On digital highway

With the world moving at a fast pace, technology has become an important part of one’s existence. From professionals to young children, everyone is forever plugged to a computer or other gadgets and this brings its own share of issues. ‘Digital overload’ is slowly becoming an increasingly unavoidable part of everyone’s routine. Medical professionals and Bengalureans share their plight. 

Youngsters agree that increased exposure to technology is affecting them. Anirudh Ghaty Dinesh, a final-year engineering student, says, “I have seen friends get restless when they are online and do not receive a message on time. I too am fairly addicted to the internet and social networking applications and experience irritation in my eyes. I often use the computer for projects and when I sit at a stretch in front of it, I feel tired.” He confesses that technology has become an integral part of one’s life and this is slowly affecting one’s well being.

Increased hypertension and irritability due to technological lags are other issues amongst young children. Mother of a teenage daughter, B G Roopa Vallabha, a businesswoman, says that her daughter is always on a tablet or computer, working on her school projects or trying to source information for the same. “I have even complained to the school authorities asking them about why they were encouraging such reliance on technology. But this is a regular practice now,” she says.

Roopa has noticed that her daughter gets upset and fidgety when the internet connection is weak. “She has started getting frequent headaches. I have been asking her to stay off the internet apart from when it is for school work,” she says.
 
Others parents like Hari Prasad, a senior manager (business operations), says that his son is getting addicted to gadgets. “We felt a need to give him a mobile phone so that we could reach him during emergencies. But the gadget has gone beyond that — he plays games on it and uses WhatsApp. The excess time on the phone is affecting his eyesight too,” he says. Strain on the eyes and other related ailments are some of the increasing concerns of ‘digital overload’. Dr Kaushik Murali, head of pediatric ophthalmology, Sankara Eye Hospital, says that he has seen children as young as five coming with vision issues. “This could be connected to digital devices or vision requirements. In the earlier generations, children used to be happy playing ‘gully cricket’. But nowadays, everything related to a child is visual. And there are many young children who are continuously exposed to gadgets and this is because the entire society has reduced to smaller nuclear units,” he says.

He points out that opportunities for children to socialise with other children are lesser now. “Also, these gadgets are used to distract the child while feeding them, or even when the parents need some ‘me time’. Parents have to realise how they are contributing to this behaviour,” he says. Dr Kaushik points out that the number of times one blinks comes down when one is exposed to too many digital gadgets. “Many young IT professionals end up staring at computers for hours. I suggest such people to follow the 20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, one should look away at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This brings one’s blink rate back to normal and the eye muscles are relaxed,” he says.

The excessive use of tablets and computers also leads to many psychological and physical problems. “Problems like neck pain, muscle strain of the upper back and even faulty posture are some of the issues one can see. Accelerated degeneration (arthritis) of the spine and even chronic pain can occur due to continuous use of gadgets,” says Dr SS Praharaj, senior consultant neurosurgeon, Fortis Hospitals. He says that there have been cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, a medical condition that causes numbness, pain and discomfort in the fingers and wrist. “This occurs due to excessive use of the mouse,” he says.

Youngsters are experiencing reduced attention span, anxiety and depression due to uncontrolled usage of devices. But one can handle these situations with simple tips to avoid damage. “A break while using technology is a must. Also, while using mobile phones or tablets, always make sure to maintain a proper distance from the devices and that the posture is correct. Proper exercises to regulate muscle movement are required as well,” he adds.