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Nearly 20 per cent of 18- to 29-year-olds in Ontario experience ‘problematic’ use of electronic devices

Nearly 20 per cent of 18- to 29-year-olds in Ontario experience ‘problematic’ use of electronic devices
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 09: Fans try out PlayStation 4 Pro demos at the midnight launch event at Sony Square NYC on November 9, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Nearly one in five adults between the ages of 18 and 29 in Ontario use electronic devices to the point where it interferes with important daily activities such as work or sleep.

The findings come from a new survey by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which polled more than 3,000 adults over the age of 18 across the province.

The study found that as many as 19 per cent of adults between 18 and 29 experience “moderate to severe problematic use” — or habits that are detrimental to “things you need to do” — of devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers and video games.

The consequences can range in severity, but Lisa Pont, a social worker at the CAMH Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario, told Yahoo Finance Canada in an email that symptoms can manifest themselves in an assortment of ways, from a lack of control in answering texts while driving, or playing video games instead of sleeping or seeing their loved ones.

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Pont said this preoccupation with technology and being online can also cause people who are not able to use their devices irritability or anxiety. These types of heavy users may also cling to their habits despite being aware of the negative consequences.

Excessive use of electronic devices over an extended period of time can also take a toll on people’s ability to concentrate, cut into their sleep and their physical fitness, increases their mental and physical stress, lead to conflicts in their personal lives and cause their work performance to suffer.

“They may choose using electronic devices and being online over other things such as socializing offline, spending time with family or being physically active. They may be isolating themselves spending time on electronic devices or be pre-occupied by them texting and checking email or social networking sites while they are working or socializing,” said Pont.

“By not being able to resist impulses to use devices, the devices impact their ability to focus and be ‘present’ — the technology is controlling them more than they are controlling the technology.”

And the problem doesn’t seem to be isolated to youth.

The survey found that seven per cent of adults reported moderate to severe problematic use, defined as experiencing three or more of the survey’s six symptoms.

These symptoms include:

  • Trying to cut back on your usage of electronic devices (reported by 24 per cent);

  • Family members expressing concern about their time spent using devices (14 per cent);

  • Experiencing an irresistible urge to use an electronic devices (10 per cent);

  • Feeling a growing tension or anxiety that can only be relieved by using a device (seven per cent);

  • Thinking you have a problem with excessive device use;

  • And missing school, work or important social activities to use an electronic device (2 per cent).

“Our findings underscore the need for each of us to define health limits, and to monitor our use of electronic devices before it becomes a problem,” Hayley Hamilton, co-principal investigator of the survey and scientist at CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, said in a press release.

CAMH stressed the importance of the findings given the increased reliance on technology in our lives and the links between heavy usage of social media and electronic devices to mental health problems.

“Technology is so ubiquitous in our society and many of us are ‘heavy tech users.” said Point.

“Research is beginning to reveal that it does have harmful impacts, such as increases in psychological distress and also the dangers of texting and driving.”

The survey also found that more than 37 per cent of drivers had texted while behind the wheel at least once in the past year, while 11 per cent had done so 30 or more times in the same time period.