In Informatics Week, which is the first week of May; is aimed to focus on the conscious and beneficial use of technology that changes and develops people's lives and, as a result, greatly influences them. Encouraging the whole society, especially children and young people, to use information technologies safely and consciously, informing them about this issue, and planning awareness training are among the priorities. All the activities planned to be held this week constitute an important part of the “Action Plan for Combating Behavioral Addictions Awareness Studies”.
“Conscious, Safe and Effective Use of Information Technologies”
The concept of addiction, which is defined as an excessive fondness for an object or behavior, is generally evaluated by the use of substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. However, in recent years, it has been argued that some behaviors such as gambling, exercise, eating, and sleeping are also addictive. The same is true for technological devices and applications such as computers, the internet, online games, tablets, and mobile phones. Excessive use of these technologies can lead to technology addiction in people.
According to the 2016 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, 61% of the population of Turkey uses the internet and social media ranks first among the purposes of internet use. In addition, 96% of households in Turkey have a mobile phone.
Risk-taking and sensation-seeking behaviors seen in adolescence increase the adolescent's susceptibility to addictions. The use of technologies such as the Internet and social media is more common among adolescents than adults. Adolescence is considered a critical period in terms of technological addictions such as internet addiction, social media addiction, digital game addiction, and smartphone addiction. It is reported that technology addiction in adolescence varies between 4.2% and 21% in studies conducted in the world and between 2.33% and 14% in studies conducted in our country.
Adolescence is an important period for identity and personality development. Adolescents need to be a member of a group, risk of loneliness, increased depressive tendencies, etc. Considering such situations, they may be at risk in terms of technology addiction.
Technology addiction; Regarding the use of the internet and technological devices, "excessive use, inability to satisfy the desire to use, neglecting activities due to excessive use, excessive use harming social relations, using it as an escape tool from negative emotions and life stress, experiencing problems in reducing and stopping use, It is defined as the state of being tense and irritable and lying about the duration and amount of use”.
Although technology is a digital power that makes our lives easier; When it comes to technology addiction, technology turns into a factor that makes life difficult. Digital devices such as phones, computers, smart devices, and game consoles have become an integral part of our lives. Especially when these devices are combined with the internet, it has become a normal habit for most people to use them for hours. And the normal process of perceiving this abnormal action causes many people to live their lives without even realizing that they are addicted to technology.
Spend hours saying only a few minutes; lying to those around him about his screen time; complaining about physical problems due to using the computer for a long time, preferring talking to people over the internet to face-to-face; sacrificing meals, classes or appointments to access the Internet; feeling tense and empty when away from the computer; Staying in front of the computer until late at night is one of the important symptoms of technology addiction.
In technology addiction; physical problems such as burning in the eyes, pain, and stiffness in the neck muscles, impaired body posture, numbness, and weakness in the hands; Social problems such as a decline in academic achievement, personal, family, and school problems, failure to manage time, sleep disorders, not eating, decreased activities and isolation from internet friends can be experienced.
To guide children to meet their friends in natural ways, to enable them to socialize in peer groups; directing children to sports branches suitable for their talents and interests; supporting children's friendship relations, planning activities that will bring them together; Controlling children's computer use, getting to know their friends in the virtual environment and taking care of having safe internet applications on computers are important things that parents can do; smartphone/tablet, etc. Never using tools such as these to console or silence children, and not allowing children to use the internet uncontrollably and for a long time are important behaviors they should not do.
