There comes a time when you are lying in bed and you have nothing else to do but stare at your bright screen for the next two hours.
With vast growing vortex of social media and the fact that smartphones do not make it any easier for our generation to not get addicted, we all have that uncontrollable urge. We have an urge to use technological devices such as computers, gaming systems and smartphones (obviously!).
Technology addiction appears to be more prevalent among the teenagers of today but is found among the broad population as well. According to the International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine, as many as one in eight Americans suffers from some type of technology addiction.
Social media platforms are not making it any easier for the addicted generation to realise they might fall into the category that picks up their smartphone 150 times a day. Dr Alter writes about technology addiction, suggesting that 40 percent of people have some kind of internet-based addiction, be that social media, pornography or e-mail (which the average worker checks 36 times an hour).
To keep users hooked, many smartphones and apps take a page from machine gambling. By using bright, warm and bold colours, especially with the colour red, which attracts a user's eye faster on a screen. Another form to keep users looking at their phone is via push notifications.
The use of push notifications started back in the day when BlackBerry was cool and BBM was still a thing, yet BlackBerry designed the push notifications to allow users to have less screen time. Today, these push notifications control the way we look at our smartphones. It ensures you retain users and keep them connected, it encourages engagement, triggers recognition and enhances participation.
Have a look at the video below by VOX, that shows you how your smartphone and social media are to blame for your addiction.
