Modern technology is now a natural part of daily life. We use it to work, learn, stay in touch with loved ones, and relax. Technology itself is not the problem - what matters is the role it plays in our lives and what happens when it begins to replace sleep, relationships, focus, or time for ourselves.
At EUNOMA Clinic, we approach technology use without moralizing or unnecessary fear. The digital world is part of the reality we live in. That is precisely why it is important to recognize when technology is truly helpful, and when a seemingly harmless habit starts to become a burden on mental health, family life, or everyday functioning.
A healthy relationship with technology does not mean using it as little as possible. It means keeping a sense of choice, perspective, and the ability to be offline without significant distress. Helpful habits include setting clear boundaries, balancing online and offline activities, and paying attention to how technology affects sleep, attention, and relationships.
If someone uses a phone, computer, or social media as a practical tool, high screen time alone is not necessarily a problem. It becomes more concerning when devices start functioning as an automatic escape from boredom, stress, uncertainty, or uncomfortable emotions.
The term netolism refers to a non-substance addiction to the internet and its services. It can include the need to stay online constantly, repeatedly check a phone, spend long periods on social media, online games, video platforms, shopping, or other digital activities that gradually become difficult to control. This category also includes addiction on virtual relationships (dating apps) and virtual sexuality (pornography).
The issue is not just how many hours are spent on a phone or computer. What matters most are the consequences: neglecting responsibilities, weaker relationships, poor sleep, losing interest in former hobbies, or feeling that life does not work without the online world. Loss of control and disruption of everyday life are among the clearest signs that this is no longer just a habit.
Technology-related concerns are not limited to digital addiction. The same area also includes other online risks that often appear in school and family prevention work: cyberbullying, cybergrooming, and sexting.
These phenomena share one important feature: they happen in a space that is fast, easily accessible, and often deeply personal. That is why they can be emotionally intense, especially for children and adolescents, and why it is important to talk about them clearly, calmly, and early.
Cyberbullying is deliberate harm carried out through digital technologies such as the internet, social media, email, or messaging apps. It may involve humiliation, insults, threats, shaming, or blackmail, and its impact is often amplified by the fact that it can reach a person repeatedly and almost anywhere.
Unlike traditional bullying, it does not stay in one place. It can follow someone home, into the evening, and into spaces that should feel safe. For that reason, online harm should be taken seriously and never dismissed as less real simply because it happens on a screen.
Cybergrooming refers to dangerous manipulation in online settings, where an offender gains the trust of a child or adolescent and gradually exploits that trust. The person often uses a fake identity, communicates in a friendly way, and creates a sense of understanding or closeness before pushing for personal information, intimate content, or an in-person meeting.
What makes cybergrooming so serious is its subtle beginning. It does not usually start with a threat. It starts with attention. Not aggression, but warmth. That is why children and teens should know that discomfort, secrecy, or pressure to cross boundaries are always reasons to speak up and not face the situation alone.
Online stalking refers to repeated and unwanted monitoring, contact, or harassment through digital channels. It may include frequent messages, tracking social media activity, threats, blackmail, or attempts to stay constantly present in someone’s life despite clear rejection. Unlike ordinary interest, online stalking is defined by pressure, boundary violations, and the feeling that there is no real escape from the harassment. In practice, it may occur on its own or together with cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse.
Sexting means sending messages, photos, videos, or other sexually explicit content. The risk is not only in sending it, but also in the fact that once content is shared, the sender no longer has full control over what happens to it next.
For both adolescents and adults, it is important to talk about consent, boundaries, safety, and consequences. Content intended for one person can become a tool for pressure, humiliation, or a part of other forms of online abuse, including cyberbullying or cybergrooming.
Prevention starts with connection, not prohibition. For children and adolescents, curiosity, open communication, clear rules, and a safe space for sharing are essential. For adults, the key is conscious phone use, balancing online and offline time, and regularly noticing whether they are using technology - or whether technology is using them.
Notice why you reach for your phone - out of need or automatically.
If you are a parent, stay interested in who your child talks to online and which platforms they use.
Create screen-free times, such as before sleep or during shared family time.
Talk about the online world as openly as you talk about school, relationships, or emotions.
Professional help is appropriate when technology use starts to significantly affect everyday functioning. This may include sleep problems, loss of control, neglect of school or work, withdrawal from usual interests, tension in the family, or ongoing distress connected to the online environment.
Support is also important when a child or adolescent experiences cyberbullying, uncomfortable manipulation, or pressure to share intimate content. Early action can often prevent deeper effects on mental health, relationships, and the sense of safety.
If you feel that technology use is beginning to affect your mental wellbeing, relationships, or daily functioning, you do not have to deal with it alone. At EUNOMA Clinic, this topic is addressed by addiction specialist Kristýna Březová and child psychologist Rút Jungwirthová, who offer a sensitive and professional space for adolescents, adults, and parents who want to better understand the situation and find a workable way forward. Reach out to us, and together we can look at what is happening in your life - without judgment, with respect, and with attention to real human needs.
I have been working in the field of addiction counselling for more than 10 years. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Addictology from the First Faculty of Medicine and a degree in General Medicine from the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. In my research, I focus on preventive medicine and epidemiology.
In my work with clients, I combine evidence-based knowledge with a holistic approach to mental health. My medical background enables me to understand the broader clinical context and to better support each client’s individual needs.
