Technology, The Addiction of The Decade
“There could have been a whole bunch of people you could have never met because you were on your phone texting somebody else…because you were too preoccupied,” said Jack Goodman, a Sophomore University of Vermont.
As I walked across the University of Vermont’s campus, technology consumed the atmosphere, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, computers, and so much were planted in front of students’ faces. I wondered, is this addiction something that students really want? Do students see this as an issue in their lives?
According to CNN, Americans spend more than ten hours a day on technology, and in a place such as the University of Vermont where students are constantly studying and using social media, it is clear that these devices have become part of their lifestyles. The facts are clear regarding how much screen time Americans are use each day. How they feel about it is not.
The UVM Students I spoke with agree that they are addicted to technology; they see it as a norm in society. For the students, technology is praised for its ability to help communicate with family and friends long distance, but it is negatively discussed when social media is brought up. Many students found that the multiple social media platforms they use made them feel left out, neglected, and peer pressured. The majority of our conversation about using their phones and the amount of time they were on them was not about the academic support it brought, but the social issues it carried, emotionally and physically.
There is a fine line between the technology essential for college and technology in a social atmosphere. Socially many students feel that technology has negatively affected their social skills and experiences. Ethan Cruz, a sophomore at the University of Vermont, says, “I think I would have closer friends then I would now because I would talk to them in person more rather than looking through their Instagram…or looking through their Twitter… I could actually talk to them.” Goodman adds to this, “I think having your phone provides you with a mask. When you are on your phone you are more comfortable saying things to certain people then you would be in person. It takes you out of talking to a person right in front of you”. They see their phone almost as a social barrier that they can overcome if necessary but also hide behind if needed.
Students not only noticed their addiction to technology but voiced their concerns for younger generations. They express their experiences as a child, knocking on people’s doors, playing outside, and being free of worries. Shayna Francis, a freshman at the University, says she was lucky enough to grow up the “right” way, meaning the technology did not consume her childhood. She continued, “It has been used almost as a pacifier for children to be quiet, and I don’t support that, but that was not enforced on me.” She concludes, “I think that technology can really steal childhoods.” Shayna feels strongly about childhood technology use and believes that moderation is necessary.
Shayna is not the only student concerned about this issue. Cruz adds “A child’s early access to technology is the most harmful thing”. According to PBS, children from the ages of two to four spend 2 hours and 42 minutes on average a day on technology. This is a different lifestyle then many students at UVM had growing up. Students remarked on their experience of babysitting and watching children out to dinner consumed by their phones. They are not judging them for their consumption habits, but are more concerned in the way it will influence them as they grow up.
Students recognize the issue and see it impeding in their lives through unnecessary social media use, games and television. Using technology for college is a necessity for academics, but socially students feel the effect can be negative mentally not only for themselves but children as well. As Goodman gathered, “My best memories are not on my phone.”
