Technology: Friend or Foe of Your Mental Health

Technology has been wonderful for our society in so many ways.  We can keep in touch with people all over the world easier.  It has improved our time management by allowing us to do more, faster. It even allows us to benefit from the experience of countless strangers so that we can find the best restaurant, hotel or vacation spot.  In much of the world, nobody ever needs to be lost or  out of communication again. But have you ever considered what ways technology might be harming you?

For those of you that follow the articles on my page, you may have noticed an article that I posted last week discussing the increase in depression due to technology.  We often underestimate the stimulating effects of screen time.  I hear from people that they watch TV before bed because they can just “shut their mind off and be entertained”, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, the back lighting and images on the screen stimulate your brain. They interrupt your natural ability to fall asleep and stay asleep if used too close to your bed time because they disrupt your natural sleep rhythm.  Sleep deprivation often causes an inability to regulate your emotions or think positively.  Depression is not a big leap from there.  

Another problem with our use of technology is how isolating it can be.  Despite our ability to keep in contact with everyone around the world, we often don’t feel genuine connection in these interactions.  Electronic communications are often much more superficial interactions as we no longer need to talk to or see other people to communicate with them.  This allows social anxieties to flourish through avoidance of actual, personal interaction.  Social cues are lost in texts and emails because we do not have to read body language or benefit from hearing the tone of voice used by the counter party.  It is easy to assign intention to someone else’s texts or emails even if that isn’t what they were thinking at all.  Not to mention the way social media can make people feel:  who hasn’t had a day where they look at everyone’s happy times on social media and judge their own normal life in negative ways?  Why isn’t my life as exciting as theirs?  Why wasn’t I invited to that event?  Why is their marriage happier? 

I also believe that technology is a large contributor to the increasing number of patients with anxiety that I am seeing in my practice.  It becomes easy to feel overwhelmed when we can never disconnect from work or personal expectations.  Our family time is often interrupted by competing demands which can damage our relationships with the people who want, and deserve, our full attention.  Quick response time has become expected in most industries and this creates pressure to respond immediately to anything you receive. 

The anonymity afforded by technology also makes it easier to say things to someone remotely that we would never say to their face.  We don’t have to watch them cry when we hurt them or be embarrassed when we share things about them.  This cyber bullying is no longer an anomaly.  It is a regular practice, not just for teens but adults too.  In our quest to be the first to disseminate information or photos to the world, we often don’t take the time to think through the ramifications of our actions.

As a therapist I am often tasked to develop ways for someone to combat or manage all of these technological encroachments and the resulting negatives they impose on the framework of their life.  I suggest thinking about picking up a phone or visiting someone in person when you have the time.  You will be surprised at how much more positive the interaction will seem to you and how much more you (and the other person) will get out of it.  It is also necessary to pick times in your day when you can disconnect from your technology and focus on other priorities in your life.  This often requires shutting down your phone, tablet or computer and leaving the room.  Before you give me all the reasons you can’t do that, ask yourself what you might actually be missing? If a crisis occurs, I am sure that those close to you would know how to reach you.  Is there really anything that can’t wait for an hour?  Then think of all that can be gained while you take a break from the electronic world and reconnect with the physical world.  It affords you the opportunity to truly recharge your emotional battery and connect with people in your life who would love to have your undivided attention.  If you still feel unable to disconnect, ask yourself what you might be missing in your life because you are paying too much attention to the technology.  My guess is that you are missing a lot.  

Christian Lous Lange once said that “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”  This is as true today as ever before.  Spend some time today taking back control over your life from the technology you have become increasingly reliant on.  You might see some remarkable results. 

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