This blog has mainly focused on the positive impacts of technology and IT on healthcare. This week however, I would like to look more closely at some of the more negative impacts brought about by the vast increase of technology in our day to day lives.
More specifically I would like to focus my attention on smartphones, beginning with the anxiety, stress and sometimes depression that they are responsible for. From research I have found that I am not alone in my experiences of anxiety from not checking my phone, panic when I can’t find it or when the battery dies. There is in fact a term coined to describe exactly that, namely FIMO or fear of missing out. However, the anxiety does not disappear when the phone is in hand and notifications are checked. The FIMO is replaced by needing to reply to messages and notification immediately or else feelings of inadequacy from not being able to replicate the “far superior more exciting” lives of others that are depicted by their social media accounts.
Dr. David Shanley, an anxiety specialist (Dr. David Shanley, 2015), states that
“People feel compelled to check their phone constantly, which can then lead to disappointment when there are no new messages, and increased stress about why no one is messaging them, or when the next message might come”
It is ironic that social media sites which were original joined for fun and relaxation have now become a huge source of stress for us. The stress levels are relatively small. They could be over something insignificant like how many “likes” or comments a post or photo gets, or why someone hasn’t replied to a message. However, while the stress dosage isn’t high, it is constant, from the minute we wake to the moment we go to sleep, we are constantly connected, and constantly have low levels of stress.
While on the topic of sleep. It is common knowledge that the blue light emitted by phones, prevents the brain from producing the hormone Melatonin, crucial to inducing sleep. The negative impacts of sleep deprivation are boundless but certainly contribute to increase anxiety and stress levels. The light emitted by phones however, may also have some other negative impacts on our health. There exists some evidence that the light may also be damaging our retina over time and possibly may lead to Cataracts. However, this research is in its early stage as this is a relatively recent phenomenon, the data set is quite limited. (body, 2015)
Radiation emissions from smartphones are also questionable. While there is no concrete data to prove that this is going to be a major factor in the future, it’s hard not to worry as already stated, the impacts are still unknown as phones are too recent an addition to our lives to have legitimate answers to our concerns.
Phone usage in bathrooms is another area of concern. Marketing firm 11Mark surveyed 1,000 Americans and found that three-fourths of the participants admitted to using their smartphones in the bathroom. One-quarter of the respondents said they never go into the bathroom without their phone (Jr, 2015). This habit is a very obvious health hazard, as bathrooms are generally germ saturated environments. You’ll wash your hands but not your phone!
Unfortunately, this is just a tiny area and example of some of the negative impacts of technology on our health. However, that being said, I cannot stress how much the positives outweigh the negatives in this particular field.
Bibliography
Jr, J. (2015). Smartphone Owners Prone to Using their Devices in the Bathroom. [online] PCWorld. Available at: http://www.pcworld.com/article/249022/smartphone_owners_prone_to_using_their_devices_in_the_bathroom.html [Accessed 13 Dec. 2015].
Dr. David Shanley, (2015). Technology and Anxiety and Stress – Dr. David Shanley. [online] Available at: http://drdavidshanley.com/technology-anxiety-stress/ [Accessed 13 Dec. 2015].
body, H. (2015). How smartphone light affects your brain and body. [online] Tech Insider. Available at: http://www.techinsider.io/how-smartphone-light-affects-your-brain-and-body-2015-9 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2015].
IS and Healthcare 