[to7update]

It's pretty much undeniable that these days most people have some level of being addicted to technology. So the purpose of this article is to create awareness on that fact as well as to give some suggestions on how to overcome this problem.

TV addiction
How many hours per day do we watch TV? If we are watching more than one or two I think this can be considered an addiction because let's face it, life is far more than watching TV. So the first step for us is to start cutting on this time by becoming aware of it. If we make a small effort we can notice that there are quite a few thing around the house that could be done that can even include making some improvements that can benefit us long-term. If not, we can simply go outside and enjoy an outdoor activity, far better many times than being stuck inside staring at that box of entertainment.

Smartphone addiction
I am mentioning smartphone addiction in second place because I think this is growing to crazy levels. Sure, cellphones are practical, smartphones are even more practical, but I think we should draw a line to what is our necessity and what is just too much. For example, if we are having dinner with friends at a restaurant, does it make any sense that almost everyone is staring at their cellphones? It doesn't right? The same when we are entertaining friends or family at home, we should just ban the phones and be with the people we are supposed to be.

Gaming addiction
We can game in a lot of platforms, TVs and smartphones included, but for the sake of this article I am including here laptops, desktops, tablets and all other gaming platforms. Gaming can be addicting, I personally know that as I lost night over night doing it, at the same time there are more things apart from gaming that we can do with our life. So sure, we love gaming, but let's play once every two days and make something different in the days in between, does that sound good?

Tech addiction and our kids
Now comes the hard part, as most people are not that sensible in what concerns harming ourselves, but at the same time we tend to care more when our kids are involved. What are our kids going to think if they see us permanently watching TV or permanently on the smartphone? They are going to think it's a normal pattern of behavior and they are going to replicate it. What are our kids going to think if we spend a lot of time playing games on the tablet or laptop or any other gaming platform? Surely they will want to do the same thing.

So I say it's time to change. We should not watch so much TV, we should not be so much time on the smartphone and we should not play so many games. We should take walks in the park, ride our bicycle, go to the swimming pool, play ball with the kids or simply read a book to them. Revive the simple things of life and use technology in moderation, when we need it.

[severos]

I think you should add other tech addiction, I have the addiction of flying around the web reading random stuff. and certainly if I'm a father I wouldn't want my kids to see parts of what I saw.

for sure I believe having time off tech is good for health (and family relationships), too bad my environment doesn't let me have it tho :/

[to7update]

What do you mean your environment doesn't let you do it?

Yeah, we need to spend real time with real people and quit the virtual for a while.

[niche]

In India vulnerable citizens who use technology extensively find that their retirement savings are stolen without a court order or legally valid reason by security and intelligence agencies to blackmail them to agree to identity theft. This is sufficient to cure them of technology addiction, as few people are interested in being penniless in their old age, just because they are using gadgets extensively.

[oldbuddy]

In the USA there is a 12 step program for technology addiction, just like there is for alcohol.

[Canaria]

In India vulnerable citizens who use technology extensively find that their retirement savings are stolen without a court order or legally valid reason by security and intelligence agencies to blackmail them to agree to identity theft. This is sufficient to cure them of technology addiction, as few people are interested in being penniless in their old age, just because they are using gadgets extensively.

Oh dear.. that sound really bad and rather than acting as a "cure", it seems to give traumatic experiences to the victims. Also, who are in the right mind that actually interested to be penniless in their old age? Money is needed to support living, no matter how old you are, and where you live.

[severos]

What do you mean your environment doesn't let you do it?

Yeah, we need to spend real time with real people and quit the virtual for a while.

Well, I'm a computer engineering student, and have a part time job at a programming company, so that's like 6 hours of laptop at university, followed by like 4 at work, I get back home to check facebook and email to see if someone posted something useful (books, previous exams, etc...) for like an hour, another hour for random online stuff like forums, and then straight to bed... wake up and repeat <(=,=<)

[to7update]

I see, you need to be at the computer a lot of time. The same happens with me, I spend my whole working hours at the computer.

What steps are those @oldbuddy?

I can't believe something like that happens in India!! They have legal grounds to do it?

[Canaria]

I see, you need to be at the computer a lot of time. The same happens with me, I spend my whole working hours at the computer.

What steps are those @oldbuddy?

I can't believe something like that happens in India!! They have legal grounds to do it?

I'm not from India but I doubt their government are exercising such illegal practices. If proven their wrongdoings by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), they would be sanctioned by other countries. These identity thefts are none other than from the people itself, and the Indian government are probably having a hard time counter measuring them. This is comparable to China as well, where hackers activist rapidly growing, but literally unstoppable.

[to7update]

That's happening all over the world really, so awareness measures need to be created to keep the population safe so that these thefts don't happen as often. Whether we like it or not there are always thieves, online or in the real life.

Sorry about my answer above @Canaria, I misunderstood your point at first!

[niche]

In India vulnerable citizens who use technology extensively find that their retirement savings are stolen without a court order or legally valid reason by security and intelligence agencies to blackmail them to agree to identity theft. This is sufficient to cure them of technology addiction, as few people are interested in being penniless in their old age, just because they are using gadgets extensively.

Oh dear.. that sound really bad and rather than acting as a "cure", it seems to give traumatic experiences to the victims. Also, who are in the right mind that actually interested to be penniless in their old age? Money is needed to support living, no matter how old you are, and where you live.

The police, bank officials, post office officials indicated that the theft of retirement savings of individuals who are domain investors, and using the laptop extensively are stolen by powerful security and intelligence agency officials who cannot be identified or held accountable without a legally valid reason or court order .
A media report also indicated that police do not entertain any complaint against cbi, intelligence and security agencies, so the citizen does not get any help
It is extremely traumatic for the person whose savings are stolen and the person finds it extremely difficult to get any help, however it is the harsh reality and some other indian internet users have also indicated that the theft is a common practice online.
I have stopped carrying a laptop while travelling by air , do not use netbanking, keep financial records offline to avoid the theft of savings. I can provide proof of the theft of savings to anyone who is interested in knowing more
There should be more transparency and honesty in the indian internet sector so more people should be aware of the harsh reality as the indian mainstream media refuses to cover any news of the fraud

[to7update]

That's what happen with hackers, they enter, steal our credentials and access our accounts, all of this without being traced...

What can police do really?

[thisnthat]

Yeah, we need to spend real time with real people and quit the virtual for a while.

Absolutely. I think there would be less social anxiety if more people practiced this.

[to7update]

Social anxiety and we will be more healthy as interacting with machines is something far less interesting than interacting with real people.

[oldbuddy]

Social anxiety and we will be more healthy as interacting with machines is something far less interesting than interacting with real people.

There are REAL PEOPLE on the other side of that screen if you truly interface with them.

[to7update]

I wasn't saying the opposite @oldbuddy, but I am saying we have time for them when we are not with our friend or family don't you agree?

[chikitta]

And this is the world that we live in we can actually call it a world full of madness what else can we call it when we have practically sold out everything to technology. I totally agree with you things are getting wirse everyday. But we just have to make smart choices and all the madness will stop. I like the point that you have said when our kids see us with smart phones all the time what would they think? Good question indeed. Though for tv I think two hours is too little to say that it's an addiction. Because like me when I leave work and go home I have 7pm to 10pm to watch some news and some programmes in tv I don't think that's too much. Too much is having to sit on Thu couch the whole day facing at the tv.

[Canaria]

do outdoor activity with kids, especially at tender age so sport-like activities will grew on them. so in the future no matter how geeky and nerdy they're at technology they'll nevertheless yearn for sports. there's nothing wrong to love technology, i mean it makes your life easier and convenient. but it's definitely wrong to be totally enslaved to technology, like casting aside the existent of outside world and be indulged in gaming, or unnatural fitness method by consuming fitness pill instead of exercising sweat off your body. nowadays modern technology has granted us many convenience which without doubt has become part of our life. keep it at moderate use, then you'll do just fine

[to7update]

That's the thing, we should have the initiative to go out and to live away from technology too, in this way we have the best of two worlds!

Also, how many times can we simply take a few minutes of our time and go read a story or play a game with our kids?

[augusta]

My own addiction is trying to make money, should this be reduced:lolno: But seriously we are so addicted to technology these days that even going to the loo,I get in with my smartphone and I can surf the net and forget where I am.As you said I think everything should be moderated.