Our parents didn’t grow up with touch-screen phones or social-networking websites, and there was no such thing as Internet addiction or cyber-bullying.
Our generation is the first to live in a world of high-speed information access whether it be via phones, televisions or computers. However, one thing this “high-speed” generation has been slow to discover is the harmful effects that technology can bring.
Social media is a major time consumer and distraction that really doesn’t serve any type of purpose besides entertainment. Although social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram do provide an easy way to keep in contact with friends and family, they can – and often do – negatively decrease communication skills.
Think about it – when everything is via text, where’s the actual interaction? This lack of face-to-face communication negatively affects teens’ ability to communicate in one-on-one or group conversations.
According to Washington Post writer Masuma Ahuja, ”Today’s teens spend more than seventy-one and a half hours a day consuming media — watching TV, listening to music, surfing the Web, social networking, and playing video games, according to a 2010 study of 8-to18-year-olds conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.”
This amount of time is sure to have a negative effect on teens, and it is all too common to see this with the younger generation. One’s phone is never too far away from one’s body, if it’s not already in one’s hands. People are often taking pictures, tweeting or texting about how much fun they’re having instead of actually contributing to events and having a good time. Also, when texting, most words are abbreviated or turned into clever acronyms which make texting all the more faster and enjoyable. Subconsciously, teens introduce this text language into other areas of verbal communication, including writing assignments.
Unlike texting or social media, which is something that occurs in bursts for teens, television is a form of entertainment that can trap one for hours. From TV series that are available at the touch of a button to a seemingly infinite number of channels to surf, there are endless choices that will make you never want to leave your comfy couch. Add to this television watching the ever-present phone and you’ve got teens doubling up on screen time.
Technology has become almost a necessity in today’s world and, although it is a very helpful tool, it is diminishing the interactions young people should have with each other.