The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: April 17, 2011

Official News page 4


REAL LIFE NEWS: MIGHT AS WELL FACE IT, YOU'RE ADDICTED TO TECH

by Hazed

For teenagers, their favorite gadgets are like an addictive drug. If deprived of them, they suffer withdrawal symptoms which compare to a heavy drug user who goes cold turkey.

That's the claim of a study called The World Unplugged, which made groups of young adults undergo a technology ban - no phones, internet or TV for 24 hours. The participants were from ten different countries and aged between 17 and 23.

They were allowed to use landline phones and to read books, but these old-fashioned pastimes did not provide enough simulation to the young gadget addicts and one in five claimed to be distressed, while 11% said they felt isolated.

"I am an addict. How could I survive 24 hours without it? Media is my drug; without it I was lost," said one of those taking part, who lived in the UK.

It wasn't that bad for all the participants, though. At least 21% said they could feel the benefits of going without gadgets. An American teen wrote, "I've lived with the same people for three years now, they're my best friends, and I think that this is one of the best days we've spent together. I was able to really see them, without any distractions, and we were able to revert to simple pleasures."

I am not sure this study actually proves anything important, except that teenagers who enjoy something are distressed when it's taken away! A football fan would get upset if not allow to watch the game, but that doesn't mean liking football is a problem - just as enjoying tech gadgets isn't really a problem.

Source: http://www.reghardware.com/2011/04/08/technology_addiction_like_a_drug/


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