Psychologist Larry Rosen's Weapons Of Mass Distraction

“Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something-anything-that doesn’t involve a screen” (Twenge 63). It is astonishing the amount of time teens spend on phones. Jean Twenge discusses the negative effects smartphone usage has created among the young and past generations in the article, “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation”. The purpose of Twenge’s article is to aware readers about the many issues the smartphone usage has created on generations. Twenge narrates different stories about young teen’s experiences with phones and social media. Twenge also provides readers with statistics and some studies of many effects caused by smartphones. Twenge gives emphasize to differences between generations. According to Twenge, today’s

Positive uses of technology are very popular. Research indicates that different communication tools were used for different social needs. There has been a dramatic growth in using the internet, especially social networking used worldwide, for activities such as work, politics, healthcare information, and news. “The truth about smartphone addiction is that people are no more addicted to their phone than drug addicts are addicted to their needle. Drug addicts are, of course, addicted to drugs. The needle is just one delivery method. People are not addicted to their smartphone, they are addicted to the information, entertainment, and personal connections it delivers. People will continue to go to great lengths to connect with others. The rise of Facebook, text messaging, Twitter, and many other social networks are testimony to this characteristic of human nature. Smart phones provide a portable, instant way to stay informed, entertained, and connected” (Emanuel et al. 296). In the workplace, email and internet are important for

In today’s society, people view the world through the very handheld electronic devices in their pockets, rather than going outside and experiencing life for themselves. They use their phones to communicate, share their everyday experiences, connect with their family, friends and loved ones. whether it may be from the other side of the world, or just the room. Cell phones have revolutionized the way humans communicate and socialize, ever since the first cell phone to hit the market in 1973 by John F. Mitchell. As much as cell phones are helpful and convenient, they have changed the world dramatically. This seem like an extreme claim to make, but evidence shows that cell phones have made the world a little more difficult. They have caused many problems such as fatal car accidents due to distracted drivers on the road, as well as sexting and revenge porn, which leads to a form of cyberbullying. Even cell phones themselves are harming their overall health, their social interaction, and even teen literacy. People may not have a solution to these problems but they need to find

In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,” Twenge discusses the negative effects of smartphones and social media on today’s teenagers. She delves into a case study citing examples from a girl she refers to as Athena, who gives Twenge insight into this generation of teens. Twenge suggests that smartphones have become the main cause of increased depression and suicide rates for teenagers. Ever since 2012, with a majority of Americans owning smartphones has led to both the levels of happiness and independence to decrease.

“According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day.2 Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging.3 Thus, a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones.” (O'Keeffe, Gwenn Schurgin)

“In 2011, 92.8 million people in the U.S. used smartphones. By 2015, 190.5 million people used smartphones” (Holt, 2016). This new technology has vastly spread throughout the world and has improved the way Americans live their lives. Cell phones have given smartphone users numerous advantages, such as connecting the world, and enabling their multitasking skills. The usage of cell phones has gone to users heads as they have become addicted to their screens.

Everywhere I look, I see a person grasping onto their phone. Leaving the house in the morning with a cell phone has become as important as eating breakfast. The article, Half of Teens Think They’re Addicted to Their Smartphones, written by Kelly Wallace describes the feelings of teens and adults towards their cell phones. “Two-thirds of parents -- 66% -- feel their teens spend too much time on their mobile devices” (Wallace). Unfortunately, these teens would prefer to communicate through a screen rather than face-to-face.

The popularity of smartphones is unparalleled in modern society. Not only are children receiving smartphones sooner in life, but many adults and teenagers are unable to remember a time in which the internet did not exist. Thus, daily activities focus heavily on electronics: teenagers no longer meet with their friends unchaperoned and are more likely to use Snapchat than go on a date. This asocial epidemic primarily affecting Generation Z—people born between the mid-1990s to the early 2000s—is examined by Jean Twenge, a generational analyst and psychologist, in the article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” As she outlines the unsuspected effects of cellphone obsession, one thing becomes clear: cellphones, particularly social media, are destroying a generation.

In the article “Digital Dependence”, the reporter Kelly Wallace discusses how half of teens and young adults think that they may be addicted to their smartphones. First, the author explores how more than 90% of American adults have their cell phones on them 24/7 and 29% say they could not live without them. The reading also includes that social media is a big factor in the addiction for teens. Teenagers said the main reason for they’re on their phones is because of Facebook or Instagram. In addition, Wallace explains that 71% of teens are on more than one social networking site, but studies show that social media can sometimes not be great for self-esteem, and teens actually feel worse when they’re on their phones. Moreover, the author writes

Although cell phones unify the online world, they cause teens to be distracted and unable to focus on what’s going on around them. Teens are attached to their phones, they never leave their sides and are constantly being checked for new notifications. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat keeps teens involved in the online world. Teens are interested in what’s going on around them and want to stay informed. Cell phone have a way of connecting today’s youth but have become extremely distracting. This attachment is causing teens to suffer without knowing. The daily lives of today’s youth are being interfered due to the constant use of cell phones.

Technology as a whole has changed the way we live our everyday lives in numerous ways. We now have the opportunity to do many things with a touch of a button, to name a few, starting our cars, tying our shoes, or accessing the world of social media. The single piece of technology that has impacted most of us today is the cellular phone, which leads us to the wonders of the Internet. In today’s society there is a plethora of troubles we face, what comforts most of us and makes our lives a little easier is the world of social media. Social media sites like Facebook, Snapchat, Tinder, Twitter, and countless other websites can help us feel connected with the world and/or our surroundings. To most people social media might

As an average teenager living in the United States, I have certainly reached the ‘conversion’ stage in the domestication, or normalization, of communication technology in my everyday life (Baym, 2015). My iPhone sits in the back pocket of my jeans and I look at it absentmindedly on average four to five times an hour. It no longer feels like a new or exciting piece of tech and I take it for granted. Specific mediums of communication technology, such as my phone, have become so normalized that I do not notice how I use them day in and day out. It was not until I had to log my actions that I noticed the patterns in my behavior when using communication technology. It was not until taking this class, Introduction to Online Communication, that I gained the vocabulary to articulate why I behave the way I do. Theories such as ‘Media Richness’ and ‘Social Presence’ have helped me understand why many of my interactions online centered around certain topics or why I struggle to respond to mediated messages.

Cellular telephones today aren’t just a rich man’s object in California; they are a present under the Christmas tree for an eleven year old girl. Although technology allows us to be nowhere and everywhere at the same time, with great advances also comes great setbacks. Most people desire to achieve the American dream of a big house, big family, and a golden retriever sitting in the corner, but nothing in this dream requires a cell phone. Technology is taking real conversations and replacing them with a barrier of a screen. Generation Z has never seen a day without the existence of cell phones. This life changing invention is in fact doing more harm than good for families around the world. People are forgetting to unplug from the cyber world and focus on what is right in front of them. Families need to take a stand, and choose to unplug daily for the better of the family unit as a whole. It is easy to get caught up in the rush of current technology, but it is also easy to forget how to enjoy the simplicity of life without Twitter, Instagram, and iMessage.

Today, with my generation being technology based, many people have cellphones. Almost anywhere you go, you will see people on their phones. My generation today is slowly being turned into zombie addicts, as the iPhone industry begins to add more and more accessories to phones. Because of phones my generation has struggled with face to face conversation. While phones provide text message and social media, it is easy to say something behind a screen without having to own up to your thoughts or elaborate on them. Phones are the number one main distraction today. People are so glued to their phones today that they are willing to put there and others life at risk. For example, texting and driving. In 2015 42% of teens say they have texted while driving. Furthermore, texting while driving is the leading cause of death in teens. And more

“I fear the day that technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” This unfortunate, but true prediction was made by the great physicist Albert Einstein. In today’s society, people are enraptured by their cellular devices, wherever they go, the phones goes with them. Whether it be in class, at work, in the car, or even on the toilet seat, people can not detach themselves from these material objects and now it is affecting other aspects of their character. Nowadays, most teenagers can’t hold an actual conversation with another individuals because they have become too accustomed to texting as opposed to having an actual conversation. Also many people also invest too much trust into their devices which can lead to the what is now commonly known as “catfish.” In addition, a conversation can also be taken the wrong way because of how it is typed in a text message as opposed to hearing the person 's real voice and emotions through a phone call. As a result, the consequences of being attracted to texting greatly impacts our younger generation, and society as a whole.