Growing Problems with Technology and Teens
I have more recently began to consume more technology then id say the average person should be. Many of my friends also complain about there use of technology. During this COVID-19 pandemic, teens and young adults are being forced to consume more media than before. Parents especially are noticing this difference within their children. Over the course of a few months, I have caught myself developing bad tendencies due to my technology use. I was staying up ridiculously late, I had bad posture causing a slur of pains and aches, and I was more recently seeing myself lose motivation and losing my sense of purpose. I believe COVID-19 has drastically amplified these effects due to the massive increase in usage.
83% of 12–15-year old’s have their own smart phone and 50% have their own tablet. For approximately 48 hours a week, these teens are consuming media through TV, video games and social media. Looking at the amount of people that use technology and electronics daily has greatly increased among our generation. My technology use has grown alongside the growing market and demand, as many others are in the same situation. You would think that phones and electronics cannot have a negative effect on people minds and lives. Some negative effects have begun to present themselves with using these products too much or improperly. This new generation and usage of technology can have negative effects among teens and young adults specifically. As many of you know COVID-19 has presented itself with many unexpected problems within our communities. Although COVID-19’s main effects are detrimental to society some other problems have presented themselves like the explosive use of technology, especially among teens and young adults. Many people could not look at a cellular device and think it can have lifelong effects on people’s bodies. I feel as if I have personally seen these effects among myself, when I catch myself overusing electronics, I often find myself feeling unmotivated and anxious. Which depression and anxiety are one of the more popular effects of over usage.
I have more recently began to consume more technology then id say the average person should be. Many of my friends complain also about there use of technology. During this COVID-19 pandemic, teens and young adults are being forced to consume more media than before. Parents especially are noticing this difference within their children. Over the course of a few months, I have caught myself developing bad tendences due to my technology use. I was staying up ridiculously late, I had bad posture causing a slur of pains and aches, and I was more recently seeing myself lose motivation and losing my sense of purpose. I believe COVID-19 has drastically amplified these effects due to the massive increase in usage.
Shirin Ghaffary’s article “The Pandemic Is Raising Concerns about How Teens Use Technology”. But There’s Still a Lot We Don’t Know.” Shares some of the new concerns related to technology. The author begins to tell the reader how much of an impact these phones are having on our generation. “95% of us teens have access to a smart phone and 45% say they are online almost constantly”. Ghaffary’s then tells us the growing rate of teenagers suffering from mental health issues on the dramatic increase in engagement of digital devices. I believe that technology has an effect on our daily performance, and needs emphasized because there are still so many people who still believe it does not affect them. Teens and parents need to be conscious of their screen time before negative affects present themselves.
Figure 1 shares the pros and cons of adolescent technology
Although children today can be affected by electronics it can also keep them in a safer environment and doing safer activities. Some experts cannot agree with technology being dangerous for kids. “There is a lot of discrepancy, and it’s not exactly clear because this is all brand-new,” says Adam Pletter, a child psychologist and founder of iParent 101. But seeing some studies correlating anxiety and depression to the use of technology in kids cannot be overlooked. Some of the risk are explained by Christine Carter writing for Greater good magazine. Carter broke down the 3 main risk involved within children using too much technology. First risk Carter shares relates to alone time. Although teens and young adults are “fantastically connected socially” they also “now feel more left out and lonely than ever before”. Carter then explains the disconnect between parents and teens. She shares that teens are so connected to technology that they have the ability see what everyone else is doing at any moment. As a result, the teens now know exactly when they are getting left out. According to Carter, “Research documents that the more time kids spend online and, on their devices, the less time they tend to spend with their peers in face-to-face encounters” . Meaning that a child or teen could get left out and have that feeling of loneliness. This will only lead to further technology use and isolation.
The Next risk involved with screen time correlates to social media and materialism going hand in hand. “entering college students today are more likely than ever before to say it’s important to them to be wealthy” . Which can lead them to finding less value in intrinsic goals like finding meaning. Psychologist Tim Kasser’s studies in materialism has shown that the more materialistic people are thinking about acquiring wealth or fame has a direct correlation to feeling unhappy, depressed, and anxious.
The third risk that Christine carter claimed is the risk of insecurity and comparison through technology. For example, a teen opening snapchats seeing million-dollar mansions and luxury lifestyles that can be unrealistic. A couple minute Instagram scroll and its “filled with photoshopped selfies taken painstakingly from an angle that makes someone look her thinnest — can easily make even a secure and self-confident teen feel her normal body is disgusting and aberrant” says Carter. With children mostly being exposed to people better off than them it can cause them to feel like they are not good enough and even feel humiliated.
Christine Carter wrote another piece relating to technology and teens. She opens with “Screen time is a likely cause of their ongoing surge in teen depression, anxiety, and suicide”. A study done in 2018 stated that half of parents worry that their child’s use of technology is affecting their mental health” . Around 2012 is when the surge of technology use was widespread among teens and young adults. Which shortly after followed with an ongoing surge of depression, anxiety, and suicide. With an even further surge of technology use due to COVID-19, I am afraid teens and young adults are being affected even more than those before them. While locked in your house for weeks only to see your family and very close friends if you were lucky these teenagers had nothing to do but sit there and consume media. Weather that be Netflix, YouTube, or snapchat. The rate of use has undoubtable went up. But what will be the outcome of this kind spike in usage. Widespread generational depression and anxiety?
One of the main sources of media consumption comes from television. An article written by Miriam Bar-on goes into some of the effects specifically from television. She shares some of the main risk involved with television effects and explains why usage is important to monitor. “National Television Violence Study examined nearly 10,000 hours of television programming and found that 61% contained violence” . Miriam provided this quote to inform others of unexpected results stemming from the amount of violence displayed on modern television. These television shows are glamorizing violence and irrational behavior. She then explains that “Numerous studies, including longitudinal research, have shown a relation between children’s exposure to violence and their own violent and aggressive behaviors. Many studies have documented the role of television in fostering violent behaviors among children”. Another effect that she shares relates to the use of tobacco and alcohol. Miriam once again shares a statistic that grabs the reader’s attention. “Content analysis has found that alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs are present in 70% of prime-time network dramatic programs and half of all music videos” . Studies conducted on the matter of advertisement exposure can be linked to exposure and consumption.
Of course, many people disagree on the grounds that technology does not have negative effects on teens and young adults. Annabelle Timsit’s article “Even Experts Can’t Agree on Whether Technology Is Dangerous for Kids” looks at some of the reasons that technology is benefiting rather than harming. And describes the arrival of the smartphone has “radically changed every aspect of their Live’s”.” “Studies show that connected teens are less likely to engage in a whole host of behaviors their tech-free predecessors did a lot of, like date, have sex, see friends, and drive cars. Excessive screen time in children has been associated with everything from developmental delays to behavior problems and learning disabilities” . She is stating that teens engaging in electronics are less likely to be making the same mistakes/bad decisions their parents made in their childhoods. Although children today can be affected by electronics it can keep them in a safer environment and doing safer activities. Some experts cannot agree with technology being dangerous for kids. “There is a lot of discrepancy, and it’s not exactly clear because this is all brand-new,” says Adam Pletter, a child psychologist and founder of iParent 101. But seeing some studies correlating anxiety and depression to the use of technology in kids cannot be overlooked.
You would think that phones and electronics cannot have a negative effect on people minds and lives. As you have learned many negative effects can present themselves while consuming this much technology. During these unfortunate times trapped inside due to COVID-19 with nothing to do, do not get trapped on your devices and get drawn towards some of these affects. Some of these effects more dangerous than others including depression and anxiety. Although more research should be conducted on this matter, you should still be taking precautions and should really be monitoring usage among yourself, family, and friends. To ensure my health and safety, I am going to be limiting myself to fewer number of hours I consume technology. I challenge you to do the same.
