Written By : Ali Raza
Multan, Pakistan
Modern life style that we are all living today is about the incorporation of technology into our daily routines. We are more obsessed to social media and technology than we have ever been. Every single aspect of our life is being changed rapidly by communication outlets and it really tough for us to adjust. So, what’s the impact of this modern lifestyle of ours on our overall health? Well, there are different ways it is impacting our lives and described below are a few of them.
1. ‘Constant Checkers’ Emerging
The advances made in social media and technology overall during this last decade or so have really led to the emerging of ‘constant checkers’. From constant checkers we mean people who are almost obsessed about checking their emails, social media and texts.
Such continuous connection to technology has resulted in increased stress levels. The use of technology has really emerged as a major cause of stress in people of all age groups. It has also been observed in different studies that constant checkers tend to have considerably higher stress levels compared to those who don’t engage themselves that much in social media and technology.
In addition, it’s increased influence of technology that makes more constant checkers feel disconnected and disengaged with their family as compared to the non-constant checkers. Even when constant checkers are present in same room where rest of their family is, they don’t seem to be interacting with them. Almost 1/3rd of these people say that it’s not likely for them to meet their family and friends personally just because of social media. So, such diversion from natural routines has certainly increased stress levels in such people to a great extent.
This stressed out life setting can certainly have a lot of negative impact on their life and one of them can be reduced productivity at work. They may set online alarm and start using it to remind themselves of important chores but that may still be a temporary solution. Your mind needs to be at ease to perform at its best. A sluggish mind never brings out any good.
2. Digital Connectivity & Well-Being
There are many who agree that unplugging their devices and having digital detox from time to time is really important for maintaining good mental health. However, most of them do not practice such a periodic switch off.
Interactions that one can have on different social media platforms can greatly impact one’s satisfaction levels and overall well-being. There are studies that show spending more time on internet and social media leads to greater risk of depression and loneliness. Now you may wonder is social media only being used by the unhappy people or that whether social media affects happiness.
3. Happiness
In a recent study at the Indiana University, it was revealed that so-called friendship paradox that social media users experience has people with friends who aren’t as popular on social media and this results in reduced happiness. The study says that there’s a correlation between happiness and popularity as well as the fact that most of people who are on different social networks are not equally happy as their friends because of this correlation.
The increased social dissatisfaction can lead to unhappiness and a negative frame of mind for the users. And once you get there, it’s hard to recover back to a happy and prosperous life because you are just so caught up in negativity and it affects not only your mental well-being but also your overall health.
1. Isolation
The time you spend on your social media accounts may affect your mental health. There have been analytical studies that reveal the more time you spend on your social media accounts, the more you’ll be likely to get socially isolated. The study addressed people aged between 19 and 32 years. The issue is also of really high intensity as social isolation and mental health issues have reached alarmingly high levels nowadays.
Inherently, we are all social but the way modern lifestyles approach things sort of compartmentalizes us rather than bringing people together. Even though it appears that social media offers lots of opportunities to fill the void, studies suggest otherwise. And, with this isolation come a lot of other health issues that can be quite detrimental for one’s survival.
5. Depression
When you spend extended periods online and browsing through your social media accounts, it is said to be associated with depression. Many young adults face this situation and their situation is a lot worse in comparison to those who don’t check their social media too frequently. It was more likely for frequent checkers to develop symptoms of depression among other health issues that happen consequently. You may even experience obesity, fatigue and loneliness as well due to being isolated.
So, these are only a few ways technology and modern lifestyle has impacted our health. The most prevalent issues are often linked to depression and stress while there may be other issues that may exist as well. It would be better if you could make a few changes here and there and see how it changes your health conditions.
