The information and communications technology have rapidly changed in the last 20 years and the digital era we live in is setting some trends that have a huge impact on our lives. The innovations in the high-tech industry are stepping in every aspect of modern-day life.
Just a couple of years ago most of the people had desktop computers with huge CRT monitors that were limiting their usage to the perimeter of their homes or workplaces. Nowadays every other person owns at least a couple of portable devices.
(Source: Pixabay)
One of the innovations is the well-know smart technology and smart devices. Their consumption is peaking right now and it is completely normal to affect the life of the modern-day society both in a positive and a negative way.
Many doctors and researches are starting to discover new diseases caused by the excessive usage of smart devices and the internet in general. Here is the second part of a list with diseases of the modern-day society that are caused by the digitalization:
(Source: Pexels)
6.”TECHNOFERENCE”
This a condition where the person is either interrupting the activity that he is doing at the moment or he is interrupting some kind of interpersonal communication in order to check his device. In other words said, imagine a family having dinner while the teenager stops eating and starts checking its phone.
This magnitude of this problem is growing every day and our relationships with our close people suffer the most out of that. Unfortunately, if not handled on time, this condition can lead not only to tearing up one's time but also to lack of concentration in the long term.
(Source: Pexels)
7.”TRUMAN SHOW DELUSION”
Probably most of you remember the 1998 movie “The Truman Show”, in which the protagonist Truman (played by Jim Carrey) found out that his life is actually a reality show that has been carefully orchestrated and manipulated.
Well in this condition people tend to believe that they are being filmed the entire time and live broadcasted. This is a type of paranoia and it can cause some serious hallucinations such as seeing people with cameras hiding in the dark and following you.
We can assume that reality television also plays a key role in developing that disease. Usually, people that suffer from that condition are slowly becoming more and more distant from real-life situations. “Truman Show Delusion” should not be underestimated because in the long term it can lead to serious brain damage and psychosis.
(Source: Pexels)
8.”CYBERSICKNESS”
This is a condition in which people feel dizziness and disorientation after interacting with certain digital environments. Some of the post-traumatic effects are nausea and vomiting.
One of the brightest examples is the iOS interface that is comparatively old right now. When Apple launched it many people were complaining that the “parallax effect” (it makes the home screen and the icons to look like they are moving in a 3D way below the glass) is making them sick.
The term “cybersickness” is not new and the first time it has appeared was in the 1990s. It has been used to describe the effects on people caused by the early virtual reality systems.
Nowadays that technology is way more evolved and with VR glasses being so affordable the number of people that suffer from that disease is increasing.
(Source: Pexels)
9.”FACEBOOK DEPRESSION”
Yes, it might sound obvious but this is a condition where people start suffering from deep depression which is being caused either by social interactions on Facebook or the lack of them.
This is a disease that is common amongst teenagers as they spend most of their time online and more particularly on Facebook. But the social network has become a place for showing only the best aspects of your life - smiling people, beautiful exotic destinations and inspiring romantic gestures.
It is quite hard for a mind that is just forming and developing to see all of that and it can become a bit overwhelming at moments. It is also very easy to fall under the belief that everyone you see on Facebook is living a happier and more fulfilled life than you.
This is a huge problem and if there are no percussions these teenagers are going to become socially inadequate and deeply depressed adults just in a couple of years.
(Source: Pexels)
10.”ANALYSIS PARALYSIS”
This is a condition where the presence of a huge variety of choices is actually paralyzing the person and causing him not to be able to make a decision.
This concept is quite old and it has been mentioned first in one of the “Aesop’s fable” (a collection of fables credited to Aesop - a Greek fabulist and storyteller). There is a story about a cat and a fox. The fox is bragging how she has hundreds of ways of escaping while the cat has only one way. They hear that a group of hounds is approaching and the cat fastly scampers up a near tree while the fox paralyzes while thinking which way of an escape she should choose and she eventually get eaten by the hounds.
Explained like this, it is logical how we can relate the term to our digitalized society and the online reality. It has a deep connection with online shopping which is allowing people to have freedom of choice but often leaves them confused and not being able to make a final decision.
(As already mentioned in the article, all of the photos that were used are with royalty-free rights and were downloaded from Pixabay.com & Pexels.com)
If you want to read the first part of the list, here is a link: https://steemit.com/technology/@misskate/diseases-of-the-modern-day-society-caused-by-the-digitalizationpart-01