Hyperconnectivity and its influence on contemporary culture and metal health

What is hyperconnectivity?

Hyperconnectivity is a concept that synthesizes the current situation of the human being in which he lives permanently connected to information through different devices such as radio, television, internet and mobile phone.

 

During the first months of 2020, due to the confinement situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how the times of use of digital devices have increased, not only for leisure, but also in the workplace. What has made it necessary to pay attention to the habits that we have been acquiring.

 

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) have constituted a technological revolution. They have opened new doors to human relations, the world of work, research, entertainment, education, etc.

 

We have gone from direct to indirect communication. Thanks to them we can be in contact with people from the other part of the world and follow their lives as if they were nearby. Distances and limits become shorter, they allow us to have access to all kinds of information in an almost unlimited way, thanks to social networks we can know the latest news within minutes of it happening. We are more connected than ever to the world as a whole. The advantages are more than evident, they represent an enormous advance in the sense that it facilitates the free expression of ideas, thoughts, knowledge, news, etc. One of the great benefited areas has been education, thanks to educational computer programs, a motivating environment has been achieved to work on the cognitive stimulation of the youngest.

 

What repercussions does hyperconnectivity have on our culture and health

Although ICTs are neither good nor bad by themselves, we could consider that they are all advantages, that accessibility and connection cannot bring anything negative. But the fact is that harmful repercussions may appear, especially derived from the misuse and abuse of these tools.

When we talk about misuse, we refer to the use of ICT as a means to insult, deceive, swindle, harass, or cause harm to another person.

 

Regarding abuse, it is the state reached when the hours of exposure to ICTs are increased to the point where certain activities and responsibilities are renounced to be connected.

 

Some of the consequences that may appear due to the abuse of ICTs would be:

 

·         Suffering from anxiety or FOMO (fear of missing something, or being excluded from social networks).

·         Cancels creativity.

·         Loss of critical analysis of reality, cognitive distortions.

·         Encourages isolation, and causes socialization problems.

·         Generates compulsive behaviors.

·         Increases  the risk of depression.

·          Causes sleeping problems.

Destruction of the personality.

It is interesting to benefit from all the tools that allow us to grow and evolve both professionally, personally and socially, but, for this, it is essential to make responsible use of them. We must be attentive to the warning signs that may indicate that we are entering a certain degree of abuse, for example, the fear and anxiety of going without the mobile phone, the abandonment of tasks or recreational activities due to being connected, the excess of hours of exposure to ICT. Becoming aware of our relationship with them will allow us to have greater control over their use, since we are the ones who direct that relationship, not the ones who are being directed. We can implement some tips to deal with ICT without falling into excess, such as, for example, turning off the mobile during social gatherings or meals, prioritizing reality over the virtual world, carrying out activities that free us from stress.