Recent statistics find that mobile phone users check their phones 81 times a day and spend an average of 4.9 hours on the device daily. [1] Younger users, particularly those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s who are more commonly referred to as the Gen-Z population, spend nearly 16 hours on gadgets a day [2]. In the current technology-driven world, however, mobile phones are but one of the many electronic gadgets that aid, guide, and, sometimes, dictate human life. An electronic gadget is a device that has practical uses and is often intended to make activities easier [3]. From laptops and video games to kitchen appliances and digital cameras, gadgets have become commonplace in our lives. 

While electronic gadgets have made life easier for the human population, their unchecked use is linked to several health issues, both physiological and psychological. For instance, instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp have reinvented the domain of communication by enabling quick communication with people no matter their geographical location. However, over-dependence on such messaging applications often lead people to experience mental distress when away from their phone. Moreover, constant engagement on these applications, while sitting in awkward positions, can cause severe musculoskeletal issues, such as shoulder pains, due to improper posture. [4] That the seemingly innocuous activity of text messaging has such potential side effects indicates the need to closely evaluate the detrimental effects that gadget use can have on a person’s health. This post seeks to catalog and examine these effects in some detail. 

Gadget addiction 

The widespread availability and use of electronic gadgets is advantageous in several ways. Be it smartwatches that help one track health metrics or e-readers that allow one to read any book anywhere, there are many gadgets that make mundane activities, like exercise, fun and easier. [5] Unlike the age when mobile phones were devices that merely facilitated verbal conversations, today the mobile phone hosts a variety of applications that can perform a multitude of tasks, making it one of the most valued and overused gadgets of all. However, as with most products or devices involving technology, excessive use of electronic gadgets can lead to serious health concerns, most of which stem from the primary condition that is gadget addiction.

Gadget addiction refers to the state where a person indulges in excessive use of gadgets to the point that it has detrimental effects on their health and well-being. [6]  There are four major stages contributing to developing a gadget addition: trigger, action, reward, and investment. [7] Trigger can refer to any factor that prompts one to use their gadget, ranging from boredom to curiosity. Once triggered, persons act on the trigger by using the particular gadget; most often this manifests as browsing or scrolling through social media platforms or web pages. The action is rewarded by the content the user comes across, which is, often invariably, fun, intriguing, and captivating, be it YouTube videos, PlayStation games, or Netflix series. This reward keeps users coming back to the gadget, thereby, securing an investment of time and attention from the user. [8] It may not be the case that all persons who excessively use gadgets develop an addiction for these devices but given the fact that most activities today, including working and studying, require the use of gadgets, it is easy to develop one, possibly without even realizing it. 

Effects of gadget addiction on child health

Children are highly impressionable, which makes them extra vulnerable to gadget addiction. In most households today, each person, especially the adults, owns one or more gadgets. The children of such households are, therefore, exposed to gadgets such as mobile phones at a very young age. This section examines the effects of excessive gadget usage on children of various age categories.

Toddlers & Pre-Adolescents

In their early development stages, children find moving visuals and bright colors highly appealing, which make mobile phones and other gadgets that support visual media appealing to them. [9] The use of such devices to calm a crying child, divert the child’s attention, and/or to reward or punish has become a common parenting technique that succeeds due to this appeal. [10] Frequent employment of such electronic ‘pacifiers’ often causes the child to develop an addiction to gadgets, resulting in the child throwing tantrums if they are denied these. [11] 

There are advantages to harnessing the benefits of technology towards raising newer generations. With toddlers, for instance, gadgets make it easier to introduce learning activities in a fun, interactive manner that helps with cognitive and emotional development. [12] A bright, colorful, interactive alphabet song can hold a child’s attention easier and for longer than an alphabet book can, which makes learning a fun experience for the child at a very early stage.  However, as mentioned earlier, unchecked use of gadgets with toddlers can lead the child to develop a dangerous affinity for the devices and prompt them to throw tantrums when they are deprived of these gadgets. [13] Moreover, in their preschool years, children are expected to undergo significant physical development by engaging in physical activities like playing outdoors. Excessive use of gadgets can limit such necessary physical activities and reduce the stimulus to be active. [14] As with toddlers, using gadgets that host materials for learning can boost a child’s creativity and prompt them to think out-of-the-box in their early school years. [15]  However, lack of parental supervision and the unregulated use of gadgets can have damaging effects on a child’s character development. Often, children who develop an addiction to gadgets at such a young age are shy, withdrawn, lonely,  stubborn,  and lack confidence. [16] 

Adolescents

Among older school and college students, there is an increased dependency on gadgets with a large percentage of them spending 10 hours or more on gadgets. [17] The dependency was exacerbated during the COVID-19 years when most places of study delivered classes online, in light of lockdowns. Studies find that children who regularly attended classes online reported frequent headaches, symptoms of insomnia, body pains, and eye discomfort. [18]  These students also experienced loss of concentration and shortness of temper, which affected their academic performance. [19] 

Besides online classes, adolescents also spend a significant amount of time engaging in social activities online and playing video games, which makes them increasingly susceptible to gadget addiction. While some video games enable the players to gain specific spatial and attentional skills, the addictive nature of these games decreases motivation to engage in necessary physical activities and increases the chances for obesity. [20] Given that adolescence is a phase where social relationships and camaraderie are important, the excessive dependence on gadgets leads to loneliness and a feeling of not being understood, which affects adolescents’ confidence and academic performance. [21]   

Tips & Recommendations

Although it may seem difficult to help children circumvent the harmful effects of excessive gadget use,  there are some recommendations that parents can adopt to help their children:

• Avoid using digital media to distract or  gain the attention of children under 18 months completely. [22]
• Permit children aged 2-5 no more than 2 hours of screen time in a day. [23]
• Strictly supervise your child’s usage of gadgets and impose inflexible time limits. Maintain a good line of communication with children and create a comfortable space for them to share. [24] 
• Ensure that children who attend online classes keep gadgets away once their classes are done. Spend  quality time with them. Engage in open conversations, where they can discuss any difficulties they experience. This will help avoid feelings of neglect and loneliness. [25]
• Encourage them to develop interest in activities that do not involve gadgets. Motivating children to engage in sports or undertake activities that bring them closer to nature, like gardening, can have positive effects on their mental health.  [26]

Effects of gadget addiction on adults’ health

Early and Middle Adulthood (Age group: 18-55)

Excessive use of gadgets can cause significant physical and mental health issues, including musculoskeletal issues. While many of the issues highlighted in this section affect persons irrespective of their age, these are commonly observed in adults with gadget addiction. Pain and soreness in the arms, wrists, and shoulders are common in people who use gadgets for prolonged stretches of time regularly. Repetitive movement of arms and hands in certain ways, as in the case of typing on the phone, causes strain to muscles, tendons, and nerves, which can cause numbness, pain, and, in some cases, even issues with motor functions. [27] These musculoskeletal issues are exacerbated by resting in improper postures for lengthy periods of time. [28] Moreover, over-exposure to electronic gadgets causes eye strain, hearing difficulties, and sleep disorders. [29]  Dryness of the eyes, which causes irritation, burning sensations, and/or redness, is a common issue experienced by people maintaining unbroken visual contact with gadgets. [30] Similarly, listening to loud music on earphones can impact one’s hearing ability and cause a reduced capacity to hear higher frequency sounds. [31] Gadget addiction, especially the use of electronic devices around bedtime, is also linked to higher levels of insomnia and as severely affecting the quality of sleep. [32]

Besides the physiological effects, gadget addiction also strains the mental health of its victims. People addicted to their gadgets often exhibit restlessness and experience a form of separation anxiety when away from these devices. [33] They reportedly feel that they are missing something important when offline. Furthermore, the decrease in time spent on face-to-face interactions lead such persons to feel that their offline relationships are inadequate and less rewarding. [34] This also tends to cause loneliness as they increasingly feel a lack of support from their physical surroundings. [35]  As a result, excessive use of gadgets is associated with increased vulnerability to conditions such as depression and anxiety. [36]   

Later Adulthood (Age group: 55+)

The effects of excessive use of gadgets, while mostly negative, is more beneficial among the senior members of society than they are for other sections. This is because higher proficiency in using gadgets gives older adults a sense of accomplishment and increases their self-esteem and confidence. [37] They extensively use communications applications, like WhatsApp and Zoom, to stay in regular touch with their children and grandchildren these days, which helps them stay close to their loved ones irrespective of geographical barriers. [39] Technology also makes lives easier and more convenient for older adults living alone. With access to platforms that deliver food and groceries to their homes and those that offer health classes online, older adults now live a more comfortable life. [40] 

Although the increased adoption of gadgets among older adults has several benefits, they are also vulnerable to gadget addiction. Increasingly more adults over the age of 55 experience gadget addiction, primarily, due to loneliness and boredom. [42] Aging adults, often, cope with their declining physical and mental health by depending on their families. When their families face high levels of relationship conflicts, many senior members turn to gadgets, especially their smartphones, to fulfill their need for social connections. [43] The alienation and social disconnection they experience when their families are unsupportive often push them into gadget addiction, which further increases disconnection with their surroundings. [44] Moreover, research finds that older adults usually have lower awareness of their dependence on gadgets than adults who are middle-aged. [45] Many adults are unaware of the fact that they could be addicted to gadgets and, therefore, ignorant of the effects such addiction may have on their health. Just as learning to use diverse gadgets boosts their self-esteem and confidence, the inability to understand and/or use complicated technology, like smartwatches, frustrates older adults. This frustration could lead them to feel inept and outdated, which adversely affects their mental health. [46] Older adults who spend stretches of time online have very few face-to-face interactions in a day. This may have severe adverse effects on their mental health because the lack of offline interactions causes them to feel increasingly isolated from their surroundings and alienated from the rapidly advancing world. [47] 

Tips & Recommendations

In the current technology-driven world, some sections of the society such as students who have regular online classes or people engaged in professional work cannot avoid spending large portions of their time on electronic devices. Although it has become impossible to envision a world without gadgets, there are ways to avoid developing an addiction to them and to minimize the effects prolonged usage of devices has on one’s health: 

• Once the day’s work is completed, keep all devices away and spend time with relatives or friends. Engaging in face-to-face conversations and discussing any emotional difficulties experienced during the day can be therapeutic and make others aware of the challenges you face. [48]
• Spend some time on activities that calm you, like meditation or gardening. This can help with physical and mental fatigue. Activities like meditation and yoga can help improve concentration and gain the upper hand on your temper. [49]
• Adopt measures to improve posture, like using ergonomic furniture. Taking frequent breaks to stretch and move around can help prevent musculoskeletal disorders. [50]
• Follow the ‘20-20-20 rule’, which suggests that 20 minutes of continuous work on computers or other devices should be followed by a short break of 20 seconds, which must be spent looking at an object that is 20 feet away from you. Repeating this every 20 minutes can help reduce dryness of the eye. [51]
• Setting alarms on their phones will help restrict the amount of time spent on gadgets. Being aware of the number of hours you spend on devices will help set realistic targets and increase motivation to limit usage. [52]

Conclusion

As detailed in the last section, the excessive use of gadgets can have serious and dangerous physiological and psychological side-effects. While gadget addiction is similar to other forms of addiction in terms of the restlessness and helplessness one feels when they are away from the object of their addiction, it differs from these other forms in the range of demographics that commonly fall prey to addiction. Unlike addiction to narcotic substances or alcohol, which disproportionately affect individuals in their teenage years or above, addiction to gadgets affects a larger set of age groups, from toddlers to senior members of society. [53] 

In this new age of technological advancements, it is difficult to imagine a life that is completely devoid of gadgets. As mentioned in this post, the benefits and advantages offered by gadgets can be harnessed in productive ways and also used to raise a healthy generation. As is the case with any such instrument, the key to harnessing these benefits is keeping the amount of time one allots gadgets in check and not allowing it to turn into an addiction. Balance is key.

Article by Nasreen Basheer