The Digital World is Hurting Teens: Here’s Why

“The average young American now spends practically every waking minute — except for the time in school — using a smartphone, computer, television or other electronic devices, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation” (LeWin). Ten years ago, this news would have been shocking. The staggering thought of millions of people, just glued to these astonishing devices would have been shocking to some, and disconcerting to others. The digital world gives the younger generation access to many things, such as social media, search engines, and messaging services. How does this affect humans, and is this a calamity? The answer is yes! There are multiple concrete sources, written by Phds and universities, detailing all the detriments of the digital age. Living in a digital world has a negative effect on the human’s ability to intimately interact with each other and cognitive thinking skills. This paper will go into further detail for two reasons with evidence attached.

Having abundant technology and access to social media is a detriment to the human’s ability to have and keep real, intimate relationships. The youth of today have been immersed in technology. They have smartphones, computers, and television sets. While this may sound alluring, according to Sherry Turkle, Ph.D., a social psychologist at MIT, there is a catch. Turkle stresses that teens spend so much time online, it is “eroding [their] ability to live comfortably offline” (Price). As a result, this makes creating real friends may prove difficult for those who “live” online. Why is making friends offline important? Teens face a range of issues including developmental, physical & social issues. They often require trusted companions who would understand their circumstances in their homes, schools, or local communities. Given the nature of instant communication, online friends do not always have a comprehensive understanding of one another. However, without having trusted companions in their offline lives, teens have no choice but to go back to their online lives. A New York Times article made a statement saying “People in the 21st century are alone. We have so many new ways of communicating, yet we are so alone.” (Price) This correctly sums up the aforementioned danger of being surrounded by technology. 

However, people feel obliged to keep their online friends, and therefore, disregard the importance of in-person communications and relationships. Some argue that using technological devices has no effect on one’s health, socially or physically. This phenomenon may be a result of easy access to high-end devices. Unfortunately, research suggests that extensive use of cellular devices can lead to performance anxiety. (Price) For example, smartphones have a range of technologies designed to influence human behavior. Teens are at risk of being easily manipulated because they are not yet socially & mentally developed. 

The use of technology can also hurt the human brain’s independent thinking skills. With the help of modern technology, “multitasking” has become a common phenomenon, especially among the younger generation. “Multitasking” is just rapidly changing what one is doing. Students are constantly distracted from schoolwork by smartphones. The notifications emitting from these devices can be quite unnerving to the human brain, as they are designed to interrupt the flow of thought in an attempt to gain attention. Research from Carnegie Mellon University suggests that receiving notifications through the use of technology is detrimental to the brain. The research included an experiment where groups were asked to take a cognitive skill test, interrupted by notifications after some time (Sullivan and Thompson). The test scores of the experiment group that was interrupted ended up being low. The research explains that the result is due to the interruptions provided by the digital world of text notifications. Despite the evidence showing the negative effects of technology on the human brain, some people still believe that technology has helped make lives more convenient. Such an argument would support the use of technology because, for example, information is easily accessible through devices such as smartphones. While this may be true, relying completely on the information easily gathered does not promote independent thinking. This is shown in Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, which is set in a dystopian world where books are burned and television is watched religiously. In this book, a former professor named Faber teaches Montag (the protagonist) why technology is pernicious towards people. He says, “‘The television is 'real.' It is immediate, it has dimension. It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be, right. It seems so right. It rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn't time to protest(...)’” (Bradbury). The current digital world is parallel to the television world in Fahrenheit 451 and therefore Faber writes that humans impacted by such technology cannot think for themselves.  

The digital world has brought many, many conveniences and advancements to the globe. There is no denying that. Nonetheless, it is proven that using devices and entering the digital world can be detrimental to a person’s social relationships and thinking. Especially when regarding young adults, using social media and messaging services instead of keeping physical relationships can be quite harmful to them. Even more so, the human train of independent and cognitive thought is at risk. The digital world will eventually deteriorate social relationships, and there will be a dearth of independent thoughts.

Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Simon and Schuster, 1950.

Lewin, Tamar. “If Your Kids Are Awake, They're Probably Online.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Jan. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/education/20wired.html.

Price, Michael. “Alone in the Crowd.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, June 2011, www.apa.org/monitor/2011/06/social-networking.

Sullivan, Bob, and Hugh Thompson. “Brain, Interrupted.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 May 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/opinion/sunday/a-focus-on-distraction.html.