Have you ever wondered why the terms stress and anxiety have become so widespread in the last few decades? Is it possible that modern technologies are the promoters or maybe even the causes of mental disorders among teenagers? The world is currently going through significant technological advancements, one of the biggest, ongoing paradigm shifts in the history, and there is no doubt that they have become undecidable particles of our life. “We are firmly in an era of accelerated progress. We are witness to advancements in science, the arts, technology, medicine and nearly all forms of human achievement at a rate never seen before” (Bradatan, 2013). While the modern technologies helped to overcome several obstacles and give answers to questions from the past, similar to everything else created by human being, they also had negative drawbacks on our daily lives. Our grandparents never miss the chance of telling how fascinating their lives were when the technologies did not exist. “People believed in magic and lived a real life, not a virtual one,” they often argue. In fact, when we look back, people were better off in numerous aspects years ago. We are attached to the Internet and modern gadgets as we believe they help us facilitate our daily problems when, in fact, they can be a root of new, serious mental issues. There are undeniable facts that modern technologies can be a cause of stress and anxiety, especially among teenagers.
To start with, the natural need for people to
Having a poor mental health state shows how technology affects the mind and how severe the consequences of using technology can be. Technology is dangerous for the mind and the body, it resets our “inner sleep clock” and affects our mental
Sherry Turkle’s article gives the impression that we need to use our advanced technology as a tool rather than silence our natural emotions for those of the virtual world. I believe that technology affects everyone differently, for an example, a phone is a great tool for a mechanic because often they have to look up part numbers and detailed information about certain parts and a phone delivers a quick response.
The way that they are affected can include stress, anxiety, depression, and in general being psychologically vulnerable. According to the American Phycology Association (2017) almost half of this age group states that they are indeed worried about the effects technology has on their physical and mental health. 43% say that when their family is around they still feel disconnected from them. They say that the disconnection is one of the main sources of family conflict within their household.
Growing Up Tethered A professor at the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, Sherry Turkle talks about how kids today are attached and somewhat obsessed with technology in her article called “Growing Up Tethered.” Turkle interviews with many different teenagers about the different types of technology they possess and how it impacts their everyday life. She talks a lot about how technology can do away with our privacy and also how people feel the need to be constantly connected.
In the past few years humans have spent much more time indoors with their technology than outdoors. Televisions, computers, and smartphones tend to draw greater numbers of people inside their homes, just as humans did in the futuristic world of Leonard Mead where no one left their homes at night. (“The Pedestrian”). Children especially have been infected with the media bug, much like Peter and Wendy, who are unable to stray away from their virtual reality in “The Veldt”. It is understandable that many-particularly older- people believe that technology is affecting how human naturally interact with each other and their surroundings.
Too much screen use induces less communication between people and more time spent using technology. Technology used in our society in the same way. Sometimes people use television to forget about a hard time at work, others using phones in public, so they don’t have to interact with other people. “Little by little, technology has become an integral part of the way that people communicate with one another and has increasingly taken the place of face-to-face communication. Due to the rapid expansion of technology, many individuals fear that people may be too immersed in this digital world and not present enough in the real world,”.
Nicholas Carr, What the Internet is doing to Our Brains The Shallows (2010) asserts that, “The price we pay to assume technology’s power is alienation.” He supports this assertion by saying, “They both ultimately achieve their mental and behavioral effects by shaping the synaptic organization of the brain.” Also by, “ We long to keep it activated.” The writer concludes in order for people to improve their thoughts, they will have to cope with the new technology and how they think. Carr believes that technology is taking over how people interact with each other.
Our way of thinking is beginning to change to the way that computers do. Advancements are made everyday. These new advancements are attempting to make life in general easier for everyone. Nicholas Carr makes the claim that, “as the internet because our primary source of the information it is affecting our ability to read books and other long narratives.” Carr suggests that using the internet is altering the way that our minds operate.
In 1988, the Internet was opened to the public. At that time, not many people were aware of what a huge impact the Internet would have on the lives of future generations and cultures. While it was at first widely accepted by many users because of its astonishingly convenient and unlimited access to information, the enthusiasm for the Internet has more recently diminished and even disappeared in some cases. Many people no longer view the Internet as a helpful tool, but more as a harmful weapon, attacking every area of our lives, including education, communication, literacy, attention span, memory, intelligence, relationships, politics, economics, even sleep, diet, and physical activity. The Internet is ultimately affecting and determining the
One’s childhood can have lasting effects on their adulthood and excessive use of technology is preventing natural coping mechanisms from forming. Sinek claims that it is unhealthy to be on electronics for extensive periods of time, but millennials are not always going to put it down (Sinek). Millennials are the first generation to experience advanced technology and are not to be blamed for their mistakes. That generation can make mistakes, because the generations prior did not have access to this technology and all of the issues are happening for the first time. Everyone, including the author of this essay, agrees that the childhood in question can be more pleasant, but the psychological effects of the childhood are not ideal in the workplace (Paras).
In conclusion, technology can have negative impacts on today’s people in many ways. It is harmful to people’s well-being, makes people lose physical connections with those around them, and it makes students disregard their work. Technology is everywhere in today’s society. These devices can be so harmful to people without them even knowing it. People should be more aware of what technology can do, and try their best not to depend on
In only a couple of decades, technology has imbedded itself into people’s lives, to the point it would be difficult to live without using technology. In Neil Postman’s speech “Informing Ourselves to Death,” he explains how not all technology is being used for what its original purpose was, and how people are starting to drown in the useless information technology gives. Postman also makes the claim, “And therefore, in a sense, we are more naïve than those in the Middle Ages, and more frightened, for we can be made to believe almost anything” (5). Though Postman gave this speech about thirty years ago, this accurately describes modern society. Technology was meant to help people learn and improve their lives, but it has instead increased the naivety of the world.
We all use it. Whether it is a text to your significant other, a hard work day on the job, a quick drive to the store, even something as simple as going to church, no matter where we are we always seem to be using technology. Technology is a growing issue with each passing day and even though there are positive effects it also has its negative side. It affects the things we do such as communication and playing, but most importantly affects our brain with our daily thought process. Today, Im going to inform you on how technology has affected you and your daily lifestyle habits.
THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH Technology is a major part of everyone’s life. Technological advances are encountered at home, school and at work. These technological advances have become so helpful to people lives. Every year new technologies appear to help people to live more comfortable by allowing them to do more with less effort. That’s why expressions such as “I do not know what I would do without the washing machine” or “I could not live without my cell phone” are heard more frequently.
With changes like these in lifestyle, where much of our communication, leisure and entertainment is online, and our smartphones being an essential part of everyday life, questions are arising concerning what technology may be doing to us and if technology is a threat to our health and wellbeing. Digital technology may give us many advantages in our everyday life, as well as benefiting our wellbeing. Online communication supporting existing relationships with friends and family can benefit our self-esteem and social connectedness. It can also make it easier to stay connected with friends and family while living abroad, which can