Technology has arisen as a popular tool offered to society for many different purposes. With this growth in technology, social media has also arisen as a widespread way to express oneself, meet others, assist as a tool in education, and a number of other purposes. This rise in technology and social media has become a popular topic in studies on young children and adolescents, and how the generation is affected. Many studies have been performed in this field, and it has been found that too much technology and social media use can have negative effects on children and adolescents. The integration of technology in people’s lives leads to the blurring of lines, confusing people in their need versus want. This paper will argue these negative aspects of excess use and how the adolescent generation is directly effected in their everyday life.  

The development of these modern tools have a high demand rate, being that they are in a constant wheel of improvement, meaning that companies continue to invent newer and innovative versions of gadgets. The availability to children is a lot more common than in the past, therefore giving children the belief that they should feel entitled to these objects. Society expectations are intense in today’s day and age, and according to Daniel Miller in the book How the World Changed Social Media, “We have simply attained a new set of capacities that, like the skills involved in driving a car, are quickly accepted as ordinarily human” (x). It is important to digest this statement made by Miller, being that the use of technology is compared to driving a car – which is a skill that the most individuals at least 16 years of age, depending on the state, in the U.S. obtain. If technology use is seen as a skill that everyone should have, that proves how much times have changed and how the dependency has increased.

Society holds expectations on children indirectly through these social media sites. Aashika Damodar writes in his article, “The Rise of Great Potential”, how important social media is in activism – youth activism especially. He says that because the access to technology is so great in the population, the skills the young individuals obtain are also great with technology (51). This presents a concern for adults due to the fact that their children are being introduced to world issues earlier than they maybe should be. Childhood is about innocence and learning about the world at the fingertips of each individual – not through a screen. While it is important that each voice is heard, that every opinion does matter, it is also important to keep the innocence in childhood and adolescence. It should be a priority to educate and be educated, however using social media as a place to do so may not be beneficial. Damodar goes on in his conclusion to say, “We must abandon the idea that digital communication tools will bring about radical change to our generation” (52). These tools are greatly changing the generations in society today, and society must accept the change in a positive manner. By limiting the use of technology and turning to a more natural growth of experience, the future generations can learn through ways other than technology. What Damodar is trying to say is that we must avoid the thought that technology is the source to change in society, that the way people live is a bigger source. The growth and development has progressed over the years, creating a new societal expectation and overall a new aspect of life in which people need to choose how they live it in order to live a positive lifestyle. The use of these tools should not be a counteractive process in society, but be used properly and tastefully in someone’s life.

Another issue that is a topic for debate is use of technology in education. Because technology has progressed from entertainment purposes to more widespread reasons, it is often questioned in the school system whether technology should be utilized for educational purposes or whether it is considered a distraction. Different factors are considered when researching technology in education, including but not limited to, social status.  Depending on social status, the view on technology and education varies. According to Miller, some research shows that low income families find technology in education to be a helpful tool, whereas high income families view it as a threat to the child’s education (xii). This observation can be made from Miller’s writing and should be considered carefully. Social status is an important factor that contributes to people’s lifestyles, as well as their personal outlook on certain topics. Education and technology being the focus, social status proves to be a key detail in how people view the use of technology. If a low income family is not able to provide their child with an iPad, for example, but the school provides each student with one, the family may see it as a tremendous way to improve and further their child’s education in the modern world. On the other hand, if a high income family provides their child with an iPad, the child may be accustomed to using this iPad for recreational purposes rather than educational purposes. The reason why the family may see this as a threat to education is because they have seen their child interact with this technology as a way to get away from school work, rather than assist them in learning. Technology in education could also become an issue if it is seen as a symbol of social status. Education is a right that every person deserves, and the use of technology, or the lack thereof should not affect that. 

 The perspectives on technology from students versus that of teachers differs greatly – being that both use it differently. Miller suggests that teachers find it distracting and a demoralizing of their professional authority if students see the tool as more a priority than the teacher. In contrast, students found it a helpful tool to expand their knowledge and learning (Miller 73). This should be considered when pondering the question of whether the use of technology in the classroom is beneficial or not. While the traditional teaching style still stands in most schools, the integration of technology has developed immensely. To ensure future generations a fair and decent education, students should use the integration of technology into the classroom as more of a learning opportunity, rather than an opportunity to catch up on social media and entertainment. By limiting the use of these tools in education, students will still receive the traditional education as well as a taste of technology integration. 

Social media, similar to technology in education, has also brought about issues in recent years. As a common ground of knowledge, teachers can help their students learn through the use of social media. However, “…people who value and trust formal education are worried that social media might detract from this, while those who feel let down by formal education hope that social media will provide an effective entrée into formal education…” (Miller 75). When looking into formal education, the aspects of the traditional education system may come into mind. It is becoming an issue in the education system where social media is overstepping its boundaries. The individuals that Miller mentions in the text, those who value the formal education system, see social media as something that will not add positive factors to education. Being a platform for purposes in life other than educational ones, social media should be used for its true purpose rather than becoming a tool that may be a threat to the education system. Because so many schools in the formal education system are working to integrate it into education, students may see it as the new version of formal education, which may contradict with the true purpose of educating. 

As technology use becomes more prevalent in society, it may go unrecognized that long term effects this excessive use can create. An excessive daily usage of technology can cause many issues, including problems with physical health as Werner and Sharon Hoeger explain in their text, Principles and Labs for Fitness & Wellness. While technology may be a useful tool, it can be seen as a threat to public health for this reason. Researchers in public health have started to stress about the new disease, the “Sitting Disease”, caused from excessive physical inactivity. This is a cause for concern due to the rise of opportunities other than active ones for people – which may lead to a rise in physical inactivity (Hoeger 13). The Hoegers go on to explain how people do not realize how physically inactive they can be throughout their day, with sitting consuming so much of their time They suggest several reasons for physical inactivity, such as watching TV, surfing the internet, and visiting social networking sites. This effect of technology and social media may go unheard for quite some time, until it starts to show its true colors in its threat to public health. People must be aware of how they use technology and social media, as it may do more harm than good. Werner and Sharon Hoeger also explain how one can accumulate 2-6 hours a day sitting while using technology or social media – contributing to other possible methods of physical inactivity (14). This information about physical inactivity can often be overlooked because of how accustomed people are to it. Not only technology, but also social media is such a large part of people’s lives now that most do not even notice how much time is spent using it. 

The advantages that people find in the use of these tools can be helpful in life skills, such as dating, forming friendly relationships, connecting to others, and even expanding contacts. Meeting people is a constant in life – there are always new people to encounter throughout one’s day. Online dating has become quite popular in recent years, with people seeing it as a useful and easy tool to assist them in finding a partner. According to Michael J. Rosenfeld and Reuben J. Thomas in “Searching for a Mate: The Rise of the Internet as a Social Intermediary”, “If the Internet were merely reinforcing existing ways of finding partners, we would expect the Internet to rise but other previously stable ways of meeting…to remain unchanged” (532). While these tools are constantly updating, that does not mean that other traditional ways should no longer exist. Online dating takes away from the intimacy and friendliness of meeting people in person. The same authors go on to discuss how the Internet is rapidly picking up in importance as a way for heterosexual couples to meet. Furthermore, over 60% of same sex couples meet online, presenting such an intense rise in internet dating that other ways of meeting people are not nearly as common (Rosenfeld and Thomas 532). While using these online sites can be helpful for those who have lost hope in finding a life partner, and statistics do prove its success, it can be troubling for some to meet online rather than in other ways. It can also present issues in safety, seeing that many people can lie about who they actually are on the Internet. This happens more often than people would like to believe, and there is even a television show based off of it called “Catfish”. When this happens and people life about their identity, it creates an issue for those who use these sites for the true purposes.

The Internet can also be seen as helpful in meeting people because it gives no boundaries in location. If a person is across the world from you and you would like to communicate with them, it is possible through the Internet and social media. Rosenfeld and Thomas also give insight to readers on how, “…the Internet also has dramatically improved the efficiency of searching for and finding new people outside of one’s preexisting social network, which the telephone never did” (524). This statement proves the successful development of technology because of how ways for people to meet outside of their usual realm have been improved. While the telephone was a glorious invention in years past, it has helped other tools develop, such as the Internet. By having the ability to reach out to others in locations that may not have been possible before, people are able to form these relationships with others, however it does rid of the traditional and typical ways people meet. 

Some research has shown that virtual relationships are negative, however most develop into a physical interacting relationships rather than strictly internet relationships, which is a positive outcome. This untraditional way of meeting others is a growing phenomenon that researchers are still understanding (Rosenfeld and Thomas 525). Again, presenting a safety issue, people who meet online cannot guarantee that they are who they say they are. Rosenfeld and Thomas share a more comforting statistic, that, “Even though we might expect comfort with technology to be greatest among the most recent birth cohorts, the youngest respondents were not the most likely to meet their partners online” (538). Parents can take comfort in this lack of activity, due to the fact that there are people out there who target younger users to harm them. Online sites used to meet people, while they can be helpful to people, can also place people in danger or uncomfortable situations if they are not used appropriately or for the right reasons. 

 As this development of technology and social media has taken place, Miller describes social media today as, “…a place within which we socialize, not just a means of communication” (x). This is an interesting observation that has been made by researchers, being that most technology originated as a means of communication – such as the telephone for example. Miller continues to describe how these technologies have had such an impact on the people of the world, and how they have given people opportunities for interaction that was not previously possible (1). This statement is similar to one made by Rosenfeld and Thomas, when they expand on the idea that the Internet is an intermediary for people who otherwise would have never met (540). The impact that these technologies have had on society often goes unnoticed by people, due to the fact that they are caught up in the development of such tools. By understanding the impression made on society, people will be able to distinguish the need to use technology versus the want to use it. 

With younger generations becoming accustomed to having technology and social media, it is difficult for them to understand life without these tools. Their dependency on technology can be troubling to not only their parents, but their own life skills and independency. Not only can the effects be direct on their lives, but also on their social development. Rosenfeld and Thomas discuss the impact on an individual when face to face interactions are decreased due to technology use, including isolation and depression (525). While the use of these gadgets are becoming excessive, it has been said by researchers that use should be in moderation, according to Athena Chan of Tech Times. She also shares information through the website on over exposure of technology to children and adolescents, such as excess use. By explaining how over-exposure can become a priority to the child, Chan finds that a lot of children put technology over other activities that should be on the realm of importance, such as a social activity or exercise. 

Researchers still work to understand online activity and what goes on behind the screens that the adolescence today are using. What they have been able to understand is the impact on individual’s skills, such as social skills. Adolescence is the time period where it starts to gain importance, and it is clear that a transition is being made in the human body. This also provokes changes in the mindset and psychological state. It has been found that adolescents with negative self-esteem tend to look to form relationships virtually and benefit socially through social media, as Seo Hyunjin explains in her article "Teens’ Social Media Use and Collective Action”, as opposed to those with positive self-esteem who aim to use social media more for a means of communication with friends (886). Throughout this time period of growth, self-esteem should be recognized as an important factor during the growth. It can set up the individual for a stable mindset later in life, leading to other factors in life that are important in growth. 

In Technology and Youth: Growing Up in a Digital World, Claster et al. discuss how those who are exposed to media at higher rates, are at risk to become antisocial, having a direct effect on rates of cyberbullying behavior (4). This is a troubling statement, being that so many adolescents are active online users. It has also been observed that this kind of activity is not solely in the United States (Lindholm). Oda Faremo Lindholm explains in her Ted Talk that similar activity happens in Norwegia, too. Cyberbullying has become a serious threat in past years, gaining a lot of media attention as well as parental concern. In a similar way, Miller explains the problem of cyber bullying and how kids feel, “…more inclined to indulge in such taunting when ‘hiding behind a screen’ rather than face to face…” (77). This observation directly describes the use of technology and social media, because the individual is able to communicate in whatever means they please, without directly disclosing their identity. Giving the individual courage that they may lack if in person, cyber bullies are becoming more common in the younger generations, which is an unacceptable trait in which our society has picked up. By picking up these habits in this culture, younger generations are learning that this is what everyone’s life should be like. By limiting younger individuals and their exposure to a reasonable amount, society can ensure future generations with less over exposure to technology and social media. 

Because this generation is so different due to the significant increase in social media development, parents and teachers have a hard time understanding the system and how their children/students are using it. Therefore, parents and teachers have a hard time figuring out how to deal with such issues (Miller 78).  This is a hurdle that must be overcome, due to the fact that it is so prevalent in our society. Future generations and their parents should not bear the same weight of worry that technology could have negative impacts on children and adolescents. By understanding this generation and their outlook on technology and social media, future generations will hopefully have a different outlook. 

Adolescents find social media as a way to create their own identity outside of what their actual identity may be. Miller describes the use of social media as, “…used to express individuality, the enhanced visibility tends to make this increasingly conformist to accepted cultural styles of individualism” (xvii). This opportunity for self- expression for teens is one unlike other opportunities, seeing that it is their own way of expressing themselves to the world without the world having a previous impression of them. To abide by cultural standards, the teen may think that this is a good opportunity to create a “new self”, showing the world the person they want to be. This can be a troubling experience for the individual, seeing that they are already going through a time of self -seeking and figuring out who they want to be. 

This issue leads to the development of social expectations online. By examining these expectations, or what others in the same age group are doing, saying, or putting on their social media, one can understand how adolescents today are feeling the need to fit in. These young people want to conform to society’s expectations of not only their social media, but also their social life as a whole. Claster et al. explain a key point in adolescent behavior. They place themselves in situations where they will be seen in a positive light, mostly to avoid those who do not see them in that same positive light (5). This can be an issue related to seeking out situations where they will always be someone who others look up to and strive to be like. Claster et al. also explains that, “Moreover, studies on the neurological profile of children suggest that their brain areas for emotion become more activated in response to peer rejection with age, peaking in adolescence” (7). The studies that have been performed on these children’s brains proves that they strive for acceptance from their peers. Not only do they want to fit in, but also be accepted by those around them. 

Overall, the importance of technology is immense, and is still on the rise today. However, it is equally important to recognize the significance of using these tools in moderation. Too much use of technology and social media can lead to negative effects, especially for younger generations in society. Their growth and development can be impacted due to excessive use, and researchers work proves such findings. This research is relevant, due to the fact that future generations may encounter the same issue. By limiting technology and social media use to younger generations, it will be a more gradual integration into their lives, rather than an immediate process that takes away from other more important aspects of their lives. If parents understand how their children can be negatively affected by excess use, they will find a acceptable reason to limit their children in order to ensure that they will be less likely to rely on these tools as a way through life. This issue should be emphasized in order to ensure that children and adolescents in coming years do not rely on technology and value traditional ways of life. 
