The next time in an area that is swarming with teens, look around. How many youth are buried in their technology devices? Although being a somewhat unknown actress, Carrie Snow has an accurate position on technology. She states, “Technology… is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts in one hand and stabs you in the back with the other.” With the presence of iPod, cellphone, tablets and many other devices, this generation of teens are the first that have the ability to access the world with the touch of a button. Technology does provide “great gifts” to people today. For the first time ever it is possible to stay up to date on world events, have social profiles where you can post blogs, and play realistic video games. All this can be done on a device that can merely fit in your pocket. What if you begin to overuse this tool? What happens?
The overuse of technology will lead to negative consequences to your life. These negative consequences range from cyberbullying to addiction. The overuse of technology spreads throughout the U.S and affects youths of different age, gender, and nationality. When it comes to adolescents in Generation Z, overuse also can result in anti- social effects. A solution to these problems is essential to stop effects for a child’s, later on, life. Biblically, the overuse of technology handicaps the relationship between teens and God. Technology is definitely more pessimistic when it comes to teenage lives. Despite the positives of technology, the overuse resulting from technological advancements causes negative social impacts in teen lives.
Influences on Teen Technology Use
Technology is constantly innovating every minute. Over the past years, technology has advanced tremendously, which plays a monumental factor in why technology impacts teens. If technology did not progress over the years, human lives would be unique compared to life nowadays. In today’s world, the internet is an essential to many teens. 49% of teens have access to the internet at home since 2003. This percent is increasing vastly (Baverlien 75). Without the evolution of technology, this topic of its impact on teens would not even be a relevant thing to ponder on.
Most people in this world have visited a site like Instagram or Youtube. Websites like this are almost inevitable in the society we live in today. Actually, 48% of teens visit a Youtube or Instagram alike website every week (Baverlien 82). That is a lot of teenagers, considering that there are millions of teens in the world today. 5 million teens make a social media account every month (Mai 1). Again, this trend of teen access to social media sites would be impossible without the innovation of technology.
Since the creation of modern technological devices like cellphones, tablets and TVs, these appliances have constantly been developing. They have become slimmer, advanced, and portable. Teens now have access to the internet: via cell phone, tablet, hotspots, and free public internet. The portability of these devices is immense when it comes to why teens use technology so much. Now adolescents have the ability to post and send things to other people about what they see in school and other public arenas. This can spark other problems like cyberbullying.