Technology and Teens
The 21st century is a generation of technology and connectivity. From Nokia 6310 to iPhone 13 pro max, from sending letters to sending an iMessage, technology has come a long way. But, how is it affecting teens today? Are teenagers of the 21st century more depressed than ever before? Is it because of advancing technology or is there some other reason behind it?
Coming to the benefits of it we can see that it is because of this advancement in technology, what was thought to be impossible, even in the last century, is possible today. Students sitting in the remote areas are getting access to education. Children, today, have a much better hand at technology as compared to our previous generations. They have access to much information and they are learning something new almost every single day. It is truly miraculous to see how technology has not only changed the life of the youth but also changed the world. Social media has drastically changed the way of communication. However, just like how every fairytale has a dark side, Social media and the advancement in technology has a dark side too.
Social media plays a huge role in everybody’s lives today. People are connected through social media these days. And today, we see that most of the social media users are in the age group of 13–17 years. Social Media can be boon as well as a curse. It can make us aware about the issues of the world but at the same time, if not used carefully, one can easily fall a victim to cybercrimes. Now, teenagers are very much invested in social media, be it Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, they believe almost everything they see online. That is the reason why they often fall victim to online bullying. Often times, teenagers focus so much on what people-who are sitting in a dark room behind a computer screen- are saying that they forget who they are and start to believe these online trolls and feel depressed. With the advancement of technology, kids these days are also getting access to various sites and information, which isn’t appropriate for them. Sometimes, some teens themselves are the online bullies and are committing cyber crime, unknowingly.
So, are teenagers of this generation are sad and depressed than ever before?Well, in a way they are. Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, everything has been virtual be it online classes to meeting friends. As a result most students these days feel disconnected from the real world. They are so busy in the virtual world that they often forget that a world, outside their cell phones and laptops, exists too. Human beings are social creatures, however, socializing in real life and socializing online are very very different. Children of this generation have almost forgotten what it’s like to make a friend in real life and have a real, physical conversation. As a result, most of the time they keep their emotions and feelings bottled up. This is extremely unhealthy for their mental health.
So, is there a way to co-exist with advancing technology and at the same time, maintain a healthy and normal life for kids of 2021? Of course, there is. The first and the most important thing that kids today should focus on is building healthy relationships with the people around them. Teenagers, today, ignore their parents and believe what their friends have to say than what their parents have to say. Our parents are our roots and if our roots aren’t strong enough, we will eventually fall apart. Secondly, they should also use social under proper supervision so that no child is bullied and child becomes a bully. It is the responsibility of the parents to know what their children are doing online. Puberty is a tough time and technology is making making it more difficult, parents should understand this and be more supportive. At the end of the day, we have remember that we are raising the next citizens of the world and they would be responsible for how the society and the world works and functions.