Technology is getting powerful with each passing day. It is definitely becoming an integral part of our lives. But the most affected ones are the youth and the even younger generations because they have not seen a life without technology.
An interesting study regarding the same was published by the university's International Centre for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA) and the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change. This study has revealed some alarming results.
According to this study titled 'The World Unplugged' most students cannot spend a single day without media. 1000 university students were interviewed at 12 campuses from 10 countries that included UK, China and America. The students were not allowed to use laptops, cell phones, internet, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and were not even allowed to watch Television. They were allowed to read books and use their landline telephones.
They can never complete 24 hours straight without access to media and technology. 4 out of 5 students felt mental and physical distress, panic, confusion and isolation when they were forced to unplug from technology for one day. College students across the globe admitted that they were addicted to modern technology such as mobile phones, laptops, social networking sites (Facebook/Twitter) and even television.
Students expressed that they had cravings to use media. They had anxiety attacks and suffered from depression during the time they could not use media. One American student openly said that his craving was the same as the itching feeling of a cocaine addict.
Another revelation was that some students ended up having deeper conversations with others when they were unplugged. Only 21% of the students could feel the benefits of being unplugged.
I think the digital media has taken over...It is ruling our lives and will rule us Big Time! Obviously, the younger generations will be absolute media druggies because they have no sense of a life where there is no media but technology has made older tech savvy people quite an addict too. There is definitely no escape. The reason for the addiction could be many - isolation, comfort, solitude. There must be something that is taking away the real life out of our lives and is leading us to a virtual life.
