{"id":4310,"date":"2021-06-30T18:31:58","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T18:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techpricecrunch.com\/?post_type=blog&p=4310"},"modified":"2024-02-15T05:33:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T05:33:30","slug":"tech-addiction-statistics","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/techpricecrunch.com\/blog\/tech-addiction-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"28 Alarming Tech Addiction Statistics to Be Aware Of in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
Technology has improved our lives beyond all expectations and given us unprecedented access to information and entertainment. But technology is also highly addictive and has thus gradually taken control over many people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n
In this overview of the latest tech addiction statistics, we\u2019ll examine if people can manage this problem themselves or if we\u2019re facing a more serious public health crisis. You\u2019ll learn about the current technology usage trends and see how this issue affects children and teens, especially in the context of social media and mental health.<\/p>\n
(Interesting Engineering)<\/p>\n
When experts talk about tech addiction, they typically refer to internet addiction. However, tech addiction facts reveal this term is much broader. It also includes online gaming, social media, internet gambling, cybersex or porn addiction, and smartphone overuse.<\/p>\n
The internet is a fruitful space for sparking many addictive behaviors. And for each of these, people need at least one device. So while internet addiction might be an addiction to some type of content rather than the tech itself, it\u2019s always mediated by technology. This last fact is crucial in fully understanding people\u2019s dependence on technology, statistics suggest.<\/p>\n
(Internet World Stats)<\/p>\n
From 458 million in 2001 to nearly 5.2 billion in 2021, the number of internet users has gone up by a staggering 1028% over the last two decades. With so many users worldwide, the demand for internet-connected devices has been on a steady rise during the same period. All this has created a fertile ground for internet and technology dependence, statistics show.<\/p>\n
(Business Insider)<\/p>\n
Official data on the number of internet addicts is scarce. However, a 2014 study \u2014 the latest one conducted on this subject \u2014 found that about 6% of people worldwide could be qualified as addicts. With the world\u2019s population estimated at 7.9 billion in 2021, this means that as many as 474 million people around the globe are addicted to the internet.<\/p>\n
(Mediakix, The Atlantic, NCBI)<\/p>\n
Worrisome as it is, this behavior can be interpreted as an indication of a developing tech addiction or its result. Either way, it could have a severely detrimental effect on people\u2019s sleep. For example, one study found that the number of sleep-deprived teens in the US had grown by 57% between 1970 and 2015. Similarly, a 2021 Chinese study pointed to pre-bed phone usage as the primary cause of poor sleep quality in teenagers and young adults.<\/p>\n
(Dscout)<\/p>\n
On average, this translates to more than 950,000 swipes, clicks, and taps per year. For most people, this is a habit \u2014 repetitive behavior signaling an obsessive need to stay in the loop with all the content appearing on their phone. As such, they will reach for their phones even if they haven\u2019t heard a notification sound and don\u2019t plan to use it at that moment.<\/p>\n
(Study Finds)<\/p>\n
Technology statistics clearly show people are glued to screens. It\u2019s no surprise, seeing as they use devices for most of their daily activities. However, the number of hours they spend in front of screens has gone up considerably since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
A recent small-scale survey found that Americans watch TV for 4 hours and 30 minutes every day and spend another 5 hours in front of their computers<\/a>. Add to that 4 hours and 30 minutes spent on a smartphone and more than 3 hours playing video games, and it turns out an average American spends all their waking hours \u2014 more than 17 \u2014 in front of screens.<\/p>\n (Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n Since 2015, the number of American adults who say they\u2019re \u201calways online\u201d has almost doubled. According to statistics on technology usage, only 17% of them were this active in 2015, compared to the 31% who report being \u201cconstantly online\u201d in 2021.<\/p>\n (Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n Tech addiction stats from 2021 reveal that 48% of the people who are \u201calways online\u201d fall into the 18\u201329 age group, and 42% of them have a college degree. They\u2019re also better off financially, as 40% earn $75,000 a year or more.<\/p>\n Most of them live in urban (37%) and suburban (30%) areas. Gender isn\u2019t much of a factor, as both men (32%) and women (30%) are almost equally active. However, there are some differences in terms of race \u2014 namely, Blacks (37%) and Hispanics (36%) are the most active. Meanwhile, white Americans account for just 28% of the most avid internet users.<\/p>\n (Pew Research Center)<\/p>\n In addition to the 31% of US adults who are online almost always, technology dependence statistics show that 48% go online several times a day, while 6% do it at least once a day. On the other hand, 7% of American adults say they don\u2019t use the internet at all.<\/p>\n (NCBI)<\/p>\n Since 2012, psychologists and psychiatrists have continuously provided scientific evidence that IAD should be officially recognized as a serious medical condition. Their goal is to have it included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).<\/p>\n But even though the medical community \u2014 backed with extensive technology addiction data \u2014 acknowledges its severity, the disorder hasn\u2019t yet been recognized as such. Inevitably, this lack of official recognition is also slowing down the development of treatment options.<\/p>\n (ScienceDirect)<\/p>\n People prone to overuse of technology, statistics say, are also more likely to have other mental health disorders. For example, a study found that these people have higher levels of anxiety and depression than those not addicted to the internet. Furthermore, they also have difficulties in forging emotional relationships, which could potentially harm their family life.<\/p>\n (NICS Well)<\/p>\n While there haven\u2019t been any large-scale studies on the matter, a smaller UK study found a link between depression and internet addiction. According to the findings, people who spent more time on the internet had higher depression scores. Similarly, those with higher levels of depression were also more active online. Scientists are now facing the old chicken-and-egg dilemma: do depressed people seek solace online, or does addiction spark their depression?<\/p>\n (The Recovery Village)<\/p>\n Gaming addicts are more prone to depression<\/a> than non-gamers, but they are also more likely to suffer from other mental issues. According to research, they have a 40% higher risk of developing antisocial personality disorder and 27% higher chances of suffering from other addictions, including substance abuse. Additionally, video game addicts are 13% more likely to have ADHD, while all the time spent inside increases their risk of social anxiety by 10%.<\/p>\n (Statista, UdeMNouvelles)<\/p>\n Statistics on technology use suggest that porn and other adult content account for 20% of all mobile and 13% of all web searches. Porn is also highly addictive, with 87% of US men and 28.5% of women saying they watch this type of content at least once a week.<\/p>\n Interestingly, even though so many people are frequent porn consumers, it doesn\u2019t seem to impact their mental health significantly. Namely, a small-scale Hungarian study found that only 14%\u201322% of porn addicts say the addiction has started negatively affecting their lives. While these numbers don\u2019t seem so insignificant, they indicate that anywhere between 78% and 86% of frequent porn consumers don\u2019t experience any adverse mental health effects.<\/p>\n (The Recovery Village)<\/p>\n Internet addiction facts suggest that this type of behavior encourages other underlying disorders to \u201cstick around.\u201d Besides ADHD, currently the most prevalent co-occurring disorder, internet addicts also show symptoms of other mental health problems. These include generalized and social anxiety disorder (15%), borderline personality disorder (14%), hypomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder (7% each), and binge-eating disorder (2%).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (DataReportal)<\/p>\n According to technology addiction statistics from April 2021, the number of social media users worldwide has gone up by 13.7% year-over-year. On average, they spend 2 hours and 22 minutes a day browsing social media platforms. Of course, this is just an average; many users, especially teenagers and young adults, spend considerably more time on these sites.<\/p>\n And while most of them use social media to keep in touch with others, many are just looking for entertaining content, which can be highly addictive. Social media developers are aware of this and continue coming up with new ways of keeping users glued to their screens. With algorithms serving each user an endless stream of content cherry-picked just for them, the average time spent on social media is bound to increase in the coming years.<\/p>\n (UX Collective)<\/p>\n What makes people constantly check their social media apps, even if they haven\u2019t received a notification? The psychology of social media is very simple \u2014 it provides users with validation and positive reinforcement of their behavior. And this in itself is very addictive.<\/p>\n Every time a user receives a notification \u2014 be it for a like, a comment, or any other type of engagement from others \u2014 they see it as an achievement. This sends a signal to the brain to keep repeating the same behavior over and over again, as it will lead to even more reinforcement and feelings of pleasure. This is how people develop social media obsession, statistics show. But whether this is unethical or a great business model is up for debate.<\/p>\n (Statista, MacroTrends)<\/p>\n According to technology use statistics, users spend 35 minutes a day on Facebook. With the average life expectancy currently at 72.81 years and people as young as 10 now using the site, they could spend 1 year 6 months and 11 days of their lives on Facebook.<\/p>\n The numbers are similar for TikTok and Twitter, both of which average 33 minutes per day. Instagram isn\u2019t far behind, with 28 minutes per day. So, if we assume an average person regularly uses two platforms, this means they\u2019ll spend 3 years of their lives on social media.<\/p>\n (ScienceDirect)<\/p>\n A recent study involving more than 23,500 people aged 16\u201388 found that young, single women make up 17.5% of all social media addicts. The authors noted that most people addicted to social media suffer from low self-esteem, and the attention they receive from their followers helps them overcome this. Narcissistic personality disorder is also a common trait of social media addicts \u2014 the validation they receive from others helps feed their ego.<\/p>\n (Statista)<\/p>\n Even though older generations don\u2019t use social media much, it\u2019s still interesting that only 1% of them say they are \u201ccompletely\u201d and another 21% \u201csomewhat\u201d addicted to it. Young users show much higher levels of addiction \u2014 15% of those aged 23\u201338 are \u201ccompletely\u201d and 37% \u201csomewhat\u201d addicted. Overall, 9% of US adults are \u201ccompletely\u201d addicted to social media.<\/p>\n (DriversEd.com, Drive Safer)<\/p>\n Social media addiction isn\u2019t just hard on the addicts themselves \u2014 it can also cause harm to others. With 55% of drivers checking their social media behind the wheel and 25% saying they\u2019ve recorded a video while driving, the negative effects of technology extend to reduced traffic safety. This is very dangerous, as drivers react 38% more slowly when distracted by smartphones. For comparison, drunk driving slows their reaction time by just 12%.<\/p>\n (Statista)<\/p>\n American teenagers don\u2019t see being online all the time as overuse of technology, facts reveal. It\u2019s just their way of life. As such, it\u2019s no surprise to learn that another 44% of them say they go online several times a day, while the remaining 11% do so less often. On the other hand, US adults are less active \u2014 26% are always online and 43% a few times a day.<\/p>\n (A Total Approach)<\/p>\n A recent study that observed 9\u201310-year-olds for two years found that those who spent more than 7 hours a day using smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles had developed visible brain changes. One of the changes observed in a typical young technology addict was the thinning of the cortex, which is premature for this age. In addition, kids who spent more than 2 hours a day in front of screens had lower language and thinking test scores.<\/p>\n (PCMag)<\/p>\n According to a recent survey, 47% of US parents are worried their child may be addicted to their smartphone. Worse yet, 50% believe their kid\u2019s excessive smartphone use is negatively affecting their mental health. Parents are most concerned with YouTube \u2014 35% think it\u2019s not safe for kids, while 61% say their child often stumbles upon unsuitable content on the site.<\/p>\n (Common Sense Media)<\/p>\n While it\u2019s easy to classify parents of tech-addicted kids as negligent, facts about technology addiction paint a different picture. In a recent poll, 89% said it was their responsibility to limit the time their kids spend using digital devices. However, there is a problem \u2014 namely, 32% of parents think they\u2019re suffering from cell phone addiction themselves, statistics show.<\/p>\n (Mediakix)<\/p>\n Teens spend up to 9 hours per day checking their social media accounts. Also, according to mobile phone usage statistics, 10% of them check their phones at least 10 times during the night. This doesn\u2019t only affect their sleep quality \u2014 a study found that teens who use their phones for 5 hours per day are twice as likely to experience depression as those who do it in moderation. What\u2019s more, girls have a 58% higher risk of exhibiting depressive symptoms.<\/p>\n (NPR)<\/p>\n Besides depression, smartphone addiction statistics<\/a> point to suicidal thoughts and suicide plans as other common risk factors in these teenagers. Interestingly, the type of content they consume is irrelevant to this finding \u2014 it\u2019s all about the time spent on their phones. Experts say that up to an hour of screen time a day is optimal for preserving teens\u2019 mental health.<\/p>\n (Statista)<\/p>\n While teens don\u2019t have to be social media addicts to fall victim to cyberbullying, prolonged exposure and increased social contact make this scenario more likely. Technology addiction facts also suggest that addiction to social media can seriously impact teenagers\u2019 emotional wellbeing. As such, 54% of them report feeling bad if their post doesn\u2019t get enough likes.<\/p>\n Technology is a textbook example of a double-edged sword \u2014 for all the good it has brought us, it has also made many people\u2019s lives worse. Technology addiction statistics show that we spend nearly all our waking hours glued to screens and touch our phones 2,617 times a day.<\/p>\n At the same time, a growing body of research shows this overuse of technology is taking a toll on our mental health. Children and teenagers are particularly prone to these adverse effects, but adults aren\u2019t resistant to them either. Tech addiction is quickly becoming a global public health issue. But with technology being integral to everything we do \u2014 from work to leisure, it\u2019s next-to-impossible to predict what the solution to this problem might be.<\/p>\n Ever since there\u2019s been technology, there have also been people addicted to it. However, it wasn\u2019t as prevalent until digital devices and the internet became widely available. With the rise of video gaming, streaming, and smartphones over the last 20 years, more and more people started developing behavioral patterns similar to those linked to other addictions.<\/p>\n Modern digital technology is built to enhance and mediate our behavioral patterns based on positive reinforcement.\u00a0 Every time we use a piece of tech to consume content, our brain registers it as pleasure \u2014 especially if we get likes, comments, and notifications from others. Based on that experience, our brains are \u201cprogrammed\u201d to keep repeating this behavior, as it will give us even more reinforcement from others and, thus, more pleasure.<\/p>\n There are multiple adverse effects of tech addiction. For one, experts note that it can worsen the symptoms of other existing mental health issues like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and personality disorders. Addicts will typically experience mood swings, insomnia, and anxiety. They\u2019ll also often have relationship issues with their family, friends, and others. Finally, tech addiction also causes changes in people\u2019s brain structure, as evidenced in a recent study.<\/p>\n Scientific data on tech addiction is hard to come by, as it\u2019s a type of behavior that is difficult to diagnose and track in a larger population. But according to a 2014 study \u2014 the latest conducted on such a large scale \u2014 6% of the world\u2019s population is addicted to technology.<\/p>\n About 6% of people worldwide suffer from tech addiction, statistics reveal. As of early 2021, the world\u2019s population stands at 7.9 billion. This means that at least 474 million people around the world can be qualified as tech addicts. However, it\u2019s worth noting that the 6% estimate dates back to 2014, just around the time smartphones were starting to become a standard. With that in mind, the actual number of tech addicts is likely considerably higher.<\/p>\n Sources:<\/p>\n Technology has improved our lives beyond all expectations and given us unprecedented access to information and entertainment. But technology is also highly addictive and has thus gradually taken control over many people\u2019s lives. In this overview of the latest tech addiction statistics, we\u2019ll examine if people can manage this problem themselves or if we\u2019re facing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"blog_tag":[],"blog_category":[],"yoast_head":"\n7. 31% of US adults say they\u2019re \u201calways online.\u201d<\/b><\/h4>\n
8. Young, college-educated people from high-income households are the most avid internet users.<\/b><\/h4>\n
9. 85% of Americans use the internet daily.<\/b><\/h4>\n
Tech Addiction Facts: Mental Health and Tech Use<\/h3>\n
10. Internet addiction disorder (IAD) isn\u2019t yet officially recognized.<\/b><\/h4>\n
11. Internet addicts are more likely to have other mental health problems.<\/b><\/h4>\n
12.<\/b> Internet addiction and depression often coincide.<\/b><\/h4>\n
13. Video game addicts are 57% more likely to suffer from depression than non-addicts, <\/b>electronic addiction facts<\/b> reveal.<\/b><\/h4>\n
14. Although highly addictive, porn doesn\u2019t have a significant effect on people\u2019s mental health.<\/b><\/h4>\n
15. 17% of internet addicts have ADHD as a co-occurring disorder.<\/b><\/h4>\n
Social Media and Tech Addiction Statistics<\/h3>\n
16.<\/b> 55.1% of the global population uses social media.<\/b><\/h4>\n
17. In lesser-known <\/b>screen addiction facts<\/b>, social media is designed to encourage addictive behavior.<\/b><\/h4>\n
18.<\/b> At the current pace, an average user will spend over 1 year and 6 months on Facebook during their lifetime.<\/b><\/h4>\n
19.<\/b> Young, single females are most prone to social media addiction.<\/b><\/h4>\n
20.<\/b> Only 1% of Americans aged 55 and over report suffering from <\/b>social media addiction<\/b>, <\/b>statistics<\/b> show.<\/b><\/h4>\n
21.<\/b> 55% of US drivers admit to checking social media on their phones while driving.<\/b><\/h4>\n
Technology Addiction Statistics: Children and Teens<\/h3>\n
22. 45% of US teenagers say they\u2019re almost always online.<\/b><\/h4>\n
23. MRI scans of children using screens for more than 7 hours per day show significant brain changes.<\/b><\/h4>\n
24.<\/b> 47% of parents think their <\/b>child<\/b> has a <\/b>technology addiction<\/b>, <\/b>statistics<\/b> show.<\/b><\/h4>\n
25. 89% of parents believe they\u2019re responsible for their child\u2019s technology use.<\/b><\/h4>\n
26. Smartphone addiction affects teenagers the most.<\/b><\/h4>\n
27. Teens who spend more than 5 hours a day on their phones are 71% more likely to exhibit some suicide risk factors.<\/b><\/h4>\n
28. 40% of teens report they\u2019ve been cyberbullied on social media.<\/b><\/h4>\n
In Conclusion<\/h3>\n
FAQ<\/h4>\n
Is technology a new addiction?<\/b><\/h5>\n
Why is tech so addictive?<\/b><\/h5>\n
What are the effects of technology addiction?<\/b><\/h5>\n
What percent of the population is addicted to technology<\/b> in <\/b>2021?<\/b><\/h5>\n
How many people are tech addicts?<\/b><\/h5>\n
\n