Influence of Information and Communication Technologies on Physical and Mental Human Health

Abstract

In modern conditions, the interrelation between human health and information technologies, violations of the somatic and mental health of the population, stipulated by information and psychoemotional loads, continue to remain actual issues. The goal is to define the peculiarities of  using information technologies in everyday life and to study their influence on the physical and mental health of a person. On December 31, 2017, 4,15 billion people in the world are connected to the Internet. In Ukraine, 52,5 % of people are Internet users. This is 3,5 % of the total number of users in Europe. 96 % of children use the Internet and it has become a natural part of their life. The computer is not only entertainment, but also a means of communication, self-expression and personal development. The Internet attracts modern children and young people in a variety of communication, the alleviation of information hunger, the search for new forms of self-expression, anonymity and virtual freedom, a sense of community and belonging to the group. Children learn new digital technologies and learn to navigate freely in the information space. Children can not really evaluate the level of reliability and security of information contained in the Internet space. Over the past six months, the world has increased the Internet coverage by 7 %. According to statistics, more than a third of users in Ukraine are under the age of 29 years. More than 60 % of children and teenagers communicate daily in the Internet chats. Preference for the virtual world of reality has a negative impact on the psyche and health of a child and can worsen not only the vision, posture and sleep, but also cause anxiety, irritability, social maladjustment and dependent behavior. There is a rise in the high level of anxiety, rigidity and extravagance for Internet users. Only 24 % of adults check which sites their child visits. 11 % of parents are aware of such online threats as ‘adult’ content, gambling, online violence, cybercrime. 79 % of children are confident that they are sufficiently aware of the risks in the Internet network. There are five main types of the Internet addiction: computer addiction, compulsive navigation in the network, information congestion, cyber sexual addiction and cyber communicative addiction. In Ukraine, the cyber communicative addiction is common. So, according to the research, the first place in attendance is occupied by social networks – 27 % (in general among young people), girls have a higher indicator (29,8 %) than boys (23,9 %).