An eye doctor breaks down how digital addiction can hurt you

In this era of digitalization, there’s a thin line between dependence and addiction to digital devices. And digital addiction is real and growing fast.

Developing a compulsive need to use your digital devices, even if it interferes with your life and stops you from doing things is the hallmark of addiction.

Digital addiction can be broadly grouped as phone addiction, Internet addiction and social media addiction.

Smartphone dependence and addiction is probably the most common and widespread form of digital addiction. It is not uncommon to see just about every child who can hold a phone in their hands glued to their mobile screen. Studies have shown that children as young as three years old are being given their own tablet device and even 10-year-olds their own smartphones.

Social media addiction is quite easy to define. If you spend far too much time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to document every aspect of your life on any or all of the platforms, you could be a social media addict.

Internet addiction is where some may find it difficult to differentiate between the virtual world and reality. Sufferers tend to spend excessive amounts of time online, causing a higher risk of overspending by getting involved in online gambling and gaming.

The hazard

The explosion of technology in recent years has impacted both adults and children alike. However, it may be more hazardous for children since they are exposed to these devices at a tender age. Once they figure out that there is an entire world accessible to them through that little device, it becomes their most treasured possession.

All forms of digital addiction eventually lead to excessive screen time. Digital addiction not only affects our behaviour and functioning, but it also affects us structurally.

Parts of the brain begin to shrink (atrophy) because children are not receiving the human interactions that develop those areas. Most of the damage occurs in the brain’s frontal lobe that controls important functions such as planning, organising, decision-making and prioritising.

Excessive screen time leads to eye related problems like eye strain, dry eyes, computer vision syndrome as well. It could lead to rapid progression of refractive errors especially myopia in children. Even in the older age group, chances of retinal and macular degeneration due to the blue light emission is seen more in people who are constantly on their devices.

To make things worse, most enterprises, schools and even homes now have WI-FI. As technology continues to tighten its grip on our lives, we are losing human connection - our voices, touch, and facial expressions and we are actually drifting away.

These devices lead us into a vicious cycle -- It may not be long from now that digital addiction will be medically recognised as a disease, just like the ‘gaming disorder’- the inability to stop gaming, which is now included in the international classification of diseases (ICD) by the WHO.

Possible solution

The solution to this problem can be a challenge. These devices have proved their worth and importance in our day to day lives. But wireless technology – like any other technology – must be used judiciously and with caution. We need to make a conscious effort to reduce our addiction to our ‘smart’ devices. This is applicable to both adults and children.

Children should be encouraged to play real outdoor games rather than playing simulated ones on phones and tablets. Reading e-books, articles and newspapers from these devices is another commonly encountered phenomenon which can be reduced by simple measures.

Online learning apps too could be addictive and have detrimental effects in the ways mentioned above. Moreover, even schools are promoting and encouraging the use of tablets and IPADs as a medium of education. Children should be encouraged to read from books.

The time spent on computers and TVs too should be monitored and regulated. The WI- FI routers can be turned off for at least a few hours in the day and at night. Families should make an effort to sit together without our ‘smart’ companions and indulge in real communication. Routine but effective restrains like no cell phones, tablets on dining tables, no use of gadgets in dark before sleeping etc. should be practiced.

We need to devote time to ourselves, nourish our brains and engage in exercise as an antidote to digital addiction.

Reconnecting with nature, taking time to look at our surroundings, meeting real people, playing real games—instead of burying our heads in our gadgets—is a step in the right direction.

Let these devices ease your life but do not let them become your life. We need to understand that we are smarter than our smart phones and watches. And we can survive even without them.

(Dr Uppal Gandhi is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist at L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad)