Negative Effects Of Technology On Youth

Technology has a large effect on our lives. It surrounds todays modern society and it is available nearly everywhere. It influences minds in good and bad, affecting our young children and adolescents. This may be potentially harmful. Technology is used as another form of communication and exch

Technology today makes everyone so distracted. People spend more time texting, making phone calls, and streaming videos. I see 99% of the world on their phones or some form of technology. “Young people spend about 27 hours a week on technology, weather it is communicating or uploading videos.”(E.g. Web, Elizabeth Anderson). Technology can be the root of all evil. It is the only thing that distracts our youth from the things ahead of them.

Technology can be a great help to society; however, it is causing more harm than good. It is triggering children and young adults to not focus on their surroundings. Children spend a lot of time in their homes playing video games rather than going outside enjoying the world. They are so involved with video games, that they don’t even know basic life skills. Children rely on their video games to teach them about life. Teenagers are greatly involved with their phones and don’t even know how to have a basic conversation. Technology can be a dangerous thing because many teens can not put their phones down, even when they are driving. People rely on technology so much, that they can not function without it. A possible

The development of technology is growing quickly and becoming a part of everyday life. Technology has advanced so much that virtual reality is starting to look like reality. Virtual reality has truly brought life to video games. The reality could be skewed for children who have not experience the world yet and playing violent video games could alter how they view the real world. The article provides different angles to this topic.

Teenagers are becoming obsessed with technology. It has become part of their daily lives and although it has its good sides the consequences of this addiction counteract them. Teenagers in-class potential has been considerably diminished, it has changed our social behavior and impacted our mental health.

Overuse of technology has drastically affected many young children in the United States. Technology such as cell phones, television, social media, and video games are heavily affecting children today. Growing problems like influencing violence, obesity, and psychological disorders have taken a tole on these children. Children today are being negatively affected by new technologies because of a lack of censorship, a lack of monitoring by parents, and the availability to these technologies.

Have you ever buried your face in your smartphone for hours? Have you missed out on events or told your friends you couldn’t hang out because you just wanted to stay at home and watch Netflix or play video games? If so, you probably have, or have previously had, an addiction to technology. The first Apple iPhone was only released ten years ago, and it is becoming a bigger issue for this generation’s teenagers. Teenagers are abusing modern technology it’s affecting them and others negatively because it encourages irritability and depression, discourages face-to-face interaction, and puts teenager’s privacy and safety at risk.

As generations go by, we as humans are constantly introduced to new and improved technology. With a touch of a button, children today can view and access anything they desire within seconds. IPhones, iPads, tablets, and computers have had a rising amount of users, which has led to growth in social media usage. In fact, it has been stated by author of “Cyberbullying: CQR”, Thomas J. Billitteri, “More than 90 percent of teens are online. More than half of online teens have social networking sites” (388). Moreover, technology is thoroughly encouraged, even in schools for children of all ages. Those in elementary school learn through iPads instead of hardcover books, whereas high school or college students complete and submit assignments online, replacing hard copies. However, these technologies may not be as beneficial as society perceives. Children today have been negatively impacted by new technology through cyberbullying, addiction, distraction, and violence. Although cell phones and social media are extremely common, many are questioning whether these devices are helping or hindering this generation’s adolescents.

Due to modern technology, such as computers, game consoles, tablets and smartphones, today's world for children is very different than it was for their parents. Is this a good thing, or is it bad? While there are good and legitimate arguments on each side as to whether the use of technology by children is positive or negative, most should conclude that when used in moderation and with supervision, technology's effect on young children is one we should ultimately be thankful for because it has opened a new, and maybe even untapped, horizen of knowledge. By summarizing a few points of the negative impact versus the the positive impact debate, and an explanation of using technology in moderation with supervision, most should be able to come to agreement that the effect is ultimately good.

All children develop at different rates. However, they all develop in the same way. There are four major areas in which children develop and learn skills. They develop socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. The way children develop with their social and emotional skills tend to go hand in hand. All these ways that children develop can be effected by the use of technology in some way. With the increase of technology, the willingness of parents in letting their children use it increases. “Diagnoses of ADHD, autism, coordination disorder, developmental delays, unintelligible speech, learning difficulties, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depressions, and sleep disorders are associated with technology overuse, and are increasing at an alarming rate” (Rowan). These disorders can also affect the child in all the areas in which their minds develop and can be a hard battle for the children to fight.

Technology has become an intricate part of society, the implementation of human knowledge into man made machines has lead to gargantuan leaps and bounds in human development in all areas of life. Furthermore, the advancement of technology has had a climactic effect on humans as a species, more so those of adolescence or teenage age group. Teens are notoriously known for their love of technology ranging from cellphones to laptops. Teens use technology for various beneficial purposes such as homework and research papers. While the benefits of technology are evident and present in teenage life, it has proven to have negative side effects. This is stated by (Scikits ) “ Technology can help students with their studies. However, on the other overusing technology can be quite harmful in several ways”. This shows that technology is a double edged sword within the hands of teenagers.

The ever growing technology that humans use as a part of their modern day life is a disputable issue. Some individuals believe that the contribution of technology has made a positive impact on present-day life and improves the quality of life for people. Others see that the contribution of technology has negatively impacted modern life and that technology is a power that has gotten out of human control. In today’s world it seems that kids are born with technology in their blood. From the time kids are born they begin to use and depend on technology. Technology is beginning to dominate school classrooms. It is taking over people’s social relationships with their family, friends, and partners. All of the different elements of technology are really taking a toll on children 's, as well as adult’s, mental health and the function of their brains. A small amount of technology use for legitimate reasons is healthy, but it is easy to overdo it. “The average American spends about 10 hours and 45 minutes plugged in per day” (Dodgen-Magee) An individual 's overuse and/or overdependence on technology is damaging to individuals, families, and societies.

For instance students will do their homework for a solid twenty minutes then will stop and take a short break, but then end up on their phone for another thirty. Cell phones are becoming a major distraction to individuals causing many not to complete assignments or to take longer than necessary on an assignment, and in many cases also taking a toll on their grades. Also, another bad habit many have seen occurred throughout the years as a result of technology is laziness. With technology it makes everything easier because everything is at the touch of our fingertips. It’s evolved so much over the years that it’s made things much more convenient, however the convenience has caused us to become lazy. There are options where individuals can purchase their basic necessities through sites like Amazon to have delivered the same day rather than drive to the store and run their errands themselves. Additionally, another way technology has caused people to become lazy occurs with students at school. There are many students that choose to take shortcuts and read summaries online right before they attend class on reading assignments, rather than reading the whole book itself due to their laziness. Another bad habit caused by technology would be being distracted while driving due to using their phones while driving. This is one of the most dangerous and worst habits to have. Everyday there are accidents that occur on the road because of drivers taking their eyes off the road to

The development of technology has also allowed teens to find the answer to a problem using little or no brainpower and instead using the buttons on cell phones and computers to answer a problem. Surprisingly, teens automatically seem to know the answer to any question related to technology or media related questions. SoundVision states the percentage of teenagers thirteen through seventeen who can name the city where the US Constitution was written (Philadelphia) is twenty-five percent while the percentage of teenagers thirteen through seventeen who know where you find the zip code 90210 (Beverly Hills) is seventy-five (SoundVision). The technological growth has not only cut the communication between parents and their children, weaken the minds of the youth, and create a dependency to it that can be similar to an addiction, but it has also affected the educational level of students and made youth more vulnerable to the dangers technology brings. In the field of Communications we used technology to broaden our ways to communicate with individuals and society as a whole. Mass media uses social networking sites as a way to keep in contact with their audience and However, as we echnology has altered the way life was once lived where youth relied on themselves and others to communicate and solve social, mental, and personal problems now, youth now depend on the touch of a button to communicate and solve their problem.

There is no doubt that technology has advanced tremendously in the last half-century. Technology has provided extraordinary improvements to our world; being an endless source of entertainment and nonstop communication anywhere at any time. But are these technological advancements a good thing? The youth of today are constantly immersed in these technological advancements whether through cell phones, gaming systems, or laptops. As technology continues to advance it is negatively affecting our health, communication skills, and the education of youth.