We live in an age of distractions; most of us get a notification chime from the dozen-plus applications we have installed on our phones every few minutes. If it's not notifications, it's time spent doing different activities on our cell phones. Be it messaging someone, browsing the internet, or watching videos. We are more than ever connected and hooked to technology. It has become such a nuisance that mobile companies have introduced metrics around screen time to help us understand how we use our smartphones and limit our use. In these times of distractions, it has become almost impossible to stop and gather our thoughts.

Multiple studies have come to light in recent times that have proven a link between anxiety, depression, and social media platforms. Social media companies ran some of these studies, often hiding the damning and troublesome reports.

According to the world health organization, there has been a 13% increase in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (2017). A staggering number of the worlds' children and adolescents, around 20%, have mental health conditions. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds.

We are witnessing an unprecedented increase in the degradation of younger people's mental health. Society is paying the price for social media's huge profits with increased costs to our health system and poor performance in the studies and work of our future generations. Yet most parents gift their younger one's smartphones with free access to everything.

Smartphones and technology are not the issues; of course, they allow us to keep in touch with our children at school or work. They can share their location and other details in case of need, but letting them use their smartphone without monitoring is a problem.

And Adolescents are not the only ones hooked to technology. Most people waste a considerable amount of time on social media consumption these days. This valuable time can be put to better use, such as learning a new skill, reading the Quran or a book, remembering Allah, or being with our families.

Now to answer the million-dollar question, are we addicted to technology? Merriam-webster describes addiction as follow:

Suppose we replace the (such as a drug) with (such as a mobile phone) and (such as gamble) with (pick up and check one's cell phone). I think the answer to this question is pretty straightforward.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that technology has made our lives much more accessible. We can connect with our loved ones miles away in seconds. Knowledge and access to education have increased due to the advancement of technology and so much more. However, like anything else, technology consumption should be in moderation and for the betterment of oneself and not waste time.

May Allah grant us all understanding and He knows best.