Exploring the Link Between Technology Use and Loneliness

Abstract

Does technology make users lonelier? Introduction Advancement in technology has a positive and negative impact on its users. Before the commencement of the technology era, communication, among other areas in which technology has great influence, was challenging and tedious. However, the technology era came with defined approaches that eased human operations. Paying close attention to internet use, one can argue that this is among the most influential aspects technology offers the human race. Unfortunately, as much as this privilege enhances communication regardless of time or distance, its overreliance exposes the users to negative effects like stress. The current essay analyses the connection between technology use and loneliness, paying special attention to mobile use addictions in response to whether technology makes its users lonelier. After considering various scholars' arguments, the essay wishes to synthesize ten literature references on the topic and provide a logical trend in response to the correlation between technology use and loneliness among users. Is there a direct correlation between stress and internet addiction? There is a common thread of similarities in response to this question as different authors believe that technology use has direct effects on the user, whether positive or negative (Daei et al. (202); Kaibiao et al. (2-4); and Lu et al. (2-6)). While meditating on the role of loneliness concerning internet dependence, Kaibiao et al. (3) argue behavioral and emotional stress as potential triggers of internet addictions. An addiction disorder is characterized by the victims’ limited ability to control the triggers leading to an overreliance on doing that specific thing. Modern technology makes life very interesting as people can learn much from the internet. Unfortunately, many are becoming internet-enslaved people attributed to severe addiction, limiting normal/controlled internet use and exposing many to negative effects like stress and depression in severe cases. Based on this author, family stress, whether emotional stress or behavioral anxiety, enhances the victims' urge to use the internet as a way to avoid or forget such stressors. Unfortunately, the more the victim runs away from that family-related stress, the more the urge to rely on the internet results in serious addictions. Arguing from the perception that too much of something is poisonous, such addictions worsen stress levels to the primary victims and others within such families. In harmony with Kaibiao et al. (10) arguments with a little extension on stress triggers, Daei et al. (202) argue the relationship between stress and mobile phone addictions from a nomophobia disorder point of view. According to Daei et al. (202), nomophobia is a state of socio-psychological disorder that affects Smartphone users of fears of not having access to such devices. Using 320 students’ clustery sampled, the author examined the relationship between Smartphone use and nomophobia disorder and noted a close correlation between the two. Based on the sample responses, gender, age and levels of education contributed greatly to defining the levels of nomophobia amongst Smartphone users. Most students fear losing access or interest in internet access which proves very stressful. Through the internet, students engage with their fellow schoolmates, friends, families and most importantly, their age groups. Any thoughts of losing such connection attributed to limited use of Smartphone’s due to educational demands, and parent restriction, among other factors, expose such users to severe stressing situations as they try to weigh out options that best fit their demands. Unfortunately, even with a defined level of education, the urge to use Smartphone’s remains well-defined with limited controls, which proves stressful in its manner. For this reason, the author confirms a positive correlation between nomophobia and Smartphone use addictions suggesting viable interventions to curb nomophobia as a potential step in the fight against internet addictions. Still emphasizing how stress contributes to internet overreliance negatively impacting the users, Lee et al. (1205-1228) confirm that some students unconsciously become internet enslaved, which limits early interventions to address such addictions. According to Lee et al. (1205-1210), there are potential factors that prove as stress triggers exposing many people to overreliance on mobile phones. Based on these authors, stress directly enhances internet use as the victim tries to source a potential approach to handling r escaping stressful events or thoughts. While investigating the relationship between personality traits, social anxiety and loneliness with preferences for voice and text messaging on mobile phones, these authors noted that most unconsciously become call and message addicts to seek relief from stressing forms of loneliness. People do not just make calls or text others but rather engage in such an act to address inner pressing desires, which these authors interpret as stressors. Unfortunately, a habit becomes a disease with time, and such people become phone addicts such that they can barely spend time without engaging with their mobile devices, whether texting or calling others. They conclude that technology addictions do not just come from nowhere but are rather triggered by personal or social stressors leading to the severe psychological and mental torture of the victim in the long run. Mobile Addiction and loneliness A very interesting overview of this topic is well reflected by the literature references considered in this essay. Although these pieces of literature differ in their arguments on the connection between media addiction and loneliness, it is evident that, to some great extent, the two have a close connection. Starting with an article whose arguments contradict most other literature conclusions on the relationship between media addiction and loneliness, Patulny (12-15) refutes that technology makes its users lonelier. Based on this author, how one uses the media determines the outcomes experiences in the long run. If a person uses social media correctly, this author believes it cannot leave any negative effects like loneliness or stress on the user and vice-versa. On the same note, Patulny (3) adds that the urge to use social media is primarily vested in personal interests; thus, one can choose when, why and the extent of time to spend on media without letting effects like loneliness govern such moves. The author does not associate age, gender or levels of education as triggers to media addiction, defining loneliness among users like many authors within this literature. In a counter-attack to Patulny arguments, Tarver (3) argue that technology makes user lonelier as many remains connected without connections. Tarver (1-4) argues the connection between media addictions and loneliness from the connection sphere point of view. Many people get to the internet in search of people to...