Technology Affecting Adolescents

Every day at school, I see people with white ear buds blasting music out. Even a girl rapidly texting on her phone under her desk during class. During lunch, my friends always have their iPod or smart phone out. While I was in cultural geography, when we were doing our competency a girl besides me said, "Mr.Lee is there any website on the computer that isn't blocked, so that I could listen to music because my iPod runs out of battery quickly if I listen to music." I know that for some people listening to music helps them, but when I heard this question I thought, "Are you serious?" Also every time I check Facebook (which is rare) there's always the same 8 people posting often and is almost always on. I don't think using these new technological advancements is always a good thing. The worst aspect of many teens today is that they are too obsessed with technology. Although technology provides an easier way to communicate and gives instant-gratification, technology has negatively influenced teenager's social interactions because it removes them from reality, hinders our
communication in the real world, and makes themselves lazy and/or have health problems. Teenagers usage of technology often removes them from reality.
What "removes them from reality" means is that when someone is listening to headphones, it sometimes implies "don't talk to me". Therefore removing them from reality and just the person focusing on whatever they're doing. Also people who watch TV can get removed from reality. I know this because it happened to me a couple of times. People just sit in front of the TV getting brainwashed making you sit there longer. One dangerous example of technology removing people from reality is texting and walking. There has been 1,100 injuries that were treated in the hospital's emergency rooms in the past year. Also there has been a lot of deaths related to texting and walking. Using the cell phone removes you from reality, causing you not to know your surrounding which leads to accidents. As a result of technology, teenagers are removed from
reality. Teenager's communication skills has gotten hindered due to technology. Technology can send messages really quickly, but it has a huge down side. It can't show emotions. Emotion are the most important part of communication and technology cannot show it. Though technology tries to make it up for with emoticons. Teenagers often opt to text instead of calling people. Also some teenagers prefer to hide behind a computer screen sending messages as it makes them feel more confident and less socially awkward. Although when they get into the real world they have a fear of verbal communication of any kind. People do not feel intimidated from the computer because of its none confrontational nature, but when people meet someone outside they are intimidated because they can judge you easily. Which can make you have a fear of meeting new acquaintances. Technology can make you shyer because teenagers spend time communicating on computers instead of outside. Technology can cause a plethora of health problems and makes and huge percentage of teens lazy. Teenagers who use technology too often can get obese because they are not spending enough time outside. There are plenty of other health problems technology can cause, such as Orthorexia Nervosa Computer, Vision Syndrome, E-thrombosis, and Sick Building Syndrome. Technology can cause many teenagers to be really lazy. Teenagers often skip or do their homework really fast to just use technology. Technology makes teenagers procrastinate a lot too. Some common health problems and laziness is due to the fact of technology. Ultimately even we have an easier way to communicate and instant-gratification through technology, teenagers are influenced negatively from it because it removes them from reality, hinders our communication in the real world, and makes themselves lazy and/or have health problems. Maybe if teenagers learn to restrict their use on technology they will be a better person after.