Digital Addiction:Impact on Quality of Life of the Youth

Many people think of technology as a lifeline. It seems that digital media is rewiring our brain for addiction, multiplying our need for external validation a thousand-fold, and creating a feeling of panic when faced with open, disconnected space. The constant barrage of digital information affects our brain chemistry because it increases levels of dopamine, a chemical associated with the pleasure system. Too much dopamine can make us addicted to food, sex, drugs and even technology. In addition to (or maybe because of firing up the brain's reward system), constant online engagement has the power to momentarily quell deep-seated feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other pesky emotions. But this escapism from our fundamental discomforts only brings more suffering in the end. Digital frenzy also feeds the minds deeply ingrained habit toward distraction, which takes us further and further away from our true self.