海外大學生對電子產品上癮 猶如吸毒

Withdrawalsymptoms experienced by young people deprived of gadgets and technology is compared to those felt by drug addicts or smokers going “cold turkey”, a study has concluded.

一項研究得出結論說，年輕人被迫脫離科技產品時感覺到的症狀和癮君子突然戒毒或戒菸時的感覺很相似。

Researchers found nearly four in five students had significant mental and physical distress, panic, confusion and extreme isolation when forced to unplugfrom technology for an entire day.

研究人員發現，近五分之四的學生在被迫脫離科技產品一整天時，會感到嚴重的心理和生理不適，並會感到恐慌、迷惑和極度孤獨。

They found college students at campuses across the globe admitted being “addicted” to modern technology such as mobile phones, laptops and television as well as social networking such as Facebook and Twitter.

他們發現，全球各地的大學生均承認對手機、筆記本電腦、電視以及Facebook和Twitter等社交網絡這些現代科技產物“上了癮”。

A “clear majority" of almost 1,000 university students, interviewed at 12 campuses in 10 countries, including Britain, America and China, were unable to voluntarily avoid their gadgets for one full day, they concluded.

這項調查涵蓋了英國、美國、中國等10個國家的12所高校的近1000名大學生，調查發現，“絕大多數”大學生無法讓自己一整天不去用這些科技產品。

The University of Maryland research described students’ thoughts in vivid detail, in which they admit to cravings, anxiety attacks and depression when forced to abstain fromusing media.

馬里蘭大學的這項研究生動地描述了學生想法的種種細節。學生們承認，在被迫脫離這些媒介工具時，他們會產生強烈的慾望，感到焦慮和抑鬱。

One unnamed American college student told of their overwhelming cravings, which they confessed was similar to “itching like a crackhead(crack cocaine addict)”.

一位不願披露姓名的美國大學生描述了這種強烈的慾望。大學生們承認這和吸食強效純可卡因的癮君子毒癮發作很相似。

The study concluded that “most students... failed to go the full 24 hours without media”.

該研究得出結論說，“大部分學生……無法持續24小時脫離媒介工具”。

The research, titled The World Unplugged, also found students used “virtually the same words to describe their reactions”. These included emotions such as fretful, confused, anxious, irritable, insecure, nervous, restless, crazy, addicted, panicked, jealous, angry, lonely, dependent, depressed, jittery and paranoid.

這項名爲《拔掉電源插頭的世界》的研究還發現，學生們用“幾乎一樣的字眼來形容他們的反應”。這些形容詞表達的情緒包括煩躁、迷惑、焦慮、易怒、不安全感、緊張、坐立不安、瘋狂、上癮、恐慌、嫉妒、生氣、寂寞、過分依賴、抑鬱、心神不寧、偏執等。

Prof Susan Moeller, who led the research, said technology had changed the students’ relationships.

這一研究的領頭人蘇珊 莫勒教授說，科技已經改變了學生之間的關係。

"Students talked about how scary it was, how addicted they were,” she said.

她說：“學生們描述了沒有科技產品的可怕情景，以及他們上癮的程度。”

"They expected the frustration. But they didn't expect to have the psychological effects, to be lonely, to be panicked, the anxiety, literally heart palpitations.

“他們預料自己會感到沮喪。但他們沒預料到會產生心理影響，會感到寂寞、恐慌、焦慮，甚至會感到心悸。”

“Technology provides the social network for young people today and they have spent their entire lives being ‘plugged in’.”

“科技爲現在的年輕人提供了社交網絡，他們的整個生活都是‘插上電源插頭的’。”