High Tech Stress

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

23 Apr 2007 07:22 AM

Have you ever been in a position where you have not been able to check your email when you wanted to? How did it make you feel? Did you break out in a cold sweat? What about the last time you couldn't use your cellphone? Did your head start to ache? Did your body start to tremble? If you answered "yes," you may have a dependency issue with your electronic devices.

In a previous blog I listed some of the physical symptoms people who have dependency issues with high-tech gadgets suffer from, but that's just one area of your health that may be affected. It may sound strange, but doctors say that many of us could use some detox from our digital drugs. That's where some hotels and restaurants come in. Several establishments have designed new programs to help customers detach from their high-tech gadgets. Hotels, including some Sheratons, are promoting programs where they take your electronic devices at check in and lock them up so you can't get at them. And, a small but growing number of restaurants are shutting down their Wi-Fi signals during certain hours of the day.

All this in an effort to help people... Really. Think about it; how many times have you tried to carry on a conversation with a friend only to be cut off because he or she desperately had to take a call, check an email, or text some V.I.P.? Now ask yourself, how many times have you had such a burning desire to check your voice mail you whipped your phone out during a face-to-face meeting with someone?

Don't worry... you aren't alone. In a recent marketing study, 56% of people reported a high level of anxiety if they couldn't access their email. In a British study, 7% of students admitted they lost a job or relationship due to cellphone use.

A psychiatrist at UCLA recently released a report on technology overload--in it he says the symptoms of addiction are very real.

"You end up with a set of circumstances which drive anxiety, make people feel that they can't keep ahead of things, work too hard, sleep deprive them," he says.

The doctor also weighed in on the programs by hotels, which lock up your electronic gadgets. He says that type of deprivation can actually be counter-productive.

"Probably you'll be as anxious as all get out for that weekend, worrying about whether someone sent you something important while you were sitting on the beach. Self constraint is the only way to go," he says.

So, how can an obsessed gadget lover break a bad habit?

Experts say the key is to strike a balance between everyday life and technology by taking a 24-hour tech-free break once a week. You can also try turning off the ringer on your e-mail.

Do you have dependency issues with your personal electronic devices?

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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