A Review of Digital Addiction: A Call for Safety Education

In reviewing digital addiction, this paper recognized that digital technology has been useful in various spheres of life and the reach is undeniable, with an “average” user spending long hours on their phone or online daily. These hours increase as new applications are released by various technological companies. The demands of modern lifestyles have also lead to heavy dependence on various digital technologies for information, inter-personal relationships, entertainment and even economic transactions. There is no doubt that the over dependence on digital technology may result in addiction. Digital addiction is similar to other addictions; those suffering from it exhibit compulsive behaviour and use the virtual fantasy world as a substitution for real-life human connection. Although all of its true effects are not known, the impacts on an addicted users’ life are serious and may led to social isolation, anxiety, depression, immune system disruption, brain damage and even death, Indeed, we are all at the receiving end of digital technology and deserve adequate safeguards and protections against the attendant risks of this technological revolution. In recommendations, health and safety education, time restriction and constant monitoring should be employed to safeguards healthy ways of using digital technology.