Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 12
Posts 1 - 10

Peut-on vivre sans écrans?

(Can we live without screens?)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Le Figaro
Date | 13.5.2016
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, smartphone, technology-free
Summary | In the past few years, new technologies have been spreading so fast. We use our smartphone everywhere (restaurant, bathroom, street). A few French people decided to unplug for an hour, a weekend, or their whole life. Marie Bezou says that she felt free when she gave up her phone. People who try to regulate their use of digital devices are rare. A 16-year old girl claims that she doesn't use her phone very often, unlike other young people who are hyperconnected. People who own a smartphone look at their device about 150 times a day.
Image Description | N/A

Plus d'humain et de culture dès le plus jeune âge

(More people and culture from an early age)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Le Monde
Date | 5.1.2016
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, technology-free, threat
Summary | As soon as a baby is born, he/she needs to be stimulated. Adults should talk to babies, play with them, look at them, and reassure them. However, more and more digital devices are starting to replace human presence. Adults don't hesitate to give their toddlers a tablet or a smartphone. This new trend can have a serious impact on children's cognitive development and language development.
Image Description | N/A

Pour être branché, débranchez-vous

(To be hip, unplug)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Les Echos
Date | 6.1.2016
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, technology-free
Summary | The author of the article talks about one of his recent experiments: he tried to stay away from social networks for 10 days. Although it was difficult at first, he thought it was a positive experience. He found his ability to concentrate, and realized that his thoughts could be summarized in more than 140 characters. According to a British survey, more than half of adults consider themselves addicted. Harvard researchers claimed that Facebook and Twitter can be as addictive as alcohol or nicotine.
Image Description | Screenshot of a facebook page and a pointer clicking on "log off"
Image Tags | Facebook

Contre la tyrannie des e-mails, passons à l'« e-légement »

(Against the tyranny of emails, let's start the "e-relief")

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Les Echos
Date | 15.4.2016
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | addiction, email, technology-free
Summary | People spend a lot of time checking and writing emails at work. More and more companies establish "digital detox" measures to help their employees. Because of the immediacy and permanence of emails, workers spend most of their time on their keyboards. As a result, there is a deterioration of the quality of information and a negative impact on productivity.
Image Description | N/A

Alerte sur les dangers des radiofréquences pour les enfants

(Radio frequency hazards for children)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Le Monde
Date | 9.7.2016
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood
Summary | Overexposure to new technologies and radio frequency can have a serious impact on children's health. Children are constantly exposed to tablets, smarthpones, toys, and baby monitors. However, more research is needed to prove the effects of radiofrequency on children's health.
Image Description | N/A

Ils programment leurs vies comme on programme un ordinateur

(They are programming their lives the same way we would program a computer)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Le Figaro
Date | 25.10.2016
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | addiction, artificial intelligence, privacy, threat
Summary | IFTTT services target the general public, and the goal of such services is to let digital devices handle people's professional and personal lives. Some people are worried about the potential risks of this "cyber life". For instance, there are privacy issues. Since 2012, there have been around 1,5 million connections between apps and object on IFTTT. As a result, IFTTT collected a lot of personal information (e.g. photos, emails, etc.).
Image Description | N/A

La cure de Selena Gomez: décrocher du smartphone

(Selena Gomez's therapy: hanging up her smartphone)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | 20 minutes
Date | 2.12.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, smartphone, youth
Summary | Selena Gomez has been suffering from depression. She got off her smartphone for 90 days and felt much better. The experience was relaxing and invigorating. Even though Selena Gomez is trying to limit her time online, she is still very popular on Instagram.
Image Description | Photograph of Selena Gomez and screenshot of one of her Instagram posts.
Image Tags | female(s), Instagram

Les jeunes passent plus de temps sur le net

(Young people spend more time online)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | 20 minutes
Date | 9.11.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, research/study, smartphone, social media, threat, youth
Summary | According to a study, young people spend an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes online during the week, and 3 hours and 40 minutes on the weekend. Also, young people cannot live without their smartphone. They don't usually use their phone to make phone calls or text; they rather use their phone for social media (e.g. Snapchat, Instagram). Even though young people spend a lot of time on their phone, they still meet with friends face-to-face. Smartphones do not replace physical relationships. Finally, families should have rules for new media use at home.
Image Description | Photograph of a group of teenagers (their faces are cut off from the picture); they are sitting next to each other using their phones.
Image Tags | smartphone

Jamais sans mon portable!

(Never without my cell phone!)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | 24 heures
Date | 21.2.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, smartphone
Summary | Are people addicted to their smartphone? Is it bad or dangerous? Experts claims it is not a real addiction; doctors don't talk about "cell phone addictions". It is also a bad idea to use pathological terms when talking about new media uses (a selfie is narcissistic, Facebook is exhibitionist etc.). Why are people afraid to lose their phone or forget it at home? People are not attached to the object, but to its functionalities. Smartphones replace a lot of everyday objects (agenda, newspaper, etc.). Therefore, people can be anxious if they don't have their smartphone with them.
Image Description | Photograph of a young woman in bed using her smartphone.
Image Tags | female(s), smartphone

Des camps de désintox pour pour accros au smartphone

(Rehab camps for smartphone addicts)

Hyperlink

Newspaper | 24 heures
Date | 12.3.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, brain, childhood, smartphone, technology-free, youth
Summary | South Korea is one of the most digitally connected countries. As a consequence, 1 out of 10 children is addicted to internet and other digital devices. Rehab camps for young internet addicts is supposed to help children live without digital devices. In those camps, children go hiking, play guitar, and read paper books. Rehab can be tough; it is almost the same process as for alcoholics or drug addicts. At the end of the camp, those young people know how to appreciate real life and have to find out what the causes of their escape to the virtual world are.
Image Description | Photograph of young people in South Korea playing video games in a room full of computers.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, game, male(s)

Page 1 of 2
Back | Next