Adolescents Affects The Attitudes Of Teenagers In The Igeneration

In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” Jean M. Twenge she argues that a generation has been taken over by smartphones. I agree with Twenge's theories, but I feel that she was over-exaggerating when she states that teenagers are on a "mental-health crisis". Smartphones differ with everyone some people know how to manage their time and still have a social life, but others are certainly more comfortable online than out partying as stated in the article. She is a professor of psychology who research's generational differences, work values, life goals, and also speed of development. She had been researching generational differences for more than twenty-five years. It all started when she was twenty-two years old and a

Jean M. Twenge despises smartphones! That is the initial reaction to the title of her article “Have Smartphones Destroyed A generation?” . This will be an analysis of the effectiveness of the article written by Jean M. Twenge about the effects of smartphone usage on younger generations. With modern reliance growing more heavily on smartphones and younger generations being born with these devices around them, Twenge has gathered information pertaining to this new generational adaption that began to show signs around 2012. “Around 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states. The gentle slopes of the line graphs became steep mountains and sheer cliffs, and many of the distinctive characteristics of the Millennial

Teens today branded as iGen, the generation born in between 1995 through 2012, has grown with smartphones at their complete disposal. According to, Jean Twenge, writer of “Have Smartphones Destroyed A Generation,” the rise and sway smartphones and social media have over teens has negative contributions over the emotions and behaviors of iGen, and they are “on the brink of a mental crisis.” “There is compelling evidence that the devices we have placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives—and making them seriously unhappy.”

Technology is becoming to be a large part of society and has a growing impact on our personal lives. Jean Twenge uses this reasoning to effectively discuss the mental issues arising in “iGen” and how social media, sleep deprivation, and usage of technology are negatively affecting teenagers of this generation. This is an important topic to discuss because in 2011, statistics showed that the teen suicide rate was higher than the teen homicide rate for the first time in 24 years (Twenge). Twenge uses facts like this to appeal to parents to try to make them recognize that their own kids could be in danger of depression and hurting themselves and what could be large contributors. Twenge backs up her argument by using her background as a professor at San Diego University and her studies of generational differences to support her claim. Although Jean Twenge tries to use her power to make parents embrace their parental

Within the decade, people can agree that technology has gradually impacted lives every day. Whether people believe it is progressive or destructive, it is established that for some, the impact of technology is quite concerning. An ongoing topic is whether teenagers are in fact addicted to their smartphone devices and social media. In Sherry Turkle's’ piece “Growing up Tethered” she provides student testimonials that only proves that teenagers from the ages sixteen to eighteen feel the need to be on their smartphones at all times. Although, technology does have positive outcomes and uses, Turkles’ points that teenagers are too tethered to their devices and are not as safe while using their device is correct because society is able to recognize

In the article “Growing up Tethered”, by Sherry Turkle, she argues that technology today plays a major role in everyday life. Youths do not have the ability to branch off and have their own independence because of their reliance and attachment to technology. They also use technology to develop who they are as people and create an online personal identity of what they think is a perfect life. In comparison, their own life seems boring, pale and unwanted. Turkle also talks about how teenagers think of their phone as a “friend’s” and cannot live without it. When feeling a strong emotion, teens want to share their feelings with their friends and phone. I agree with Turkle’s opinion that technology is changing and will never be the same, which will be hard to improve this attachment to technology because too many teens are tethered.

She tells of several strategies use by teenagers to avoid parental attention, such as leaving their cell phones at home or just not answering them when parents call or text, which in turn causes the parents increased anxiety. The extra stress from this always connected society causes some parents and teenagers to envy a time in the not too distanced past where there were no cell phones (Turkle 432). Despite the understandable quest for autonomy, the author also states that it is not unusual for a college student to text his or her parents fifteen times a day (Turkle 435). This seeming dichotomy is not surprising to me. Although younger teenagers often feel stifled by their parents inescapable overwatch, as they come of age, many of them will form relationships where they share and seek out advise with their parents.

This specific generation has changed severally from past generations. Today’s youth have become attached to technology and can’t seem to let go of it. People have become dependent on technology; they make sure they check social media before they proceed to do anything else. Past generations focused on having a social life, getting out of the house, and having good relationships with friends. Twenge (2017) says that “the allure of independence, so powerful to previous generations, holds less sway over today’s teens” (p. 5) which is alarmingly true. Teens today spend more time at home interacting with their friends through social media rather than in person. Today’s teens have also let meaningful relationships slip away, many have put themselves in depressing states and end up feeling lonely because the lack of interaction and quality time with other individuals has gone away. Young people now focus on their likes and views rather than a significant other and being in relationships that could bring them joy. This newer generation lacks the independence past generations had. Past generations thrived to be on their own and have the ability to do what they wanted when they wanted. Past generations freedom came from having jobs and making money; teens today have lost the vigor to get jobs and make money. Many eligible young people have lost their strive to get jobs and have an income, many rely on their guardians to take care of them and pay for all of their necessities. However, Twenge mentions in the article, “Independence isn’t free – you need

Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?, by Jean M. Twenge, was published in the September 2017 Issue of The Atlantic. Twenge discusses the impacts of smartphones in teens (also referred to as “iGen’s”) today and attempts to determine if smartphones have caused a generation to falter in their mental and physical health. The author interviews a 13 year old girl about issues teens are developing due to these devices. She examines the spike in teen suicide rates since the invention of the smartphone, how teens no longer go out and socialize with others, and the lack of sleep teens may be getting due to smartphone activity.

In “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” written by, the Psychology Doctor, Jean M. Twenge, she presents the results produced after twenty-five years of research (Twenge para3). Her research was carried out to understand the new generation and explain how it differs to the previous generations (Twenge para9). Although her style is indeed formal, she utilized a heavy amount of credentials, logos, emotional appeal and a factual tone, to enforces her appeal on the parents of the kids of this new generation. Furthermore, she underlays her stand on the topic throughout her analysis, rather than having a direct approach and states actual percentages to compare previous generations to the new one, which leads to a sense of validity. It is not until the very end, that she finally states her stand in a more direct sense, since she has now gained the trust of her audience.

In “Generation Text Generation Text: The Dark Digital Ages: 13-17”, author Mark Bauerlein explains that the generation of today is generally lost within their technology, specifically cellphones. Bauerlein makes the point that teenagers hold their social lives within their hands, resulting in their separation from real world socialization and family, claiming that “So many of them consider the cell phone as an essential part of their lives” (p. 349). Furthermore, he compares today’s generation to that of past generations, and how the amount of online socialization today’s generation takes in is unhealthy. However, as Bauerlein fails to acknowledge that with the change of time come the change of people and social norms he is also quite ineffective

My inspiration for this spontaneous prose was activated by two destructive observations; the education that I received at my previous public high school and my own observation of unwilling dominance that technology, specifically social media, has successfully overtaken us. This (troubled) generation has proved to be inviting itself into a society where it is completely fueled by technology, and unlike the Beat Generation, we cannot escape our own reality by going on road trips with our friends, getting high off of our asses or skipping school for our own pleasure. Due to a much more constructive society, we liberate ourselves and try to escape reality with the power or, in the perspective of others, self destruction of technology.

This generation has obtained a tremendous amount of accessible information through technology. Technology has progressed during this generation which has corrupted the minds of teens everywhere.

A world where every action, feeling, and thought originates from what people interpret on a screen is the result of society’s obsession with the Internet. Turkle starts exposing how severely attached, or “tethered,” teenagers are to their cell phones and the digital world. This leads into a discussion on privacy, or the lack thereof. Expanding on that idea, Turkle writes about how teenagers are not able to claim independence due to the tie to their cell phones and thus those who pay for them, their parents (Turkle, 238). This lack of growth stunts their identity-forming process and further agitates their obsession with the world online. The accessibility of instant validation from peers, or strangers for that matter, on the Web entices people away from the real world around them. Turkle

From having good grades, to studying for the ACT, in addition to trying to fit into the social aspect in high school a teens life has never been more hard. And the invention of the smartphone has only added to the amount of stress that a teen has to deal with. The smartphone has created an environment in which adolescents are always connected with those they go to highschool with, through the use of social media. For example if a bully were to be picking on a student at school the student could not just go home and forget about the incident, but now the bully has the ability to abuse that student at any point he/she desires. These types of incidents are creating a new wave of problems for adolescents and their parents, Nojiri Matthew interviewed Rick Wolf (assistant superintendent at Mifflin School district) explaining “The increase in social media use has added another element when identifying and caring for kids dealing with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other mental health disorders, Wolf said” (Wolf). The smartphone is the catalyst to these problems. If you were to take away the smartphone problems such as cyberbullying would be less of an issue. However adolescents these days are given smartphones at such a young age, with no supervision on how long they use it throughout the day, that it becomes second nature to be looking at it every minute of everyday checking their social media profiles.