MEN’S HEALTH AND THE INTERNET
The iPhone was born in 2007. Those born in the same year will turn 16 this year. They’ve grown up with a high-performance computer in their pocket. What are the implications for men’s health?
That’s the question Men’s Health Forum are looking at for this year’s Men’s Health Week. Clearly there are some health benefits to being able to access health information or deliver and receive health services online but what are the downsides? Read on for full details including on our new resources on internet-fulled addictions.
Dopamine is one of the key chemical messenger in your brain. It creates feelings of pleasure and reward and plays a role in concentration, memory and what we find interesting. In short, dopamine makes us feel good and we like a hit of it from time to time.
The iphone is a dopamine-delivery device that is always to hand. Every single app you use on it knows this full well and is designed to keep you using it. The potential for addiction is obvious. Even an ‘addiction’ to a pretty benign app is going to cost us time and the attention we could have devoted to more meaningful things. But what about when it starts costing money, relationships, work… ?
Men’s Health Forum message to men
- If you think you’re spending too much time on your tech (and even if you don’t), take a screen break and try the CAN DO challenge instead. The free CAN DO Manual can help.
- Use our social media shares and posters MHW 2023: men’s health and the internet – take a screen break and also social media shares and posters for the CAN DO challenge
- The CAN DO challenge alone will benefit your mental wellbeing but if you want to give your mind a fuller MOT, get our Man MOT For The Mind manual.
- There’s evidence that some addictions which particularly affect men have been made worse by 24/7 internet and smartphones. If you’re concerned about your gambling or porn-use, check out our new manuals Wanna Bet: gambling and men’s health and Porn Free: pornography and men’s health.
