You Can Do It! Controlling your Technology Use

By Laurie Chester 

Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Skype, texting, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter, blogging, Hulu, Hyper, email…Smartphones, desktops, laptops, tablets, e-readers…For better or for worse, we are inundated with technology!

Technology has become an integral part of our lives in a brief period of time. Anyone under the age of 30 has never known a world without cell phones, personal computers and easy Internet access. If fact, for adolescents and young adults, technology is a fundamental part life — as important to them air to breathe. We would be hard pressed to exist without it.

Technology itself is neither good nor bad; it simply is. In many ways, technology simplifies life; it helps us to organize ourselves, to exchange professional and personal correspondence, to meet people worldwide, to find information, to share thoughts and experiences and to express ourselves artistically and intellectually.

But the need for self-management that technology use requires creates significant challenges for everyone and places constant demands on executive function skills. For those with ADHD, often overloaded by life in general, throwing technology management into the mix can be particularly problematic.

For some, technology use can take over day-to-day life. Difficulty managing time and interpersonal interactions, starting and completing tasks, and becoming distracted can be exacerbated by poorly controlled technology use. Dr. Larry Rosen, a professor and international expert in the field of the psychology of technology believes that poor management and overuse of technology can lead to the development of symptoms of psychological disorders and lead to diminished life balance, even for those without a compounding prior diagnosis such as ADHD. The need to be constantly connected becomes a driving force in determining what one does throughout the day and can result in stress, lack of sleep and an obsessive need to be connected.

Luckily, there are ways to avoid the slippery slope toward a technology-induced disaster. Taking a few simple steps and asking yourself some simple questions can help you achieve a more balanced style of technology use management. Reflecting on your technology use can help improve self-awareness and give your brain a chance to reboot.

Ask yourself the following Technology Use Awareness questions to raise your awareness about your own technology use.

1. If I lost my cell phone, I would feel __________.
2. I try to avoid the distractions of technology by __________.
3. When I read, I need the environment around me to be __________.
4. When I am doing schoolwork or office work, I can listen to __________ music.
5. I send ____(#) of texts a day; I receive ____ of texts each day.
6. On average, I spend __________(time) each day using technology for non-work or school related tasks.
7. How much time elapses between your last use of technology in a day and going to bed?
8. The first piece of technology that I actively use each morning is __________.
9. I usually use technology __________ (hours, minutes) after I wake up.
10. When I need to get a task done, I reduce potential distraction from my phone or other technology by __________.
11. When I need to quiet my mind, I __________.

Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to technology use goes a long way to help you to curb any behavior that may be getting in the way of your goals. Consider if you are satisfied with your answers to the above questions, or if you would like to do something differently to get a different result.

If you want to change the way you approach technology use, make sure that you take time to allow your brain to “chill out.” Here are some “Chill Out” strategies to help your brain reboot and revive itself.

1. Institute “technology free” zones in your home.
2. Institute “technology free” times of the day.
3. Go outside (without any electronic devices) and experience nature.
4. Get exercise (even 10 minutes is better than nothing).
5. Breathe deeply.
6. Express your creativity; play a musical instrument or draw/paint.
7. Go to a museum, comedy show, musical, or art gallery.
8. Take a hot shower or bath.
9. Talk (in person) to a friend or neighbor.

Taking these simple steps will help to revitalize your spirit, calm your brain and help put you back in the technology use driver’s seat (without your phone).

Laurie Chester, BCC, SCAC, ACC, has been coaching 10 years. Her focus and passion is helping adolescents and young adults gain control over the organizational and production demands of school and life, as well as broadening and sharpening their understanding of their brain and AD/HD. For additional information, visit www.laurieandkim.com.