Technology's Effect on Our Health: the Good,

the Bad, and the Ugly

Do you remember when your parents would scold you for sitting too close to the television? They
always warned us that the screens would rot our brains and our eyes would fall out. When cell
phones came out, everyone said the radiation from them was damaging our brain cells.

Now, things really aren't much different. New technologies are introduced every single day, and
with them new concerns. So what is technology's effect on our health, really? 

Is Technology Making Us Lazy? 

When you search for "technology makes us lazy" online you’re bombarded with lists of reasons
why everyone believe tech may be holding us back, physically. Of course, not all of the data
presented for these arguments are objective. Some are but not all. Let’s take a look at why
people believe technology’s effect on our health could be negative. 

A few years ago, The Next Web reported “11 Ways Tech Has Made Us Lazy”. Author and Social
Media Editor for the company, Sherilyn Macale, wrote the following blurb about why she believes
tech is making us lazy, as a result of entertainment always being at our fingertips: 

“From the comfort of my own apartment, while watching the fight on Pay Per View, I can pause
mid-match to double check that my favorite songs on iTunes have been downloaded or my
playlists on Spotify synced to my smartphone. I switch inputs on my television to my PS3 which
has a Blu-Ray DVD of Avatar in to watch one of my favorite clips. I then slip on my XBOX 360
headset to flip inputs again and finish up party chatting with my friends list, as they’ve been
waiting for me to play a session of Call of Duty with them. After a quick round, I flip back to Pay
Per View, resume the fight, and tweet out what’s happening on screen like a sports announcer,
amusing myself with the flood of replies.” 

It's easy to read this blurb and scoff a little at the scenario. Is anyone really switching back and
forth from their PPV to iTunes to their PS3 to their XBOX and back? Maybe, but probably not as
commonly as Macale is sensationalizing it in this article. Also, this was in 2011,  before the Hulu-
Netflix-Amazon Video wars, and Apple Music versus Spotify became a thing. A lot has changed
since then. For one, our access to entertainment has only become easier and more immediate. 
In contrast to Macale's point, Author Lauren Lanna for The Odyssey recently wrote about why
technology does not make us lazier. Rather, it offers us opportunities to actively seeking out new
knowledge, to be more engaged with the world and others rather than less. In her article titled,
Technology Does Not Make Our Generation Lazy, she explains that technology allows users to
have access to more information than imaginable with just the click of a button: 

"I have any information I could ever need at the touch of a finger, and I can spend less time
clarifying and researching facts, and more time learning new things that are interesting and
unique to me. I work just as hard at school and at my job despite my cell phone use on breaks
and free time. In many ways my phone is like an add-on to my arm, but I don't use it to cause
problems or seem uninterested in the world around me. In fact, many times its the other way
around. - And just because I may use more technology in my daily life does not mean I am lazy." 

So, can all of this ease-of-access actually make us lazy? Does it make us more productive? That
may be up to us, ultimately. We make the decision every day as to whether or not we should
research something new, take a walk, or watch Orange is the New Black. A great number of us
may choose the walk, while some will choose Netflix. Is that really the technology's fault? You tell
me. 

Are Screens Impacting Our Eyesight? 

This is one of the most common concerns associated with the evolution of technology: Do digital
devices really cause eye strain? According to The Vision Council, the short answer is yes. They
write, "Many individuals suffer from physical eye discomfort after screen use for longer than two
hours at a time." Have you ever looked at your phone in the middle of the night, only to be
partially blinded by the brightness? Our eyes did not develop to read tiny text on tiny screens with
bright lights. 

It’s not only our eyes that may be affected, however. Some worry that digital eye strain may also
affect your head, neck, and shoulders, depending on your posture as you use different devices. If
you find yourself with seemingly causeless head and neck aches, you might want to consider
adjusting your posture and/or reducing your screen time a bit. You could try reading a book,
going for a walk, etc. 

For those of us who are required to spend at least eight hours a week day in front of a computer,
The Vision Council gives the following tips on how to reduce digital eye strain:

 Following the 20-20-20 rule, taking a 20-second break from the screen every 20 minutes
and looking at something 20 feet away
 Reduce overhead lighting to eliminate screen glare
  Position yourself at arm's distance away from the screen for proper viewing distance
when at a computer
 Increase text size on devices to ease content viewing

Are There Any Positives to Technology’s Effect On Our Health? 

There’s something to be said for an age in which counting our steps via tech tools has become
trendy. While physical health is likely still not as important to as many of us as it should be, smart
tech has made fitness a lot more fun for some.  

Here are some ways that technology has positively impacted our health: 

A mobile application called Achievemint was designed to connect to other health and fitness

related apps you might have on your phone. You earn points for any bit of activity you do. Once
your reach 10,000 points you earn $10! Most of us would be encouraged to do something
physical if the reward was monetary.  

Another app that follows along these same lines is Charity Miles. With this app, any time you log
miles for walking, running, or cycling, money will be donated to your charity of choice. This
technology positively impacts not only our health, but also our passions for meaningful causes. 

Of course, one of the most incredible things technology has done for our health is revolutionizing
healthcare for the present and future of humanity. Recently, doctors in Minnesota used 3D
printing and virtual reality to safely and effectively separate conjoined twin infants. Before the
implementation of these types of technologies, those conjoined twins may not have survived. We
also have Chatbots that are helping to ease new mothers into the complexities of breastfeeding.
And major procedures have become much less invasive with the implementation of robotic
laparoscopic surgeries.  

The point is, even if technology has impacted our health in some negative ways, it has also
provided some incredible positive opportunities and revolutions for the long-term improvement of
our health. 

So, what do you think? Is technology's effect on our health negative or positive from your
perspective? Is there a gray area? Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page!

Author: Bekah Witten