Nowadays, the keyword for every single day is technology! Everything we interact with daily is now directly affected by technology – and we don’t talk about the technology of the previous age.

Almost everything we own is connected to the internet or, in the best-case scenario, can be connected to the internet. We’re not too far from being able to connect our sneakers to our smartphones and ditch fitness apps and watches!

However, technology doesn’t come with positive things only! On one hand, we have the workers’ comp lawyers, for example, which now have a much easier time dealing with claims and lawsuits – due to the information technology can provide them with!

On the other hand, we have the addiction to technology that, inherently, limits our privacy and security. Let’s take a look at five surprisingly negative effects of technology!

Effects on Mental Health

No, we won’t talk about what you hear on the news! The media mostly tells you about people who went on Internet rehab, but they don’t tell you that technology is the main cause of the decline of the quantity and quality of sleep.

Now that you think of that, you realize that you have been sleeping less and poorly since technology has become an essential part of your life. For example, it may have been your job that required you to be permanently connected to the online – it doesn’t matter. This led to you sleeping poorly!

Moreover, it is also known that the sleep chemical known as melatonin is affected by the glow of the computer screens – you either have to limit the time you spend in front of a screen or grab a pair of glasses with a blue-light filter.

Security and Privacy

One of the things we may soon have to forfeit when it comes to the use of technology is our privacy – and, who knows, maybe even our security.

More and more software programs or online platforms require us to agree to a variety of terms and regulations that may end up stealing our privacy without us knowing it.

Just as with the workers’ comp mentioned above, technology can keep us under surveillance for a long period of time – be it to make sure that we behave or to know everything that we do.

In either case, losing our privacy to technology is not a good thing, as privacy is one of the most important basic human rights!

Effects on the Physical Side

Sitting in front of a computer all day long is not healthy. Nowadays, more and more people suffer from back pain, bone injuries, sleep and food deprivation, obesity, and so on.

When thinking about someone addicted to technology, we have two different types of people in mind. One of them brings everything else that they need close to them and their computer – food, drinks, and so on. On the other hand, the other type of people will forfeit a lot of things they need – they’ll eat less often, refuse to go to the bathroom until they can’t hold it in anymore, and so on.

As a result, half of the internet addicts are obese while the other half are malnourished. However, both situations may lead to depression, anxiety, and many other significant illnesses!

Effects on Education

Students and children nowadays don’t feel the need to research anymore. If they have a question, they’ll Google (News - Alert) it and then believe that the answer they are provided with is correct.

Most internet users trust search engines more than they trust a book with useful information. Therefore, we can safely admit that, while technology is a great learning tool, it is also the leading cause of the decrease in the quality of education.

Libraries are closer to becoming useless – for some - while others think that school itself is useless, mainly because they can find everything they need online. On top of that, everything that can be found online is incorporated in one form of entertainment or another, making actual education and information – such as reading and homework – not attractive anymore!

Effects on Social Skills

On the surface, technology may seem to create a global network and bring people all over the world closer to each other. For example, if you had a relative abroad ten to twenty years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to communicate with them.

Nowadays, no matter where you are, as long as you have a stable internet connection, you can interact with whoever you want.

However, technology does nothing but replace the real-life communication we got used to. The main result is social isolation and refusal to interact with other people in the usual ways.

Therefore, more and more people feel depressed and lonely. Studies have shown that the current generation is the most depressed of them all! On top of that, people have also begun to lose their ability to read social cues like facial expressions, tone of voice, direct wording, and body language!

The Bottom Line

If inspected at a glance, technology may look like something very beneficial to our society and the individuals living in it. But deep down, in the depths of the internet, technology is a short, certain road to us forgetting how to be human.

Soon enough, we will forfeit real-life interaction and will do everything from the safety of our home. At the same time, safety and privacy will be in the hands of those who control technology, eventually making us ask ourselves whether we are truly safe or not!

On the other hand, as mentioned above, workers’ comp layers – for example - are one of the few classes of people that can thank technology for making their lives easier. This is because they still have to interact with their clients and present cases in court.