Digital Technology And Social Media

Technology has helped connect people and created friendships that without technology couldn’t happen. A big way for people to connect with each other is by using social media like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. Facebook connects more of us to more of our friends and family than we have ever been connected before (Document 2). Every "Like, every Share, every comment is a way for us to renew on a tiny scale our connections with our friends (Document 2). Our phones are devices that can connect us to anyone around the world in the matter of seconds (Document 5). Technology is not only connecting us with other people it is also connecting us to more information.

Cell phones and the computers are similar to each other in many different ways. One of the most common similarities is the internet aspect. With everyone connected to the internet, the adverse effects can spread throughout like a virus. “A Nielsen study released in 2010 indicated that texting was the primary reason for purchasing mobile phones and that text communication had become a "’centerpiece of mobile teen behavior.’" The modern smartphone of the 2010s is a powerful computing device, and the rapid and ongoing development of new applications provides users with a growing number of ways to use mobile phones for recreation, productivity, and social communication” (Issitt 2016). In the following Issitt states, “however, as smartphones have become more common, concerns about the detrimental effects of smartphone use have also increased.” (Issitt 2016). Issitt expresses the large growth of people with smartphones has its positives and negatives. The positives being the ability to communicate, but the negative being the effects on relationships with one another. An example of the negative side of things is the lack of interaction with people. People are more likely to call or text instead of interacting with one another. The lack of interaction can ruin relationships, or make people feel unwanted. In the article “Eurasian Journal of Educational Research,” the writer states that the internet, “can transform into an addictive instrument in excessive usage situations.” (Gunduz 2017). The statement explains the issue of the unnecessary use of the internet as a growing addictive process that is taking over more and more

Technology today is more relied upon than ever before. If one needs to call someone half way around the world, simply take out a cell phone and dial their number. Within thirty seconds, one can be speaking to that person just as if two people were conversing face-to-face. In the same manner, one has access to endless knowledge and resources by the pushing of a few buttons or the click of a mouse. The usage of social media today is becoming more prevalent than ever before because of the convenience it offers. This convenience includes being able to instantly know where a person is, what they are doing, and how they are feeling. All of these instances have one main commonality : technology. The interminable technological advances one has

In addition, big corporations have power to control our digital experience and foster conformity. The ideas that circulate the internet can foster a negative notion of self-esteem and image. At the end of the day, we have to realize that technology has some of its benefits but it also adheres ramifications. We have to be wary of the benefits and the harmful effects that play in our life. We also have to be aware of the effect that technology has on others, such as having a phone out during a conversation aiding ill-mannerism. Technology connects us in many ways but it also distances us. It creates dissonance when we are having a face-to-face interactions and the other person is distracted because of their phone. Superficially, we know a lot about one another through social media but we actually don't know the in depth story. There are many bad information out there and that sometimes messes with our sense of judgement. Through the many facets of social media, we express ourselves differently in variety of platforms. This can affect the sense of self and the real identity of yourself. The web can be a chaotic place with masses of information but with that comes the responsibility of finding the right information and reaping the

Technology has taken over lives, schools, homes and this world. In this “Look at me” era, social media as made people fraudulent. Students’ real and virtual selves face contradistinction. Not only are people changing emotionally, their minds are mentally changing as well. Studies are showing that the Internet is effecting the way people read. The Net has damaged people’s capacities for deliberation and consideration. Technology has allowed people to wield ultimate power. Withholding all that power is very dangerous and has caused some to lose their lives. This generation is living in an anti-social world due to social networks. Therefore, the relationship between people and technology has created a negative impact on each other.

As this class has progressed, I have learned vast amounts of information on current societal issues, such as the inundation of technology and the value of college, through the assignments given in class. In the case of technology, I have discovered the extent of how influential it is on the youth of today, especially with teens and young adults. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted by Amanda Lenhart, over 70% of teens use more than one social media platform. When taken into context, that amounts to millions of teens and young adults who can connect through social media. As a result, Forbes reporter AJ Agrawal notes that social media is one of the best sources of information for teens and young adults, influencing their outlook

Everywhere you look technology is being used. It is used in schools, workplaces, at home, in transportation facilities, and everywhere you go. Technology has quickly become apart of people's everyday life. Younger generations haven't experienced a world without technology. Life has been made easier over time, with advances in the technological world. The Internet and virtual social networks are new technologies that have had the most impact on young people and have provided many benefits to their users. Some benefits include staying in touch with distant relatives and having easy access to important news or weather updates. We have the answers to pretty much all of our questions with just one push of a button. People are so engulfed in their technological devices that most they don’t even realize how harmful they can be. It can cause a variety of issues including diseases, mental and physical issues, and bodily functions start to degrade.

Once, the internet was a location for academic research. We now use the internet for any possible activity anyone could think of. One of these activities is the internet and social media acting as a communication medium for users. Users may use texting, messaging, emailing, and other forms of communication through wifi to speak to those who are not in their immediate company. As stated by the APA, “The internet facilitates communication with geographically distant family and friends, and makes it easier to communicate frequently with those near by” (Jackson et al.). Not only does the internet aid communication, but it is a permeable area of technology in which users can communicate with different people from all over the world.

Technology affects the way students interact socially with other students, teachers and administration, and can cause an extreme amount of social skills. Although not all students are influenced negatively by technology, it does cause an issue for many. “One striking negative effect of digital technology consumption is how it diminishes our capacity for empathy by limiting how much people engage with one another” (Ives). In today’s society, students are used to just emailing their teachers and administration when they have questions. Having immediate access to email causes them to not be able to speak well to the adults at their school. This also takes a toll on students social skills. Because they are so used to emailing, texting, snapchatting, etc., most students are bad at talking to adults and the administration at school. This can cause an extreme issue when it comes time for students to interview for jobs, colleges, or scholarships. Another thing that technology affects negatively is the amount of bullying and teacher bashing through social media. Students think that if they put things on their social media accounts, that the school cannot do anything about it. They think that since they are not in school then it is fine to put things online. This creates an excessive amount of cyberbullying. Kids have more courage to say rude things online than they would in real life. They do not have the ability to even speak in real life, as

Technology caused various of changes in this world. In the article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” the author Jean M. Twenge discuss how technology has caused a different effect on teen. “I called them iGen. Born between 1995 and 2012, members of this generation are growing up with smartphones...” Many teens now are dependent on texting then having a group conversation as compared to generations we can see the differences. The generation after 2012, which Twenge calls iGen, rely more on smartphones than earlier generation. iGen use of social media, like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, began before they even started going to school. These kinds of uses have caused health issues, and teens are going out less to parks and using less outside resources. While it be safer that kids stay inside, they are more likely to go into depression. Smartphones have made teens less able to communicate, caused a higher risk to their health, and become too much in a iGens life.

Merriam-Webster defines communication as, “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior,” (Merriam-Webster). In an age where tablets, ipads, laptops, and smartphones are an essential part of our everyday lives it is hard to say that they are making anything, but a positive impact on children, or teenagers. Trying to disconnect from social media or technology in general has become very difficult, for the reason that it has completely taken over. Although many people believe that the technological era is making a positive impact on everyday lives, there are others who believe that technology has held back human interaction by hurting “real relationships”, playing a hand in creating people who are more antisocial, and lessening the value of face to face interactions.

Technology is altering the landscape of the world at a capricious pace. Computers are a mainstay in most homes and internet connections occur daily. Family members from across the web connect through video chat services such as Skype and social media sites (Jenicus & Sager, 2001).The usage of smartphones and social media has increased undeniably in the past decade. Children bring smartphones with them to elementary school and learn on computer tablets in class. Communication technology has seen advances on the internet, newsgroups, chat rooms, email, video conferencing, text messaging and other computer-based learning (Negretti, 2001). No longer is information limited by the local library, but instead individual have access to all the information on the internet.

In the 21st century social media and technology are enormous parts of every ones everyday lives, especially teenagers 13-17. Teens also believe that under the freedom of speech amendment that they can say anything they want to. Under this belief teens say a lot of regrettable things on networks like Twitter and Facebook. Teens may say something that hurts ones feelings, but administrators at schools are impatient and are quick to label someone as a bully, or someone who hurts someone and causes long lasting pain to someone, because they believe the victim may be scarred when really the victim isn’t. My essential question is: are ant bullying strategies used by schools successful? No, schools are quick to punish and may end up possibly ruining a teens future by putting bullying on a teens transcript. Schools need to be more patient, and need to find the source of the incident and talk to both parties.

Our society is filled to the brim with visual images. Some more noticeable than others, yet they all impact our minds and thoughts differently even if the ideal is not visible on the surface. Gender, race, age, social class, etc., they all come into factor when affected by images of society. Although they are just images, current day society has learned to take pictures and warp them into anything they want to create. Some see these new advances of Photoshop and editing as a form of art, signifying a voice in the direction of the image. The conflicting issue is some images are altered to make you believe it is real, therefor making it difficult to know what was altered and what was not. With current day technology and social media, there is a constant push on what you should look like, dress like, be like and most of the time they aren’t even real images due to all its alterations on the original picture. Advertisements and social media of our generation are the true reasonings behind many young women’s insecurities and down falls due to the larger institutional powers at play all within a single picture. American Apparel displays a beautiful, tall and skinny model in the windows of their store front to portray to the young females of our generation the ideal image and style one should portray in order to fulfill this “American” style.

Social media and technology usage have dramatically increased in the last few years. In 2012, there were “1.4 billion users and this number was projected to climb around 2.13 billion users in 2016 (“Number of social network users worldwide from 2010 to 2018”). The use of technology have been increasing because the world is in the era where science and socially is advancing. People, especially teenagers, are craving for newer and better technology like smartphones, laptops, but is craving for technology good for the future of society? Technology and social media have improved the world by allowing people to understand the advancement and science of the world, but does technology have side effects as well. As more people are indulging themselves in the world of technology and social media, what are the positive and negative effects of the technology used by adolescents and teenagers today?