An issue that comes up more frequently in my therapy practice is the impact of communication technology and the internet on emotional, psychological and relationship health. The seduction of
these tools, though helpful in a myriad of ways, is proving to be increasingly problematic. As a therapist, I’m experiencing first-hand the consequences occurring for people in distruption to relationships via distractibility and inattentiveness – as well as individual struggles with compulsive e-mail checking, social networking site checking and other what I refer to as “rabbit holes” that technology has created for us. As someone who is very connected to this technology myself, I can also relate to the problem potential.
It is ultimately up to us whether we jump into those rabbit holes and if we do, that we can get ourselves out unscathed; without the personal and relational problems I’ve indicated. According to a recent article in The New York Times, people are indeed paying a price for their involvement in technology. “The technology is rewiring our brains,”said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse and one of the world’s leading brain scientists. She and other researchers compare the lure of digital stimulation less to that of drugs and alcohol than to food and sex, which are essential but counterproductive in excess.
0 comments:
Post a Comment