Jonathon Dill
English 110
Professor D. Lehman
28 September 2017
Have Smartphones Ruined Our Generation?
I have had many times where I have been invited to a party or even to go get something to eat. Nine times out of ten I would and still will say no. This is because I have a passion for gaming. I love to play video games so much that it gets in the way of me spending time with my friends. Sometimes I only leave my room to go eat and go to the bathroom. My personal relationships are at stake with this obsession. If I do not receive an invitation, then I wonder why I did not get one. Was it the way I act or did I make them mad? The real reason is that I have not put myself in the position that benefits me to make a better personal connection with each of these people. I have a friend group that will play games with me all day and that is how I connect with them. Once doing so, I feel like I have wasted the day
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Going through twitter is like going to a Michigan football game wearing an Ohio State jersey. All different kinds of names are thrown back and forth. The only difference being is that when you at this football game its face to face: whereas online you can stay anonymous. Bullying is a big issue today. In some people’s cases, it is the cool thing to do. In Twenge’s article, she states that “Teens who spend three hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely to have a risk factor for suicide, such as making a suicidal plan. (That’s much more than the risk related to say, TV.)” (Twenge 2017). The risk is lower if you are watching TV because there is less of a chance that you will see hate rather than going on social media. When signing up for a Twitter or Instagram, you are expected to know that there is a risk for bullying. If you cannot deal with it there are ways around it as is, making your profile private or as simple as not signing up (Twenge
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 her article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, Jean Twenge discusses how the new generation of teenagers are becoming highly dependent on their smartphones and need them alongside them at any given point in time. Twenge calls this new generation born between the late 1990s and early teens “iGen” after a recent survey found that majority of teenagers owned an iPhone. She argues that with every new generation, new habits form, both good and bad. The technological developments that have occurred in the last ten years Twenge argues are not a bad thing, it is how the “iGen” teenagers are becoming reliant on their phones and using them to avoid social interactions. They would choose to stay home alone in their rooms and talk to their friends virtually on social media versus actually leaving the house and doing something face-to-face with their friends. Twenge argues that if teenagers decide to leave the house, phones still have a strong presence, often not leaving the hands of its owner for longer than a couple minutes with social media like Snapchat and Instagram tagging along. Twenge worries that the strong dependency on smartphones and increasing rates of obsession with social media are a couple of the largest contributors to the rise of depression and suicide among the teenagers of “iGen”.
Bad Smartphones Written by Jean M. Twenge in September of 2017 , “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” is an article from The Atlantic Magazine that argues that the generation born between 1995 and 2012 are ruining their lives by staying on their smartphones way too much. Yeah, I know. That sounds like something anyone would hear from any grumpy old man who says, “Back in my day we didn’t have cell phones! We had to play with rocks and sticks to have fun!”
The world has changed greatly in the last few centuries due to remarkable inventions. In the article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,” Jean M. Twenge argues that the smartphone in particular has made a significant impact on the world, specifically in adolescents growing up at this time. Twenge’s argument that cell phones have drastically changed the way today’s adolescents think and behave is not entirely effective because she overlooks certain aspects in her claim that teenagers are physically safer than ever. She also only includes one piece of evidence that somewhat contributes to her claim that smartphones are decreasing the mental health of teenagers. Additionally, her substantial presumptions that decreased social ability results
For some of us, it is difficult to comprehend why our education systems have not yet made the transition to technology-based forms of teaching especially when we are in the era of technology. To others, the reasoning is clear and they support the original, dated usage of textbooks in a “traditional classroom” setting. The changes in our society are undeniable with the innovation of technology and social media. Although some authors, such as Neil Howe and Jean Twenge, argue that technology is deteriorating the minds of Millennials, technology is also providing Millennials with a way to create connections across communities.
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.”
Many times our fears of what is unknown to us are often the strongest fears we hold as human beings. However, what if it was the fear of things we already know that were the most powerful and influential in our lives? In modern society, many hold within themselves a deep-seated fear of the technology that the world has become so revolved around. Additionally, it has recently become debatable whether or not this technology has become a hindrance to members of the so-called iGeneration, born between 1995 and 2012, who have grown up in a world surrounded by technology. Truly, the members of older generations, including millennials who have had themselves split off from the apparent technology obsessed generation of the youngest millennials, have expressed their concern as to whether or not these vast differences in generations have to do with the unhealthy use of technology. Among those to have analyzed this phenomenon is writer Jean M. Twenge who in her article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,” utilizes the study of a modern 13 year old girl named Athena to exemplify a plethora of determinants that technology has imposed on young people and the slow deterioration of everything from independence and social skills to a decline mental health due to technology use. Many of Twenge’s statements reveal the belief that many members of iGen are unequipped to handle adulthood and are even less happy because of the technology that has played a significant role in their lives
Thesis: Twenge effectively uses emotional appeals to persuade her readers into believing that the excessive use of smartphones has ruined a generation.
In her article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, Jean M. Twenge discusses the effects on “generation i” with rising smartphone and social media usage. In the article, she provides multiple statistics to support her claims on what’s happening with the “i generation”, and generations past through social media use. She concludes that while smartphones have some positive social impact on the generation (like lower teen pregnancy rates), there has been real damage to the generation as well. I have concluded that, our generation has been more negatively impacted through smartphone usage than positively impacted. This is a strong point to make but, through my own experiences and, after reading Twenge’s article I find myself thinking about what smartphones have done to us as a growing generation. I have witnessed firsthand numerous downsides to having a smartphone that Twenge reports on.
“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
Besides the cell phone, does technology really affect us in our society? Today’s generation of teenagers are using smartphones much of the time. Researchers also found that many teenagers are using more smartphones. This constant use of technology has had negative effects on today’s youth. Constant use of technology by teenagers is harmful because it causes depression and affects education
“We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people,” (Paragraph 2). The upcoming growing generation Mrs. Twenge discovers that they are growing up with a smartphone within arm’s reach. She talks to this little girl she calls Athena and asks her if she goes to the mall with her friends alone. Athena tells her no, that when she goes to the mall with her friends its always with her mom and brothers, but they stay a little behind. She says that she had to check in every 30 minutes with her mom and let her know what they are doing. As Mrs. Twenge is talking to Athena she starts to find out how teens today communicate. She finds out that snapchat is one way they communicate and according to Athena it’s also another great way to blackmail someone to. Jean M. Twenge paints a frightening picture of how smartphones are destroying the upcoming generation.
Thesis: The usage of cell phones in modern day society has caused quite the problem for citizens in this generation by being a major distraction, causing addictions, and has sadly became the main resource of communication.
Texting has come to be a revolutionary invention in the world today. It gives us the opportunity to communicate privately, and with minimal contact with others. Texting while attending social events is considered acceptable. Becoming a gesture of boredom, it is almost less insulting for someone to standup and leave, changing the way society handles social encounters. To support this, “Keep Your Thumbs Still When I’m Talking to You” by David Carr, and “Meet, Catch, and Keep“ by Theresa DiDonato, Ph.D. speak about this social menace.
In today's world, you see that teens have probably been around smartphones since they were born. They depend on them and are more attached to phones than actual people. We see in everyday life that teens are glued to their smartphone screens. There are many effects that smartphones are causing on teens now. Jean M. Twenge persuades people to see that smartphones are affecting people negatively by traumatizing young teens.