What are your thoughts on the relationship between technology and mental health in the digital age?

[QUIQUEPEREZ]

In the digital age, technology plays an increasingly pervasive role in our lives, impacting various aspects including communication, work, and entertainment. However, as our reliance on technology grows, so does the discourse surrounding its effects on mental health.

 

[Jogur]

In my opinion it is simply an evolution, each historical moment has had its dependence on something, for example, many people talk about people with their cell phones on the street all the time, I show them photographs from a few decades ago with people with newspapers reading them. everywhere, from public transportation to walking down the street, a big thing. A few years ago everyone was glued to the television too, you have to see things with perspective, the only difference is that with the internet we have something accessible at all times and it does many things instead of just one, not to mention that it is also a consequence of having more leisure time than we used to have a few decades ago.

As for the mental, it is just a classic three steps forward, two steps back, you will see that with digital access to everything many people have had great benefits in terms of mental health (those shy people, agoraphobics, etc... now they can have people to talk to without fear), although it also has its bad things, as you can see the problems that digital acceptance can generate and how it can influence. As I have said good things and bad things, although in my opinion more of the first than the second.

 

[stangnomez]

While there is no doubt that technology does have an impact on mental health, I believe that it is often used as a mask of other material concerns in our lives.

 

[xanxus07]

Let's not forget the whole cyber bullying, where just 1 click can ruin someone life.

 

[Flaming1]

My mental health was shit before pervasive digital tech was a thing. Tech both a blessing and a curse. It's easy to spiral down a dark rabbit hole, but it's also possible to find a supporting community that helps bear you up.

Due to human nature being what I is, negative results seen to be more likely.

Technology itself is not the issue, it's the way technology is used to make connections and amplify human communications that can be the issue.

 

[MattShizzle]

It can be good for those of us on the autism spectrum - puts us on equal footing as it takes non-verbal communication out of the equation. Some people say for us it's like a foreign language. I think ALIEN language comes closer to reality.

 

[Republican Bear]

Well technology and progress usually come with a bunch of new problem for society. Though I'd say social media is the bigger problem.

As every person can now share their opinion and live in bubbles were it doesn't fit reality.

 

[ツSisterSexualシ]

Social Medias, TV shows, random garbage news etc causing 5G and depression, using them every single day would gradually reduce normal dopamine level production, which is sad.

people with their cell phones on the street all the time

I was wondering what are they doing /watching there? (dumb tiktoks? instagram hoes?)
I never used phones in public, I prefer real human interactions

 

[Stoni1234]

in my opinion technology isnt the problem. its the unregulatet capitalism. companys are willing to fuck up your mental health if they can make profit from it. im thinking about tiktok - ruins your attantion span, loot boxes in video games for children - triggers the same regions in the brain as gambling and makes people more vulnerable for gambling addiction and simillar stuff.
Also collecting data about peoples life to manipulate them better or countries like china who use all kind of data for their social score.
Id say some stuff just shouldnt be allowed or at least needs more regulation.

But I guess thats not only about technology, pharma more or less intentionally caused the drug crisis in the USA, car and fossil fuel companys dont care about environmental damage as long as someone else is paying for it and so on.
So id say everyone has to watch out for himself what kind of technology he uses and if it has a positive or negative impact on his life.

 

[Gazon731]

Technology and mental health are not related. Mental health determined by genes, fetal development, nutrition, affection by chemical and physical hazards, infections, etc. You becoming insane because of processes inside your brain, not because of lack of communication and stress.

 

[User_80256]

If we talk about information technology, there is infantilization of society. Many people are no longer able to read large texts and, after reading them, to explain clearly what they have read. This forum, by the way, is a vivid illustration of this process.

 

[RonLancaster]

For introverts I think its been a net positive

 

[Arachel]

My two cents:
More and more the world pushes the idea of parasocial relationships which makes it harder to deal with people in a meaningful way. Whilst it doesn't necessarily harm 'mental health' it does harm society and how real people interact. You're also actively contributing to the destruction of the human race as you're lessening the need for human relationships it will get to the point where men and women will just date a robot for their interaction needs and result in a decline in birth rate which creates an imbalance in society where the number of old(er) individuals will outweigh the young and that's going to have impact on the workforce and quality of living moving forward which you are seeing in some countries that are struggling with a low birthrate. As technology gets better the issues around it will grow.

 

[toddhoward314]

My thoughts? Buy Skyrim Special Edition for the Texas Instruments TI-nspire CX II CAS this November for the low, low price of 70 US dollareedoos!

 

[User_106373]

There have been ton of research on this subject and for sure, the online cyber has affected hugely people social interaction skills and behavior, especially in youths and children. Suicide on cyber crime has risen fast and aggressive, toxic bullying is something that is out of control. Plus there are the predator's who hunt out innocent young girls to obtain their own sexual fantasies. There are many terrible things and the youths and kids are not equip to deal with such things.. I feel it is the duty of parents to teach them. Not through feer, but through understanding and to show the kids what to do when things go bad.

The other side is much more positive. There is endless information we can look up and ton of videos show us how to fix furniture, cars and so on. Plus Youtube the most scary pranks and so much more. Online is like a knife with two edge. It can be fun and interesting or deadly, but society is nothing like it was 10 or 15 year ago. Even people in the streets are changed and a lot is to do with online, especially with school age kids because they are not shown interaction skills through physical play and forget manners and so much more. I feel parents don't even have the skills in some cases to properly educate their kids when things go wrong, or kids simply are too scared to say anything. Yes, it has a huge impact on mental health, especially through cyber crimes and bullying

 

[ツSisterSexualシ]

Technology and mental health are not related. Mental health determined by genes, fetal development, nutrition, affection by chemical and physical hazards, infections, etc. You becoming insane because of processes inside your brain, not because of lack of communication and stress.

stress = poisonous hormones = insomnia = fked up mood = weird mental issues

There have been ton of research on this subject and for sure, the online cyber has affected hugely people social interaction skills and behavior, especially in youths and children. Suicide on cyber crime has risen fast and aggressive, toxic bullying is something that is out of control. Plus there are the predator's who hunt out innocent young girls to obtain their own sexual fantasies. There are many terrible things and the youths and kids are not equip to deal with such things.. I feel it is the duty of parents to teach them. Not through feer, but through understanding and to show the kids what to do when things go bad.

The other side is much more positive. There is endless information we can look up and ton of videos show us how to fix furniture, cars and so on. Plus Youtube the most scary pranks and so much more. Online is like a knife with two edge. It can be fun and interesting or deadly, but society is nothing like it was 10 or 15 year ago. Even people in the streets are changed and a lot is to do with online, especially with school age kids because they are not shown interaction skills through physical play and forget manners and so much more. I feel parents don't even have the skills in some cases to properly educate their kids when things go wrong, or kids simply are too scared to say anything. Yes, it has a huge impact on mental health, especially through cyber crimes and bullying

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live in bubbles were it doesn't fit reality.

that's how google/tiktok/mass medias were intended to be

 

[misaki002]

I think as everything it depends on how it is used. Yes as everything it does affect mental health, meainly it affects younger audience as it is easier for them to learn using new technology than it is for older generations. But big thing is that younger the people the more emotions they get from the technology and that makes them dull to normal amount of emotions. It creates huge dopamine addiction and as any other addiction it corrupts the soul and makes mental health go down the drain.

On the other hand thanks to this it can be easier to talk about mental problems because it is easier to find others with same problems and see that it can be common problem. You can find advices and tutorials how to cope and get better.

 

[offblest]

Technology is good, but short form media content has made everyone more engrossed in their phones to bedrot.

 

[frafildur]

Technological singularity is the best path to avoid climate collapse, nuclear war, supervolcano catastrophe, 99% mortality pandemic, asteroid impact, alien invasion.......... more or less all the existential risks.

This means, there is (in my experience) a solid healthy increase in optimism for those who follow the field and hope for an intelligence explosion.

So, I place faith in the potentially-exponential progress of AI-dev. I hope: AGI 2025, ASI 2027. If the ASI decides humans aren't healthy for the world, so be it.