting to cut down screen time.
6. Physical effects: Experiencing eye strain, headaches, back and neck pains, and sleep disorders due to excessive screen use.

How does Screen addiction affect you physically?

Excessive screen time can lead to a disorganized lifestyle, increasing the risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, and mental illness. Due to screen addiction, the person with an addiction can’t find time for exercise and adopt healthy habits. Prolonged use of electronic devices can also cause eye strain, headaches, sleep disorders, and posture-related issues.

How does Screen addiction affect intellectually?
Continuous use of screens may affect the brain’s cognitive function, including attention span, memory, and problem-solving skills. Prolonged and excessive screen use may affect educational or professional productivity and hinder intellectual development.

How does Screen addiction affect us emotionally?

Increased stress, anxiety, and depression are the expected results of screen addiction. Comparison with others on social media, experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out), or encountering cyberbullying can negatively affect self-esteem and emotional well-being. Scrolling through various news and events elicits diverse and sometimes opposite emotions, contributing to emotional instability.

How does Screen addiction affect us socially?

Excessive screen use can lead to social isolation and problems in relationships with family and friends. The person with screen addiction may prefer online interactions over face-to-face communication, leading to feelings of loneliness and disconnection.

How does Screen addiction affect us spiritually?

Screen addiction leads to a purposeless and meaningless existence. Excessive screen use reduced the time for prayers and reciting the Holy Quran, affecting the relationship with Allah SWT and the relationship with the Holy Prophet (SAW). The person with screen addiction wastes a lot of time, a precious blessing of Allah (SWT), and forgets the Hereafter.

How does Screen addiction affect us financially?

Excessive spending on digital content, online gaming, or impulse purchases influenced by ads can create financial strain. Moreover, decreased productivity at work or academic underachievement due to screen addiction may have long-term financial impacts.

How to address screen addiction?

As we have discussed here, screen addiction can significantly affect the overall well-being and quality of life of individuals, families, and society; it is essential to recognize the signs of screen addiction and take proactive and corrective measures to establish healthier screen habits. Addressing screen addiction requires a multifaceted approach:

Awareness, education, and realization: The first step is to educate individuals about the risks of excessive screen use and promote screen use with greater balance and resilience. If a person is addicted to screens, the realization of this addiction is essential.

Setting Boundaries: Setting clear boundaries and limits for screen use, both individually and within families, can reduce the risk of addictive behaviors. For necessary use, a time may be specified for screen use, and digital well-being apps may be utilized to monitor and control screen usage.

Encouraging offline activities: It is important to encourage participation in offline activities such as sports, hobbies, and face-to-face interactions, which promote a balanced lifestyle.

Parental guidance: Parents play a critical role in modeling healthy screen habits and creating an environment that can facilitate their children’s responsible use of technology.

Accountability Partner: An accountability partner can help individuals to take corrective measures and monitor their progress.

How can coaching effectively address screen addiction?

Coaching is the ultimate solution if anyone wants to get rid of screen addiction. Screen addiction may be characterized as a continuous bad habit. For its treatment, individuals must adopt good habits that replace these bad habits.  A coach makes individuals realize their addiction and the losses and damages due to this addiction. The coach helps individuals craft a personalized, actionable plan to drop bad habits and replace them with good habits. The coach helps with the tools, strategies, and support needed to overcome unhealthy digital habits. Individuals with screen addiction require a conscious and constant effort to cure this curse. The coach plays the role of accountability partner by empowering individuals to identify triggers, develop coping mechanisms, and cultivate a healthier use of technology.

By fostering self-awareness, goal setting, and behavior modifications, coaching enables individuals to regain control of their screen usage and have a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.

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