Ask yourself this—how many hours do you spend interacting with technology each week??
Add up the number of hours you spend each week on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other social media sites.
Now add to that the number of hours each week you spend surfing the web, playing video games, or completing some other online task on your laptop, tablet, or phone.
Are you afraid to add up all those hours because your answer might be, “More hours than I’d ever care to admit”? If so, you’re not alone. Many people seem to be addicted to tech. Others, however, say that technology addiction isn’t a real addiction.
It’s a rather recent but ongoing debate. And because it’s such a relevant and debatable topic, technology addiction makes a fine topic for a persuasive essay.
Now that you’ve chosen to write about technology addiction, it’s time to do your research! This post contains 20 technology addiction articles to support your persuasive essay.
Choosing the Right Technology Addiction Articles to Support Your Persuasive Essay
Finding articles to support your persuasive essay is easy. Finding the right articles to support your persuasive essay is a bit more challenging.
It can be tempting to simply use the first five results from your “technology addiction” Google search, but the first few sources in a list of search results aren’t always the best.
The top five results may be good sources, but you don’t know until you take the time to evaluate them. Read How to Apply the CRAAP Test to Your Essay Sources to learn how to tell whether a source is credible and appropriate for your persuasive essay.
Still looking for a source of inspiration for your technology addiction persuasive paper? Keep reading!
20 Technology Addiction Articles to Support Your Persuasive Essay
I’ve included a summary of each article and MLA 8 and APA citations you can use on your Works Cited or References page, respectively. (Don’t forget to cite articles using in-text citations too!)
I’ve also included links to a few example essays so that you can see what other writers have written about the topic.
Are We Addicted to Technology?
1. Are You Addicted to Technology?
This article provides a broad overview of varied forms of technology addiction, how people become addicted, and how people might treat an addiction to technology.
This article is published on the website Everyday Health, which is certified by Health on the Net (HON), a nonprofit Swiss organization that reviews online medical information.
Because the article is not only reviewed by an MD but also certified by HON, the information can be considered credible.
MLA 8 Citation
Scott, Jennifer A. “Are You Addicted to Technology?” EverydayHealth.com, 9 Oct. 2014, www.everydayhealth.com/news/are-you-addicted-technology/.
APA Citation
Scott, J. A. (2014). Are you addicted to technology? Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/are-you-addicted-technology/
2. Technology Addiction Test
If you’re not sure if you’re addicted to technology, you can take this quick 10-question quiz to assess your technology use and possible addiction.
This quiz is useful not only to see if you’re addicted to technology but also to possibly inspire you to conduct your own original research about technology addiction to support your persuasive essay.
Learn more about writing survey questions by reading How to Write Perfect Survey Questions for Your Paper.
MLA 8 Citation
“Technology Addiction Test.” Nightingale Hospital, www.nightingalehospital.co.uk/test/technology-addiction-test/.
APA Citation
Technology addiction test. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nightingalehospital.co.uk/test/technology-addiction-test/
3. Late-Night Screen Time Puts Teens’ Sleep and Mental Health at Risk
Approximately 50% of teens report being addicted to their smartphones and end up putting their mental health at risk due to excessive use of technology.
This article, published by CBS News, suggests that parents teach children good technology habits and lead by example to help children establish technology boundaries.
MLA 8 Citation
“Late-night Screen Time Puts Teens’ Sleep and Mental Health at Risk.” CBS News, 3 July 2017, www.cbsnews.com/news/late-night-cell-phone-screen-time-teens-mental-health-sleep/.
APA Citation
Late-night screen time puts teens’ sleep and mental health at rIsk. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/late-night-cell-phone-screen-time-teens-mental-health-sleep/
4. Hooked on Your Phone?
Published by the well-respected CBS News and a 60 Minutes broadcast, this article and corresponding video discuss people’s addictions to cellphones and the anxiety they feel when they’re away from their phones.
Reporter Anderson Cooper also examines his own cellphone use.
Check out the example essay, The Factors Contributing to the Addiction to Technology to read more about why some people may become addicted to technology.
MLA 8 Citation
McCandless, Brit. “Hooked on Your Phone?” CBS News, 11 June 2017, www.cbsnews.com/news/hooked-on-phones/.
APA Citation
McCandless, B. (2017). Hooked on your phone? Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hooked-on-phones/
5. What Does It Mean to Have a Technology or Video Game Addiction?
Contained in this Healthline article are several sections to help readers identify and define technology addiction (and different types of tech addiction). It also includes a list of symptoms of tech addiction and ways to treat addiction.
The end of the article includes a variety of resources for those suffering from addiction. If you’re writing an essay to try to persuade someone to break an addiction, including some of these resources might prove to be a key point of your paper.
Note: When you’re analyzing a source to determine whether it’s appropriate for your paper, always check to see if the article cites its sources. This article increases its credibility by including a list of resources.
Healthline also uses a professional medical review board to review all articles for accuracy, which gives the site’s content even more credibility.
MLA 8 Citation
“What Does It Mean to Have a Technology or Video Game Addiction?” Healthline, www.healthline.com/health/addiction/gaming-and-technology#overview1.
APA Citation
What does it mean to have a technology or video game addiction? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/addiction/gaming-and-technology#overview1
6. Is Internet Addiction a Real Thing?
This article provides an overview of Marc Potenza’s work on Internet addiction.
Potenza, a psychiatrist at Yale and the director of the school’s Program for Research on Impulsivity and Impulse Control Disorders, has studied and treated various forms of addiction for over 20 years.
MLA 8 Citation
Konnikova, Maria. “Is Internet Addiction a Real Thing?” The New Yorker, Condé Nast, 26 Nov. 2014, www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/internet-addiction-real-thing.
APA Citation
Konnikova, M. (2014, November 26). Is Internet addiction a real thing? The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/internet-addiction-real-thing
7. What Is “Brain Hacking”? Tech Insiders on Why You Should Care
In this 60 Minutes transcript, Anderson Cooper interviews a former Google project manager who explains the ways in which companies design technology to keep people addicted to their phones.
MLA 8 Citation
Cooper, Anderson. “What Is ‘Brain Hacking’? Tech Insiders on Why You Should Care.” CBS News, 9 April 2017, www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-hacking-tech-insiders-60-minutes/.
APA Citation
Cooper, A. (2017). What is “brain hacking”? Tech insiders on why you should care. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-hacking-tech-insiders-60-minutes/
The Evidence and Cost of Technology Addiction
8. Confessions of a Technology Addict
This article reports the results of a study of 200 University of Maryland students who were asked to abstain from social media for 24 hours. Students reported feeling isolated and as though the situation was unbearable. They also admitted to being addicted to their devices.
The author also alludes to his own technology addictions and suggests that people take a break from technology to actually enjoy the world for awhile (sans screens).
Interested in other ways in which people are affected by excessive use of technology? Check out this example paper about Internet addiction.
MLA 8 Citation
Kinchlow, Caleb. “Confessions of a Technology Addict.” HuffPost, 5 July 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/caleb-kinchlow/confessions-of-a-technolo_b_10823314.html.
APA Citation
Kinchlow, C. (2016). Confessions of a technology addict. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caleb-kinchlow/confessions-of-a-technolo_b_10823314.html
9. We’re Losing a Whole Generation of Young Men to Video Games
If you’ve ever participated in a marathon gaming session, you might be able relate to this timely New York Post article. It examines excessive video game playing, how it turns into addiction, and how it can have detrimental effects on people’s careers and personal lives.
MLA 8 Citation
Smith, Kyle. “We’re Losing a Whole Generation of Young Men to Video Games.” New York Post, NYP Holdings, 8 July 2017, www.nypost.com/2017/07/08/were-losing-a-whole-generation-of-young-men-to-video-games/amp/.
APA Citation
Smith, K. (2017, July 8). We’re losing a whole generation of young men to video games. New York Post. Retrieved from http:/www.nypost.com/2017/07/08/were-losing-a-whole-generation-of-young-men-to-video-games/amp/
10. Our Addiction to Technology Is Like A Drug High—But We Can Fix It
Writer Travis Murdock states, “We are a nation of ‘digiholics,’ and the chaos and confusion that have permeated our lives as a result of our technology addiction is debilitating and disruptive to our professional and personal well-being.”
Murdock also states that businesses lose productivity due to distracted workers and that people experience what amounts to drug highs through constant technology interaction.
This article offers several suggestions to help people “detox” from technology and interact in healthier ways (both on- and offline).
Read the example essay The Negative Effects of Information Overload in Humans to learn more about how people are affected by technology overload.
MLA 8 Citation
Murdock, Travis. “Our Addiction to Technology Is Like A Drug High—But We Can Fix It.” Business Insider, 13 April 2016, www.businessinsider.com/the-cost-of-technology-addiction-2016-4.
APA Citation
Murdock, T. (2016). Our addiction to technology is like a drug high—but we can fix it. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cost-of-technology-addiction-2016-4
11. Excessive Playing of Candy Crush Ruptures Man’s Tendon, Fuels Addiction Concerns
Though brief, this article describes a seemingly clear-cut case of gaming addiction and discusses the case of a 29-year-old man who required surgery on his thumb after he spent 6–8 weeks constantly playing Candy Crush.
The article also includes five warning signs of gaming and Internet addiction.
MLA 8 Citation
Mason, Lacey. “Excessive Playing of Candy Crush Ruptures Man’s Tendon, Fuels Addiction Concerns.” WTOP, 14 April 2015, www.wtop.com/tech/2015/04/excessive-playing-of-candy-crush-ruptures-mans-tendon-fuels-addiction-concerns/.
APA Citation
Mason, L. (2015). Excessive playing of Candy Crush ruptures man’s tendon, fuels addiction concerns. Retrieved from http://www.wtop.com/tech/2015/04/excessive-playing-of-candy-crush-ruptures-mans-tendon-fuels-addiction-concerns/
12. Student “Addiction” to Technology “Similar to Drug Cravings,” Study Finds
Though this article is a bit older, it reports the results of a study of 17- to 23-year-old students where “nearly four in five students had significant mental and physical distress, panic, confusion and extreme isolation when forced to unplug from technology for an entire day.”
Students reported (among other things) feeling depressed, lonely, anxious, and even paranoid. They also struggled to go 24 hours without media.
The article also links to several articles related to technology addiction.
MLA 8 Citation
Hough, Andrew. “Student ‘Addiction’ to Technology ‘Similar to Drug Cravings,’ Study Finds.” The Telegraph, 8 April 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html.
APA Citation
Hough, A. (2011, April 8). Student “addiction” to technology “similar to drug cravings,” study finds. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html
13. Tech Expert Sherry Turkle Says Smartphone Addiction Makes Us Want to Talk Less
Turkle argues that people have difficulty being alone with their thoughts due to the constant “always on” of cellphones. She states that people continually check their phones to stay connected with others and often focus more on media than their current surroundings.
Turkle’s research even found that college students often show less empathy as they’re used to communicating digitally rather than face to face.
One student stated (in regard to real conversation), “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with conversation,” he said. “It happens in real time, and you can’t control what you’re going to say. And there’s no app for that.”
MLA 8 Citation
Cho, Janet H. “Tech Expert Sherry Turkle Says Smartphone Addiction Makes Us Want to Talk Less.” Cleveland.com, Advance Ohio, 16 March 2015, www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2015/04/how_smartphones_make _us_flee_from_conversations_and_want_to_talk_less_according_to _technology_expert_sherry_turkle.html.
APA Citation
Cho, J. H. (2015). Tech expert Sherry Turkle says smartphone addiction makes us want to talk less. Retrieved from http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2015/04/how_smartphones _make_us_flee_from_conversations_and_want_to_talk_less _according_to_technology_expert_sherry_turkle.html
14. Digital Addiction: The Social Cost of Constant Mobile Connection
This article reports that people feel excitement and anticipation when checking digital communications. It also warns that this behavior can become habit forming, ultimately distracting users from other, more important tasks.
The Irish Times was first published in 1859, and this established news source is still considered a trustworthy newspaper.
MLA 8 Citation
Holden, John. “Digital Addiction: The Social Cost of Constant Mobile Connection.” The Irish Times, 16 April 2015, www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/digital-addiction-the-social-cost-of-constant-mobile-connection-1.2176986.
APA Citation
Holden, J. (2015, April 16). Digital addiction: The social cost of constant mobile connection. The Irish Times. Retrieved from http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/digital-addiction-the-social-cost-of-constant-mobile-connection-1.2176986
15. We Spend More Time Watching Netflix Than With Our Friends
As the title of this article indicates, people spend more time with streaming media than socializing with people.
According to the article, “A new data analysis suggests we spend more time watching Netflix in a day than we do socializing, exercising and reading combined. The technology website Cord Cutting analyzed reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use survey and from Netflix about its user behavior. Among the discoveries: Americans spend, on average, over an hour more per day with the streaming service than doing other leisure activities.”
MLA 8 Citation
Holmes, Lindsay. “We Spend More Time Watching Netflix Than With Our Friends.” HuffPost, 17 May, 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/netflix-time-use-data_us_573a03bce4b077d4d6f39e4e.
APA Citation
Holmes, L. (2016). We spend more time watching Netflix than with our friends. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/netflix-time-use-data_us_573a03bce4b077d4d6f39e4e
16. Smartphone Addiction
“Nomophobia—fear of being without your smartphone—affects 40% of the population.”
This Psychology Today article reports that many people are almost always within a few feet of their smartphones and feel panic, fear, and other withdrawal symptoms when separated from their phones.
Some individuals seemingly cannot be away from the technology and report using their phones during sex, in the shower, and while driving.
Included in the article are warning signs of smartphone addiction and ways to help break the addiction.
MLA 8 Citation
Archer, Dale. “Smartphone Addiction.” Psychology Today, Sussex, 25 July 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201307/smartphone-addiction.
APA Citation
Archer, D. (2013, July 25). Smartphone addiction [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201307/smartphone-addiction
17. Looking Through the Screen
This article is written by a 17-year-old high school student, so it may not be appropriate if only scholarly research articles are required for your paper.
The article does, however, provide a teen’s perspective on smartphone addiction and, thus, offers a unique insight into the problem.
MLA 8 Citation
Barlas, Meral. “Looking Through the Screen.” HuffPost, 8 Oct. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/meral-barlas/technology-addiction_b_5646566.html.
APA Citation
Barlas, M. (2014). Looking through the screen. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meral-barlas/technology-addiction_b_5646566.html
18. Cellphone Vibration Syndrome and Other Signs of Tech Addiction
This article examines cellphone vibration syndrome (the feeling that your phone is vibrating in your pocket when you haven’t received a text or call). The syndrome is increasingly common, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone who experiences it is a tech addict.
The article uses a Q&A format to examine a variety of concerns about what constitutes addiction to technology and how to lessen technology’s hold on people’s lives.
MLA 8 Citation
Thibodeau, Patrick. “Cellphone Vibration Syndrome and Other Signs of Tech Addiction.” Computerworld, IDG Communications, 24 May 2012, www.computerworld.com/article/2504472/smartphones/cellphone-vibration-syndrome-and-other-signs-of-tech-addiction.html.
APA Citation
Thibodeau, P. (2012). Cellphone vibration syndrome and other signs of tech addiction. Retrieved from http://www.computerworld.com/article/2504472/smartphones/cellphone-vibration-syndrome-and-other-signs-of-tech-addiction.html
Treating Technology Addiction
19. What Parents Need to Know About Technology Addiction
Published by Common Sense Media, this article highlights key findings of the site’s recent study about technology addiction. Results indicate that almost half of teens polled felt they were addicted to their mobile devices.
The article also explains that excessive use of technology can be harmful and provides parents with tips to help their teens manage technology.
MLA 8 Citation
Robb, Michael. “What Parents Need to Know About Technology Addiction.” Common Sense Media, 2 May 2016, www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/what-parents-need-to-know-about-technology-addiction.
APA Citation
Robb, M. (2016, May 2). What parents need to know about technology addiction [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/what-parents-need-to-know-about-technology-addiction
20. Technology Addiction—Detection, Treatment, and Control
As described in the title, this article offers a list for parents to help them identify whether their child is addicted to technology, suggestions to control technology use, and tips for treatment.
MLA 8 Citation
“Technology Addiction—Detection, Treatment, and Control.” NoBullying.com, 22 Dec. 2015, nobullying.com/technology-addiction-detection-treatment-and-control/.
APA Citation
Technology addiction—detection, treatment, and control. (2015). Retreived from http://nobullying.com/technology-addiction-detection-treatment-and-control/
Looking for Even More Information for Your Technology Addiction Essay?
Even though this is a pretty detailed list of technology addiction articles, you may not find all the information you need for your paper in these 20 sources.
If you’re looking for information that you just can’t find in the sources I’ve included, you’ll need to do more research. I know that sounds dreadful, but you don’t have to leave your desk (or your couch) to do so. That eases the pain of research just a little bit, doesn’t it?
So how do you complete more research from your couch? Read 5 Best Sources to Help with Writing a Research Paper to learn how.
Completed your research but need more help with writing the essay? Take a look at these helpful resources:
- How to Write a Persuasive Essay That’s Convincing
- 2 Persuasive Essay Examples That Pack a Punch
- 6 Prewriting Strategies to Get Your Essay Rolling
Need even more inspiration? Check out these additional example essays on technology addiction.
Use these technology addiction articles, and any other sources you find, and you’ll be on your way to a top-notch persuasive paper.
After you write your persuasive essay, don’t forget to have one of our Kibin editors help you with the finishing touches!
