Technology

Technology Growing concern exists among American’s regarding the effects that technology can have on our youth. Not only are there potential risks to safety, well-being, and skill development, but technology can negatively influence the social interactions between teenagers. By isolating individuals from reality, hindering communication and supporting the constant urge of addiction can cause them to have trouble creating positive relationships with others in society. Today’s youth are so constantly immersed in their music that they isolate themselves from the public. As teens walk down the street, engrossed in their iPods, they notice no one as they pass on by. The trend that tends to make teens space out is a small electronic device called an iPod. For some young teens the main appeal an iPod has on them is to preoccupy themselves from having to deal with the uncontrollable factors of everyday life. When teens start to immerge themselves with their iPod it clearly tends to draws them to another place, which can cause them to drift into a meditative state of mind that may cause depression. According to a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, teenagers who spend more time listening to music could be at a higher risk for depression. As it turns out, those teenagers who spent the majority of their time listening to music were 8.3 times more likely to become depressed compared to students who didn’t spend their time immersed in music. Not only is depression a factor but the ability teens have to surround themselves by using their iPod is appealing because it rarely provides them with something unexpected or unknown. If teens fall into the habit of plugging into their iPods all the time, they lose the opportunity to interact with others and begin to isolate themselves. Teens might build their own isolated environment rather than tap into their surroundings which could lead them to feel less connected with their communities.

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