How Technology Affects Us | Teen Ink

How Technology Affects Us MAG

January 9, 2010
By mads942 SILVER, Houston, Texas
mads942 SILVER, Houston, Texas
6 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Everyone has seen the moody, withdrawn kid with music blasting out of his white earbuds, or the girl rapidly texting on her phone. The youth of today are constantly immersed in technological advancements that promote nonstop communication and instant gratification, whether through cell phones, gaming systems, laptops, or MP3 players. But are these technological advancements a good thing? I believe that the growth of technology has negatively influenced the social interactions of today's youth because it isolates individuals from reality, hinders communication, and perpetuates the concept of immediate ­satisfaction.

Technology is a negative influence on us because it separates individuals from reality. The iPod is one example; by putting in your earbuds and immersing yourself in music while in public, you are disconnecting yourself from the real world. “For some people, the main appeal of the iPod is that it preoccupies you so that you do not have to deal with the uncontrollable factors of everyday life,” writes Krystle Song, a University of California, student on her website “Attack of the iZombies.”

The ability for people to surround themselves with the familiar by using their iPod is appealing because it rarely provides the listener with something unexpected or unknown. However, it can be argued that this is a bad thing. By constantly being cut off from personal interactions and new experiences because of a technological device, a generation with substandard social abilities is being groomed. If we do not have to face reality by experiencing new things, making personal relationships, and problem solving, then we will never be able to function as adults.

Technology hinders personal communication, which negatively impacts our age-group. Although “our culture heralds the Internet as a technological wonder, there are suggestions that Internet use has a negative influence on individuals and their social skills,” writes Bob Affonso in his article, “Is the Internet Affecting the Social Skills of Our Children?” Data shows that those who use the Internet frequently spend over 100 minutes less time with friends and family than non-Internet users, according to Norman H. Nie and D. Sunshine Hillygus in their paper “The Impact of Internet Use on Sociability.”

The Internet actually detracts from the communication abilities of society, especially the young. When our communication skills are gradually lessened, we begin “spending less time talking to families, experiencing more daily stress, and feeling more lonely and depressed,” writes Affonso. In our formative teen years, lack of personal communication due to excessive Internet usage can have an overall negative effect on mental and physical health. Communication skills are critical for everyone, yet use of the Internet is undermining this development.

Technology negatively affects us by perpetuating the mindset of immediate satisfaction. The creation of various portable technological devices has slowly ingrained the idea of instant gratification. With gadgets like the PS3 or Nintendo DS, which allow users to play games anywhere, or cell phones that let us keep in touch virtually everywhere and at any time, we grow up learning that whenever we want pleasure or enjoyment, it will automatically be granted to us.

Some argue that the Internet has a positive effect on social interactions because it allows us to form friendships online. However, the capacity to meet “a virtually unlimited number of people through chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other services,” is actually extremely negative, write Jean-Francois Coget and Yamauchi Yutaka in their paper, “Untangling the Social ­Impact of the Internet.” There are dangerous people on the Internet who are a threat to young people. The ability to access anything and everything someone posts without knowing if their intent is malicious is a downside to the open transfer of information available on the Internet. While Coget and Yutaka claim that “the Internet can foster openness, self-confidence, and a greater sense of ease and comfort in dealing with others … the Internet can even provide opportunities by freeing those who are too depressed to conduct a social life in the real world,” it is extremely unhealthy to make and sustain all of your social interactions online. We will not be positively impacted by communicating through a computer screen if we already do not have the self-confidence to socially interact in reality.

I believe the advancement of technology has negatively impacted our social interactions because it detaches us from what is happening around us, obstructs communication, and spreads the concept of instant gratification. Society must be able to utilize technology while not allowing it to impede social interactions, particularly for those who are easily influenced during our formative years. Our world must learn to embrace technology without allowing it to negatively impact the creation of functional adults in society.



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This article has 91 comments.


kklovescats said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:44 pm
kklovescats, Broomfield, Colorado
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lol @ dat boi

Dat_Boi234 said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:36 pm
Dat_Boi234, Westminster, Colorado
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(.-.)

kklovescats said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:34 pm
kklovescats, Broomfield, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
subscribe to pewdiepie

Dat_Boi234 said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:34 pm
Dat_Boi234, Westminster, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments
@kklovescats SUB TO CAMODO GAMING

Dat_Boi234 said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:33 pm
Dat_Boi234, Westminster, Colorado
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REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Dat_Boi234 said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:27 pm
Dat_Boi234, Westminster, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments
I think that tech is a good thing, it's just that sometimes compies (coughAPPLEcough) go over the top

kklovescats said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 3:21 pm
kklovescats, Broomfield, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
subscribe to pewdiepie

Potato-God said...
on Dec. 3 2018 at 1:17 pm
Potato-God, Broomfeild, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I disagree with the author by a ton! Technology is fun! Technology is life! Not hate. Technology is for entertainment and information for a test that you may have the next day! Technology is The BEST INVENTION EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nnbb said...
on Jun. 6 2018 at 6:14 pm
nnbb, Studio City, California
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Ok this was plagiarized from The University of Nottingham

Facebook said...
on Sep. 21 2017 at 1:36 pm
I like this technology is ruining teenagers lives.

Facebook said...
on Sep. 21 2017 at 1:36 pm
I like this technology is ruining teenagers lives.

Raphael P. said...
on Feb. 13 2017 at 7:30 am
Hey, that's pretty good!

on Sep. 8 2016 at 5:50 pm
Technology affects us in both good and bad ways, there are ways were we need to save people or help others and develop education. But to be honest we are going way to deep into technology,it wouldn't hurt to go out and meet your friends and a lot of people do but you need technology for that to communicate. A lot of people go outside and enjoy the itself. I just feel some people are overreacting.

Joey Sexton said...
on Sep. 8 2016 at 5:48 pm
Technology affects us in both good and bad ways. This leads to changes in decision making and ideas. Technological advances have affected classrooms and society in negative and positive ways.

rajuljain said...
on Sep. 7 2016 at 10:34 am
and i'm a 15 year old sitting here who doesnt have her own phone...(not that i want one).kids in my class are competing on who hase a better camera quality and i just hide behind a book and pretend that the incident never happened.... ;P

MLK2.0 said...
on Apr. 8 2016 at 12:05 pm
Wow I think your wrong

DannyBoy177 said...
on Apr. 7 2016 at 6:15 am
DannyBoy177, Tamworth, Other
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"If it bleeds, we can kill it. What, it has no blood? Well, its a sandwich. If I can eat it, we can kill it."

Three things: 1. (To the author) I can understand your point of view - hell, I ration my own computer access - but I feel that some oomph is missing. It is very good, I'll admit, but it feels like more could be there. How about touching on the whole video-game violence side of it? Or how about more positives? 2. (To the commenters) Hear this logic for 5 seconds: I know someone has said somewhere that "Why are you using technology to say this then?" Short answer? It's more likely to reach those who it affect/ is aimed at. I am commenting a long time after this was uploaded, but the situation has gotten worse over time - my 4 year old cousin has an android tablet. Let that sit on your mind for a second 3. (To all) Think about this masterclass example, will you?

Danny said...
on Apr. 7 2016 at 6:01 am
I would call it a 50/50 scenario. Technology may ruin one's social capacity, but there are plenty of benefits, and you have to factor in oddballs. Other than that, it's a great, hard-hitting article.

abbth345 said...
on Mar. 28 2016 at 2:14 pm
abbth345,
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
hey this is good

sunshine said...
on Mar. 14 2016 at 10:58 pm
i think we need to manage time that we use technology that we don't need to use or it not important.