I admit that the idea of disconnecting for National Unplugging Day makes me nervous. I feel as if I am almost always connected by one device or another and that seems necessary.
Between taking care of your children, tending to responsibilities at work and keeping up with friends, there’s a good chance you own a cell phone, computer and/or tablet. Being plugged in 24/7 is the new normal.
Device Created Anxiety
Most experts agree that staying “plugged in” all day can be very stressful whether you are tethered to one or more devices. Juggling multiple devices at the same time, such as playing a game on your tablet while watching television, has been observed and linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression, according Mark Becker, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University.
“We don’t know whether the media multitasking is causing symptoms of depression andsocial anxiety, or if it’s that people who are depressed and anxious are turning to media multitasking as a form of distraction from their problems,” Becker said.