Screens and Teens Today’s kids spend an astounding 300% more time in front of a screen than in 1995, a fact given by Rawhide.org. This statistic alone gives people a reason to question the amount of dependency the human race has put on screen technology, as well as if screen technology has come too far. In my opinion, screen technology and human dependency on technology have both come too far and will soon cause us more harm than good. Technology is doing more harm to our population than good, especially where children and teens are concerned. In the article “It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies”, it says that 8 to 10 year olds spend on average 8 hours a day with digital media, while teenagers spend around 11 hours a day using technology. Also in this article it is said that 1 in 3 kids are using tablets or smartphones before they can talk. This much exposure to screens can be the start of an addiction for many kids and also cause behavioral …show more content…
One pro that was found in the article “A Reconsideration of Children and Screen Time”, is that not all screen time is bad. Skyping with a far away relative such as a grandma or deployed parent is considered to be good screen time, even for very young children, said the article. As well as giving young kids a chance to interact with family, technology has also brought advances in medicine and entertainment. The television and other forms of entertainment are now a commodity in every household compared to the 1900’s. People use technology to help them connect with their families, whether it be through Skype or TV. Though these are considered “pros”, they also lead back to the earlier mentioned “cons” of technology; taking all of our time and taking our children with addiction. In reality, technology may have pros, but the cons are finally starting to outweigh
Technology has consumed this generation to believe we need to rely on it. Although technology has helped us to save more lives than in previous decades. The technology that is affecting us are the ones with screens. These devices are useful for entertainment, news, communication, and to learn. They are powerful devices that can change someone's life in both a negative and positive effect. It can be easily obtained and used by anyone at anytime if accessible. Looking at screens are a waste of time.
Increasingly, there is a large dependence on technology today as opposed to ten or twenty years ago. Technology has changed a lot of how life is lived today. It affects shopping, job seeking employment opportunities, entertainment and academics. There is no doubt that technology has set its foundation and is here to stay. One area in which the effects of technology can be clearly noted is in the lifestyle of children. The addiction to technology by children today has increased over the years. This is clearly seen in the developmental progress of children today. This dependence has greatly influenced how children
According to CNN news the average American spends more than 10 hours a day using technology, 9 of which is on social media! This is a staggering 42% or more of our time spent in front of a screen tweeting, posting, and sharing; so what are the effects? While technology has its benefits making life “easier,” such as a way to quickly find information and the ability to easily communicate with people on the other side of the world, the drawbacks are more pressing. It is getting worse as we keep diving headfirst into our societies technological revolution. This is why we as a school should participate in “Shut Down Your Screen Week.” Critics oppose “Shut Down Your Screen” because in life today it is necessary to have technology, however by putting down our phones and other electronic devices we get a break from the harmful effects that the overuse of technology has on our brains. According to scientists, technology even rewires our brains according to Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, it even happens on a chemical level causing it to become addictive. People should shut down their
Various studies have shown various health concerns for teens' technology use. These negative effects include, but are not limited to, reduced fitness, sleep disturbance, emotional costs, eye strain, and even brain damage. The author and pediatricians alike persuade parents to limit their teenagers' screen time. This is a crucial time for adolescents to stay healthy and active as their brains undergo massive changes from puberty until the mid-twenties. Overuse of technology also leads to impairment in both social and academic situations, as teenagers are spending less time face-to-face.
define screen based activities as “watching TV, playing computer games, and working with a computer”. Each participant was asked three questions: “How many hours a day do you spend watching television… on a screen?”, “How many hours a day, in your free time, do you spend playing computer games…?”, and “How many hours a day do you spend using electronic devices such as computers, tablets (like Ipad), or smartphones…?”. With these questions, the researchers divided the children into two sections. One category contained children who spent less than 2 hours a day on technology and the other contained kids who spent more than that every day. The latter is considered to spend excessive time on the internet and technology in general. It was found that more than half of the children tested spend more than the recommended amount of time using technology. The questionnaire furthermore asked each participant to rate (on a scale of very often, often, rarely, never) how often they experienced the following: “inability to eat or sleep because of the internet”, uncomfortableness due to being unable to access the internet, surfing the internet even if they are not having fun, picking the internet over family, friends school, or other hobbies. If they answered very often or often to any of the questions, they were considered to be affected by the overuse of
With so much technological activity, some wonder if the screen time is good or bad for kids. According to Oxford Dictionaries, screen time is the “Time spent using a device such as a computer, television, or games console.” Many advocate and promote that if used properly, the prolonged use of digital media is a means for children to develop and interact more quickly in today’s age. However, some parents have been concerned that too much technology usage may in fact interfere with children’s development. While the two opposing sides have differing opinions on how screen time affects children, both sides agree on doing whatever is best for the better development of children and adolescents.
Have you ever thought about the negative effect technology can have on children and teens. It's been shown that technology can cause sleep deprivation, violence, and exposure to predators, bullying, and inappropriate websites. Technology does have some benefits for this age group, such as expanded access to the world in society, but the negatives outweigh the positives when talking about over using it.
Technology has proven to cause health issues in children. For example, in the article, “Obesity in children and technology,” by Elle Paula, it is stated that, “According to a review in obesity in 2012, a lot of screen time may increase obesity risk.” This
How many people could take a whole day out of their week to not look at their phone? “Tech Free Tuesday” could be the new hit of the times. Children in today’s world grow up with their iPad’s, iPhone’s, tablets and computers that basically does everything for them What about dinner time conversations, playing in the neighborhood, and exploring at their own leisure. We are constantly consumed by our technological devises and the newer generations are continuing to grow worse with the amount of technology they use on a daily basis. The age at which children begin using technology continues to grow younger and younger. In this day and age people would rather spend their free time alone consumed with electronic devises rather than engaging in conversation. Therefore, reducing the amount of technology use in homes across the United States could have serious positive
Some parents believe that technology and gadgets are essential for the development of their children, but many go way too far (Jary, Simon). One study showed that over the course of childhood, children spend more time watching TV than the time they spend in school (Jary, Simon). In 2013 The US Department of Health recommended that children under two years old should have no screen time at all, and over that age the maximum screen time should be no longer than two hours a day (Jary, Simon). Children and teenagers watching television all the time can affect their academic grades in a negative way (Jary, Simon). If this happens parents should establish screen time rules, put tablets away before bedtime because they can cause sleep disruption, and have alternatives for your children instead of watching television (Jary, Simon). One mother said “I allow my children to play video games, after they do their homework, and after they’ve played outside, etc. I think technology making children antisocial or obese is an excuse for a bigger issue that’s behind everything else. And I think it has to do with parenting” (Kristina Hatch). This is an effective way to establish screen time rules for your children. A survey asked many parents how much time their child spent on tech gadgets, thirty-seven percent of parents said their child spent one to two hours a day playing
People have been so much more addicted to entertainment and a screen than such things as working hard in school or fixing relationships. Cell phones are owned by as much to 88% of people(Smith 2). Parents see less and fewer signs of abuse of cell-phone use in their teens and can’t help them if something is wrong. Middle schoolers who are cyberbullied are up to two times as likely to commit suicide.(Luxton 2). This just shows that technology can be abused and ruin someone's life. Other teens get barely any sleep and this affects school grades and sometimes leads to addiction to medication.Most of the youth survives on barely three to four hours of sleep a night (Fifield 1). Others can get addicted to medication to stay awake.Cell-phones are very beneficial in some cases but most of the time they come with serious consequences. If we allow this problem to continue further generations will continue to increase addiction and reliability to technology. Soon enough the world will not know anything sentimental but rather just know their screens. Everyone will use medication to stay awake and abuse their bodies just
Technology has been around forever, so it seems. People all around the world can be found with some form of smart device in their hand. Since the development of smart phones and video games a controversy has arisen. Technology has led to many wonderful advancement of the modern age and is benefiting people everywhere, but is it really that great? Technology has a negative effect on children and adolescents.
In April 2017, a children's media expert, Sara DeWhitt, gave an intriguing but short speech that she titled "3 fears about screen time for kids--and why they aren’t true" to compelled the audience to believe that children are highly impacted by screen time. This speech was spoken at an official Ted Talk conference located in Vancouver, Canada. The speech was just shy of twelve minutes, but has the future ability to impact millions of people for millions of years. Throughout her speech, DeWhitt focuses the discussion on the positive impact of screen time and contests the perceived negative one. Her main purpose was to correctly inform the audience of the fears most people commonly believe. This is easily identifiable when she discusses her fears and backs them up with statistics and data, she had previously studied. (Q1) The central message was easy to pick up and clear in her speech because she exaggerated that she had three points and then later went on in the body paragraphs to discuss each fear she had for the future of electronic devices. (Q2) The speech never left me questioning what her purpose was. It was abundantly clear that she wanted the truth of these devices to be released and that's what she accomplished.
Technology has more negative effects on today’s society than positive. Due to technology in the past few decades Canine Shock Collars have been increasingly popular. Students in school pay more attention to texting than they do their classes. Violent addictive video games have made their way into American homes. Parents encourage their children to not text as much, but them to face the problem of constant communication. The Internet gives the students easier ways to cheat in school, and reinforces laziness. Internet Porn gives every bored male a chance to look at the seediest film in the comfort of his own home. Technology has taken the innocence and mystery away from the American family.
Children spending children spending extended period of time using their smart device preventing them from playing outside to experience new thing and make new friends every day. According a Kaiser Foundation study conducted in 2010, children between the ages of eight and 18 spend an average of 7 hours 38 minutes a day with digital media. This study shows that children are abusing the use of technology, instead of spending this enormous number of hours doing something that will benefit them. Some others say that advanced technology is benefiting the children by making them learn faster and making them smarter, but it’s actually the complete opposite