We
live in a high-tech world. People today use technology for almost everything.
Your alarm clock wakes you up; you start a pot of Keurig coffee and turn on the
T.V. Those are just 3 easy everyday
tasks someone may normally do that currently, we more than not rely on
technology for those simple life tasks. People also use technology to keep up
with the news, to keep in communication with others, for educational purposes,
to schedule their day accordingly, and the list just keeps on going. There is a
problem though- we use mass amounts of technology in our everyday lives, which
we are now starting to become too dependent on technology to live and manage
our everyday lives it is starting to affect our overall health. According to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report,
“Americans aged 18 and older spend more that 11 hours a day using electronic
devices." Due to people relying too much on technology. There are both
physical and mental health issues that cause a detriment to people. We’re
starting to let technology run our lives.”
People’s
dependency of technology has numerous negative physical effects. With more use
of technology, people are starting spend more time using electronic devices and
technology than being active outside. This is causing an increase in obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention states, “The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United
States
As
society starts to become more and more dependent on technology, this generation
of adolescents have grown up with always having technology around us to be
dependent on. This causes this generation of kids to become addicted to
technology and start to use it excessively. The excessive use of technology causes
many negative mental conditions. Overuse of technology can change a child’s
brain. An article in Psychology Today
states that the use of technology can alter the wiring of the brain. However,
people may argue that adults today do not have any harsh long-term effects from
becoming dependent on technology, this current generation of children and
teenagers are the first generation of a community that has been born and raised
by technology. A summary of an article in Psychology
Today, they stated that more than a third of children under the age of two
use some form of mobile media. According to a report from Common Sense Media released a specific study that found 38% of kids
under the age of two have used tablets or smart phones. The usage of mobile
media only grows with the child’s age, with 97% of teens 12-17 spend time
online. Technology does not give people new ideas on things, but technology trains
the brain to pay attention to multiple stimuli, which leads to distraction or
decreased memory. Technology also can affect a child’s brain by affecting his
ability to empathize, which can also affect the general public. A study was
conducted and later published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. They took two groups of 6th
graders, one was sent to Pali Institute- an outdoor education camp with no
electronic devices. For the second group, their life was normal-controlled.
Researchers found that went to camp without any electronics scored significantly
higher to reading facial emotions or non-verbal clues.
People
can argue that technology has made the economy better and safer. Small
businesses can now used advanced internet marketing tools for a small budget in
order to compete with big companies. However, Technology has put our privacy
and safety at risk. Today, children who are using technology are way younger
than they have been before and therefore they typically do not know what
information is safe to share online and what is not. According to Enough-Is-Enough, 82% of online sex
crimes against children, the sex offenders have used technology and social
media to get information about their victim. The overdependence of technology
has lead to an increase in online bullying. This is because technology is often
not face-to-face; it is easier for the bully to attack someone online than in
person. Statistics from NVEEE (National Voice for Equality Education and
Enlightenment) explains that “One million children were harassed, threatened,
or subjected to other forms of cyber bullying on Facebook in 2011.”
People
have pointed out that we use technology for communication. I agree that
technology has its positive affects, such as being able to communicate with
family or friends or to stay updated with current events. But us as people need
to understand when it’s going too far. When we start becoming too dependant on
technology, people become isolated. It is easy to become tempted and to isolate
yourself from others, especially when technology is causing an illusion that
you are communicating with people on sites like Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram, when you’re really not. In an article by Sheri Hosale in RooGirl Magazine website, Sheri Hosale
states, “Technology creates the perfect recipe for depression with lack of
human contact, overeating and lack of exercise. There is a reason the use of
antidepressants are on the rise and the blame can’t be completely dumped on the
pharmaceutical companies.” (Quotations from an online magazine with no page
numbers.)
Technology
has advanced us as a race and will continue to do so. However, it is our
responsibility to not abuse technology to the point where we are unable to
function without it. According to Bruce
D. Perry, MD, PhD, senior fellow of CMTAS Initiative, “Modern technologies are
very powerful because they rely on one of the most powerful genetic biases [us]
have- the preference for visual presented information.” In his book, How Nurture Becomes Nature: The Influence of
Social Structures on the Development of the Brain and Maltreated Children, Perry
tells us, “Children need real-life experiences with real people to truly
benefit from available technologies. Technologies should be used to enhance
curriculum and experiences.” We need to learn and actively participate in
social functions and outdoor physical activity. This would not only start to
diminish our obesity rate, children would not be on any devices as much which
will improve their mental health. Lastly,
we need to properly educate everyone on the proper and safe way to use
technology.
