Teenagers And Social Media Consequences For Teens

    (Introduction) “Put down the phone, turn off your 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 effects smartphone usage has created among the younger 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 consequences the smartphone usage has impacted generations.

Ever since smartphones were created, they have changed teenagers’ lives entirely. The article Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? by Jean Twenge, shows the ways the invention of the smartphone has changed recent generations. The article mentions the rise in teen depression and suicide, cyberbullying, and teen safety. It also mentions the decline in our social abilities, dating, and sleep. Smartphones have had both negative and positive affects on teenagers, but the negatives significantly outweigh the positives, which points to the need to put down the smartphones, as the article suggests.

In the adaptive environment of technology and social media, quantifying exact usage of social media by adolescents remains fluid. However, the following statistics are staggering when considering the implications, 7.5 million children under the ‘required’ age of 13 have Facebook accounts, despite the terms of service agreement set forth by the social media network. In addition, on average, 11-18 year-olds spend 11 hours a day exposed to electronic media. (Shapiro)

“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

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.

Everywhere you go teens seem to be glued to their phones, tablets, or computers. Technology is an addiction that does not seem to be going away any time soon. According to the Washington Post, teens can spend up to seven or more hours on their digital devices a day and the usage is still increasing. Not surprisingly enough, more than a third of all teenagers own a cellphone, ranging from a smart phone or just a plain old-school flip phone. But can spending all that time on their computers and smart devices be such a bad thing? Today’s easy access, always on world presents a wealth of opportunity for teens as students, but also challenges them to retain them essential humanity and unique personalities.

Teens have many different uses for phones. In the article "Teenagers and New Technology " it says that cell phones offer teenagers "new worlds of opportunity." The article also says that new technology are essential to success in Today's world. It says that tools like texting and social media can help needs to all teenagers like defining personal identity and establishing independence. Cell phones are new and exciting avenues for teens to do what they want to do, for example flirt, boast, gossip, get news, complain, and tease. As well, cell phones today can take and share pictures, play games, listen to music, swap videos, and access the Internet

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.

Iphones is the phone that is breaking the charts and everyone in the world wants one, but teenagers use them for the wrong reasons such as posting fights or arguing with people they don't even know. Nowadays teenagers don't even go outside anymore, they rather be on there phone on social media sites doing nothing at all. The social media site are just another way to distract kids as well, instead of doing home work they rather be in snapchat or twitter killing there brain and don’t even know it.

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.

“The arrival of the smartphones had radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health” (Twenge 60). Smartphones are easy-to-carry mobile devices that almost have the functions of a computer like internet access, video games, social networks, and of course calls and text messages. In 2014 in the USA almost 60% of the population owned a smartphone (Cheever, et al. 291). The percentage of people that own a smartphone has been increasing fast since then, especially in young people who overuse their mobile devices. Excessive use of smartphones is associated with the addiction to these devices and other psychological imbalances that can lead to death. Smartphone addiction is changing the behavior and attitudes of today’s teenagers which can lead to serious psychological issues.

Teenagers in 2017 were born into the information age and know nothing else, but the internet, social media and cell phones. This age group is accustomed to the digital world and having a cell phone is not only second nature, but a necessity. The question is often raised if smartphones and equipment like it are beneficial or harmful to our youth. Generation Z have become accustomed to interacting and communicating in a world that is “connected” at all times (Turner 104). These teenagers are uniquely diverse, demonstrate a high level of proficiency, and a comfort with technology like no other generation. For these teenagers having a mobile device is just commonplace. These tools can have a negative influence on teenagers if left to navigate unsupervised. If teenagers have effective parental involvement and are taught applicable guidance from educators, smartphones can be extremely beneficial to advance teens’ development, their educational future and their social activity.

The reality of our current generation is that the technology, such as cellphones, has taken over. Children used to go outside and play with toys, but now children demand to play on cellular devices. As they grow older, the amount of time spent on these devices among young individuals gradually begins to increase. Cell phones are often viewed as a device that are useful in many ways such as being able to call family and friends or using it as a GPS to navigate on the roads ;however, individuals aren’t aware of the negative effects cellphones have on their lives. Unfortunately, teenagers are the most affected by smartphones. Today across America, the percentage of cell phone usage among teens increases each day. Whether it’s using social media, texting, or calling, teenagers are often distracted by these devices and it is getting out of control. Cellphones have become one of the biggest priorities among teens. The amount of time spent on cellphones needs to be cut down with the help of disciplinary actions from parents. The excessive amounts of time spent on social media everyday leads to a lack of social skills and problems mentally and physically. At social gatherings it’s becoming common to witness teenagers staring down into their cellular devices instead of communicating with the ones around them. Hearing the sound of a notification instantly gives them the urge to check their phones even when it’s not the appropriate time to

“You’re really fat!”.. “You’re so ugly!”.. “You’re so stupid!”.. “You’re so worthless!”.. “You’re a piece of shit!”.. “You’re such a bitch!”.. “Go kill yourself loser!”.. “You’re so weird!”.. “Nobody likes you!” The 2011 hit feature Cyberbully stresses how comments on social media can lead a teenager to consider and possibly attempt suicide. As of 2015, people all around the world use over 1000 social networking sites. Some of the most common social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat. Technological communication between teenagers does not end with only social media sites; teenagers text, email, Skype, Facetime, oovoo, and talk on the phone. A recorded 73 percent of teenagers own a phone and 85 percent of those phones are smartphones. Out of these smartphone owners, 92 percent of them admitted to going online every day. (venturebeat.com) Although technology is a convenience to us now, it is also a huge contributor to the cyber bullying which may lead to teen suicides throughout the world.

Some of the top benefits of social media over the years are that it is free to anyone, the content can get out to resources virtually immediately, and it can be delivered to a wide variety of people. For these reasons, communication through social media has become an extremely accessible and convenient way to communicate. It is also popular for those who need to be in contact with others. One example that comes to mind is a teenager who goes away on a trip to visit a friend or family. They can be hundreds of miles away but still talk to their parents as if they weren’t. Another example is a person who is shy and has a hard time making friends face-to-face, social media sites are a great way to meet people and build relationships.