Physical and Cultural Risks from a Digital Society

There are a lot of different ways to approach the idea of risk. One interesting perspective is to think about the physical and cultural risks as associated with the digital society. That may sound like a mouthful of words, but the real-life implications and indications are consistent with the modern world that we live in. Because of this, it’s an idea worth exploring, especially if you feel some frustration with the technology that is surrounding you.

First, as much as technology feels like a benefit, there are also times when it can create issues because it isn’t necessarily used properly. Think of how technology creates the potential for overwork in specific industries. Think of how technology creates office injuries from repetitive motions. Think of the cultural issues with cell phone addiction. And think of how the intersection of children and technology these days is moving into uncharted waters far as social health risks go.

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Industries and Overwork

In industries that rely heavily on technology, there is a push for humans to keep up. This is where you end up with low-level employees being overworked to try to maintain the status quo initiated by technology. There are a few companies that have pushed this to an unhealthy level, and the people that work for these companies feel like they are trapped in a never-ending cycle of work with no breaks that they can’t get out of. Because of technology, people have even been overworked to the point of death and lawsuits have followed.

Office Injuries

Computer technology is fantastic and allows office workers to get an incredible amount of work done, but there are injuries associated with repetitive motions from typing or using a mouse. Many times these injuries occur in such a small area of the body that the sharp pains and debilitating conditions only appear slowly, but then they are permanent.

Cell Phone Addiction Risks

You can talk to lots of people about cell phone addiction, and they will give you some horror stories. Especially for the generation that has never lived without cell phones, it can be very anxiety-inducing to be away from their cellular device even for a few minutes at a time. Some studies show that cell phone addiction is as mentally taxing as other physical addictions, so it is almost getting to the point of being a disorder.

Children and Technology

Finally, there are a lot of discussions these days about children and technology. At what age should kids be exposed to many hours per day of looking at a screen or monitor? The conclusions that researchers are coming to are in direct conflict with how parents are raising their kids these days. It will probably take another generation before adults figure out how to appropriately use mobile technology with respect to child rearing.