Nomophobia - technology addiction - A Christian perspective - AOTV Report

Smartphones help us solve all sorts of problems: check our e-mail accounts, pay the bills, search information and take pictures. A study realized by Ernst&Young Romania company indicates that Romanians are addicted to their smartphones. 29% of the respondents said they start the day checking their mobile phone and 66 % said they check their mobile devices within 30 minutes after waking up.
Which gadget do you use most frequently ?
My phone.
Which device do you use most frequently ?
The phone.
My phone and my laptop, usually.
Do you check your phone first thing in the morning ?
Yes, usually after I wake up, take a shower...
What do you do first thing in the morning ?
I check my Facebook account.
I check my phone, navigate through the internet, read my notifications.
My phone is the first thing I check in the morning. I don't necessarily go on the Internet, but I do check my phone without fail.
What is the first thing you do in the morning ? Do you check your phone ?
No, I make myself a cup of coffee.
Specialists say excessive mobile phone use can lead to the apparition of nomophobia, a disease caused by smartphone addiction.
Nomophobia is fear of not having a phone, of not being involved in relationships and of not being connected. Nomophobia is a word that will become a part of our vocabulary. We are faced with a reality we have to consider.
There's an increasing talk of web 3.0, an integrated internet. It doesn't only engage you as web 2.0 does, but web 3.0 is above you, integrating you in a system bigger than you.
Technology makes communication simple and faster. On the other hand, it can harm human relationships. People are sitting at the same table, but don't interact in a real way. Instead, they use gadgets. A virtual world can't offer you what the real world can, namely relationships with your friends. You can't have real-life benefits in a virtual world. Having a phone means you have an instrument to stay connected. The need for meaning and for a relationship gets fulfilled this way and I think the latter is the most acute need.
I came to the conclusion that there are a few areas in which an individual can be in the relationship with himself, with others and God. My hypothesis that too much time spent on social media leads to addiction was confirmed after I studied the issue. We cannot ignore the benefits of technology, but what we need is balance.
The apostle Paul says we have the right to do anything, but we must not became a slave to anything. To demonize and to suggest everything must be eliminated is not a wise decision. Rather, we need to use our ability for discernment, but we have to be very well informed to do that.
People read a little of the Bible, pray a little, get involved in others' needs less than they are able to. While almost everyone complains about how busy they are, so many people devote major time to the internet, social media and technology-related activities.
God wants us to communicate with each other and to be engaged in layers of community such as our family, the church or friends.