Does repeating a lie make it true? At least when it comes to the myth that technology is addictive for everyone.
No one denies the importance of re-evaluating the role smartphones, social networks, etc. play in our lives, but when many people give in to the idea that they are stuck between the jaws of a pincer, well! Here it is necessary to pause. The danger of believing in the idea that technology “ kills our humanity ” is not limited to creating the same moral horror - which prevailed in the past with the spread of radio and television - but extends to distort the true meaning of addiction.
The word "addiction" is derived from the Latin word "addictio", which means enslavement, and is defined as a behavior or substance that is difficult for a person to stop (even with his desire to do so). As neuroscientist Marc Lewis, a researcher in addiction and ex-addict, puts it, "is the focus of the brain on one thing only, for the rest of the things to become mere luxuries."
Addiction: More Than Just Like something a lot!
Many parents - and you may be one of them - are completely convinced that their children are "addicted" to their smartphones. But when you ask them about their behavior at home, they tell you that their children are eating lunch and dinner with them (not through the "dish of the day" page on Facebook, for example!) And that their grades in school are good. It's weird! Is it conceivable that children lead a "normal life" despite using apps designed to control their minds?
In fact, in order to silence our conscience and explain the things we do, we are quick to categorize behaviors that we do not like and understand as “addictive”. For example: Let me say that Netflix is designed to make me addicted to series and movies, and that my child is addicted to Fortnite instead of admitting that I spent no time planning something fun to do together as a family.
Our perception of our ability to change is an important weapon against prescriptive use
A 2015 Journal of Studies on Alcohol study of alcoholics found that the level of ease with which their bodies were submissive from alcoholic beverages was often related to their belief in their ability to change. Do not forget that alcohol is a substance that crosses the blood-brain barrier (have you ever heard that someone “takes” Facebook? Or “injects himself” with Instagram? I don't think so!). So, using these sites too much is a bad habit, not an addiction.
But isn't technology changing our brains?
Are they not talking about the bursts of "dopamine *" that floods our bodies because of "like", causing the same brain regions that cocaine acts on? Let's say that's only half the truth! Every repetitive behavior, from learning to play the piano to studying a new language, reshapes hormones in our brains (including dopamine *), so it's not just technology on the one hand, and it's not a bad thing on the other hand.
Vital areas of the brain are affected by dopamine levels, which affects a person's mood, his ability to sleep, in addition to the level of concentration, so a lack of it may lead to certain diseases such as depression.
Emphasizing the idea that we are addicted will not help
The US government launched a war on drugs in the late 1960s, and of course it was a lost battle. Why? Because it has often relied on the same old view of addiction, which is that the substance is addictive, but we know that addiction is often the result of several factors (including the person’s circumstances and the psychological pain that prompts him to try to escape through the drug).
Of course, there are negative consequences of habits-forming technology, such as YouTube's algorithm that pushed users toward extremist content (the aforementioned YouTube algorithm relies on browsing and viewing history to discover which content is most relevant to the visitor, and then suggests the most popular and prominent videos under the same content). We do not deny the importance of addressing such matters. But that doesn't mean that we fool ourselves into thinking we are addicted. We do not need to believe in the idea that technology is addictive to reduce its use. We can take the initiative to get the most out of technology without letting it steal our best. you know:
Like disabling notifications and app sounds that distract us.
Or setting external restrictions and prohibitions, such as restricting our browsing to social networks an hour before going to work / school, and thus linking us to a date that forces us to stop.
Some prefer harsher solutions, such as using Romaco Timeout, a program that allows you to set a certain time for internet usage before cutting it!
* Dopamine : a hormone found naturally in the human body, that plays a prominent role in controlling motor skills and emotional responses, as it enhances feelings of happiness, in addition to being a neurotransmitter (that is, it sends signals between the body and the brain).
