Does your BlackBerry or iPhone feel like an extension of your hand? If you have answered in the affirmative, then watch out – you could actually be part of a group of people who are addicted to media and technology, where symptoms of depression and anxiety creep in whenever you are forced to abstain from using said media. This was discovered during a new global study that was released by the International Center for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA) at the University of Maryland. According to an American student, “I was itching, like a crackhead, because I could not use my phone.”, while a student from the UK metioned that “media is my drug; without it I was lost. I am an addict.” Living the unplugged life might be a new idea for the current generation of kids, as I can still vividly remember back in my younger days, whenever I had to call someone, I had to dig some coins from my pocket and make my way to the nearest public payphone. This could be a point of contention between parents and kids as they intend to achieve a balance of quality family time without the kid giving full attention to the iPhone at the dining table without striking any conversation.
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