From smart phones, tablets, iPods, to video games and much more, people from all over the world are surrounded by technological gadgets.

According to the website Science- Daily, more than 60 percent of teenagers spend 30 hours online per week which is about four and half hours daily. That is the moment when the question is a technology use a habit or an addiction comes to mind.
Most of the population will no longer visit libraries because they don’t want to look up something in books or borrow a book, when they can access the same thing and maybe even more by opening the browser. Every day fewer people look at the printed version of newspapers since most news is being sent to them via email.
“I believe technological usage for teens is in fact healthy because they are socially interacting and it seems the best way for them to become aware of what is going on around them news wise,” sophomore Sayna Eghdami said.
There are people who consider it as a habit because they are able to stop using these gadgets if they wish to.
“I think it is habit because I can stop using it whenever I want. I can live with- out my phone,” freshman Kunokkorn Chotset said.
According to the website Psychology Today, if being away from technology for a few days causes the change in mood, feeling of isolation, depression, anxiety, it is no longer a habit but an ad- diction. Some habits can change to serious addictions.
“I see it as an addiction because if it was only a habit it would be easy to stop but every second people have an urge to look at their phone checking for stuff, even if there are no notifications,” said sophomore Rebecca Becerra.
When the word addiction is used, many will think it as a prescription drug addiction, gambling addiction, but there are also addictions that may not come to mind. Such as an eating addiction or reading addiction and in this case technology addiction. They are all classified as an addiction it is only the manner that is being changed not content itself.
It is an addiction when it comes to a point that until they check their cell phone for a text, an email or anything else they cannot go to sleep. When they come to a point that they cannot properly start their day until they go through their phone making sure nothing interesting happened during the night. By simple observation, the first thing that most students do when the bell rings, before step- ping out of classrooms, they turn their phone on and begin texting and calling.
There are people who are so deeply attached to these gadgets that when they are being talked to they would not even notice it or they will answer with their eyes still glued to the screen.
As the world of technology grows, the addiction to it will too. However, using technology and online resources for entertainment or interaction with friends is not harmful. As long as they are not taking control of a person’s life.
So put those down those phones and start talking to people face to face.