Take Control or Be Controlled

Self-Control using technology
JUSTISIA SHIPENA
Vimbai Linetty Muganga



According to Leftonic.com there are over 3.8 billion people who use the internet, that’s about 40% of the world’s population. 5 billion people in the world own a mobile device 2.65 billion people in the world use social media.

Modern Technology is definitely evolving faster than we can comprehend and I the process it creates humans addicted to their devices. How long can you live without your phone? How often do you go out to a restaurant and you spot a family glaring at their screens? Friends arrange play dates just to spend hours playing video games even texting each other while sitting I the same room!

Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, literally stated sleep as their biggest competitor.

People simply can’t put down their phones!

These devices quietly change our backs, ears, eyes and brains and be assured not in a good way. “Technological devices have an impact on your body, even if you’re dealing with irrelevant information,” says Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.

So what can we do? No one really expects you to leave your cellphone and live like your ancestors, but you do need to take control.

Spending hours on your phones could cause issues like failing memories, emotional instability caused by sleep deprivation, strained vision, hearing loss, muscle and joint pain.

Modern Technology is also causing a problem on the roads. Texting while driving is a serious health hazard, yet many people continue to do so, and they find it socially acceptable. Think for instance how often you see mom or dad texting while driving? And every time they do, they put your life in danger! In some cases this has definitely become an addiction.

Some people say it provides a high similar to illicit drugs or gambling. It seems to be a habit that is difficult to break.

Here are some tips for self-control:

· Disconnect your Wi-Fi at night on your device/gadget

· Keep it out of your reach, so you can get adequate sleep which improves your working memory and mental health.

· Limit physical contact with your Iphone as much as possible because of the electromagnetic radiation emanating from that device. Please note, this is according to Apple itself.

· Develop and maintain real world relationships. This reduces the need for you to constantly be on your devices.

· Give yourself a set time you shall use your device. The rest of the time enjoy the real world.

Try these tips and you will be one step closer to controlling technology rather than it controlling you.