In the conclusion of “The Existential Pleasures of Engineering,” Samuel C. Florman claims that in the face of technological change, we have no choice but to press ahead.
In the case of smartphones, must we press ahead? Or should limitations be established—be they by common agreement, by government, or otherwise—that constrain this technology, in response to some of the concerns raised by the readings?
Remember to make reference to at least one of the assigned or optional readings. It may also prove useful to make reference to an earlier technology (e.g. radio, television) in support of your argument.
The middle ground could certainly be the basis for an exemplary response. It might be more compelling, however, to argue for one extreme or the other. Augmenting your response with reference to an additional text provides you with the opportunity to both strengthen your argument and demonstrate your level of engagement. And as always: be clear, concise, coherent, and creative. Remember that all Writings must be 250-500 words—and that longer isn’t necessarily better.
Keep in mind that the prompt is just a provocative statement, to get you thinking. You do not need to answer the questions, simply address Twenge’s subject. Smartphones might be bad for us—what should we do about it?
One thing that we must keep in mind as we try to fix this issue is the fact that technology is not the villain in this story. In my opinion, it is not the existence of social media and smartphones that is corrupting the generation but is the way in which we use this technology. There are so many ways in which this technology is improving our world, as well as opening the creative world to possibilities and experiences like never before. This issue is also not something that is being taken on by only by angry parents and the disapproving older generations, but also by the apps and companies playing a role in this issue. For example, this new trend of activity tracking allows you to see how much time you spend on certain apps and also allows you to place restrictions on the amount of time you spend on apps. This is the type of limitations that I think will help make a big impact on how our new generations will be able to make healthy decisions when using technology. These types of solutions will help balance technology and the freedoms and advantages that they bring.
The development of technology is irresistible, and thanks to the smartphone, we can know what’s happening on another end of the earth and keep in touch with everyone at any time, any location with a network. In “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation,” author Jean M.Twenge attacks that “Electronic devices and social media seem to have an especially strong ability to disrupt sleep.” And she continues that “Smartphones could be causing lack of sleep, which leads to depression, or the phones could be causing depression, which leads to lack of sleep.” She blamed sleep deprivation on using a smartphone. However, I suspect that those who slammed the smartphone seem has amnesia. Before the prevailing of the smartphone, teens always hang out for a whole night, drinking and playing video games. It’s not that smartphone leads people to insomnia, but smartphones magnify the staying up late behavior of those people seeking external stimulation. The smartphone is only a platform in which everyone can get what they want conventionally. As Jean’s said, if we restrict the smartphone, we can reduce bad results brought by smartphones. But we cannot neglect the benefit of smartphones. More people are using a smartphone to affect our world positively.
Technology itself, is not an evil but the people who use are able to influence other at faster and wide spreading rate with technology are the main cause of the problem. For example, when Jean Twenge mentions that teens that spend more time on their smartphones are more likely to get depressed. I think it is referring to how the people on social media tends to glorify life and teen would look up to that and compare their lives. The phone does nor technology does not put these thoughts in the teens. It would be the people on Instagram or Twitter who post these nonrealistic projections of their life. For example, Instagram is known a platform that has people that uses a lot of photoshop and facetune creating unrealistic body images. Body image issues have always been an issue before smartphones. For example, magazine images were also photoshopped and also have been a source of body image issues in the past. I do agree that maybe since phones are so instant that teens are able to see more of this content faster but it does not change the fact that other people are generating this content, not the smartphone or platform itself. The phone maybe the vessel for these problems but industries are the ones that are causing the issue. We are the ones that causes most of the issue.
Of course we must press ahead. To so boldly claim that all of the collective woes of a generation can be attributed to the advent of one single new form of technology is an absurd. At its core, it’s only the latest manifestation of the same line of dissent we’ve seen throughout history- it’s anti-television, anti-railroad, even anti-print, with the only difference being the the turn from prior centuries’ claims of “moral degradation” to the use of more modern terminology, a rampant “mental health crisis”.
These arguments may be made with good intentions, but they tend to display a misplaced anxiety, conjuring some immediate harm brought about by change without actually criticizing the factors that brought change forth- Is it the smartphone that’s putting a generation in danger, or are they an unsettling MANIFESTATION of an interconnected world that is alien to generations past, framing the whole mechanism as dystopian without stopping to realize that that dystopia is merely another iteration of a world you were once comfortable with. The same markets have grown, shrunk, warped; the same conflicts brought new wars, droughts, famines; they always have. But a line has been crossed. And you don’t know when or where that happened, but “The Kids Are Sad And They Have Phones!”
Technology will continue to develop. It’s always jarring in retrospect, but it’s beneficial. To attribute deeply complex issues to “tech” is misguided neglection of the benefits implicit in granting further access and ease of maneuverability within our modern world.
I like how you made a discussion about anything that is anti-. I’ve noticed that throughout the years, anything related to anti-something is always along with moral and ethical values. It seems like people really like to take out what is right or wrong as a model of accusing things such as technology. I think that even though these arguments are made with good intentions, I actually think that the good intention is simply the icing on the cake – it’s made in the name of ethics when in reality, in the deeper layers, that are problems with selfish intentions instead.
Twenge makes great arguments about how the productivity of the younger generation isn’t as amazing as everyone would have expected considering there is so much more advancement in technology, making it easier to do everything in just the tap of a screen. I feel that we use technology as more of an entertainment outlet, than any of there other reasons we use it.
One of the TA’s explained the other day that he wishes he could have recorded some of his concerts because musical performances are really only something you can experience once, unless you record. I definitely related to that this past time I went to a concert. I am usually one who hates to see everyone out their phone up to record the artist, but I couldn’t help it, I recorded a portion of almost every song, just to be able to relive that moment again. Although I had to stop myself at some songs, and tell myself to record less than minute. I had to limit myself, because I needed to remember that I had to live that moment away from my phone.
Overall, technology has some amazing perks, but we need to learn to distinguish when we have overstepped the boundaries of real life versus social networking life.
I can partially agree that technology is mostly used for an entertainment purpose. Nearly almost everyone I know uses social media in one form or another, but I don’t necessarily blame them. Humans are social creatures that crave validation and comfort. However, I see technology as more of a convenience and everyday tool. While I still occasionally use social media for entertainment purposes such as Twitter, Facebook memes, and YouTube, at the end of the day, I consider the primary purpose of my phone is to communicate with my friends via text and amongst other things. Like you mentioned, although technology has some positives, we, the consumer, should take more precautions to limit our usage our social media and entertainment apps.
After reading the article and to think the prompt questions, I think technology is only pressing ahead, so as our ability to learn and adapt technologies as time moves on, but we should set ourselves a mental health-friendly value first before implementing technologies in our lives. We need to set a rational perspective on technology. In this way, we will not be so dependent on our smartphones to live our lives but more to use it as an external tool to collaborate with our independent lives.
Twenge advocates for parents to restrict their children’s phone usage, though she admits the unlikeliness of the parent actually restricting their child’s phone usage due to their child already being dependent on their phone. That got me wondering: if the government ever passed a law regulating a minor’s smartphone usage, could the government actually implement it? Hypothetically, say the law is something like “all persons under the age of 18 is to spend no more than X number of hours weekly on their smartphone.” How would the government control and regulate such a law? Would such a law have exceptions? (Say you already used up 100% of your weekly phone time, and you can’t go on your phone for the rest of the week anymore or you would break the law. It is a Sunday night but you witness an accident and someone needs to call emergency. Do you go on your phone to call 911 and go over the weekly hours and break the law and get punished?) What would the penalty or punishment be for breaking such a law? Would such a law be ethical?
Today, smartphones encompass the world across us. However, we must keep in mind that this technology isn’t always naturally complimentary aspect of our lives as the companies that makes these phone applications and programs are made by people with their own biases and subjective ideals based on their understanding of the people that surround that. Even with customer profiles and user experience testing, many people get left out, but given that much of this new generation, who Twenge refers to as the iGen, has grown up alongside smartphones, we as a society have become more dependent on smartphones for our diet, jobs, and social networking. Due to this, we may be developing a “tech knows best” paternalism mentality, that fails to be properly inclusive to different types of people. This can be expressed through the exposure of curating advertising and marketing built into many of these apps that can encompass a person’s entire social life, or lack thereof, resulting with reported higher rates of depression in correlation with the time they spent on screen. This is probably because of emotional labor conditioned by certain apps, as we are conditioned to associate feelings of happiness with irrelevant real world applicable rewards, such as likes and follower. These social media companies have been brought aware of these issues, just as in the real world, the money generated from marketing and ads based on the consumer data collected and sold. While I think there should be more oversight committees investigating problematic data collecting, and problematic marketing targeting toward the iGeneration’s emotional state. I think what companies can do is having their user experience designers focus on building more inclusive consumer profiles, however, this may require regulation.
“Tech knows best” paternalism is really one thing that stood out. I agree with you that many of the technological items made today are made with “biases”. Because after all, every human is different. We all have our opinions and ideas of what they believe works. The problem with social media, especially with so much advertisement that I see on social media, is actually making me very annoyed and frustrated. But I always feel like it’s something we “give up” because we are dependent on social medias.
In the case of advancing technologies, it is more important to keep up with and maintain the growth of technology. Our society today is very reliant on smartphone and computer technology, and we must continue innovation to improve how we can use these tools to benefit us. For example, in the past, people had to use very primitive GPS tools to navigate their way to their destinations. With advanced global positioning tools today, we can just use smartphones to calculate routes with different variables such as toll roads, highways, and real-time traffic. Other tools, such as Youtube, Khan Academy, Duolingo, etc are educational apps that improved the livelihoods of people who needed to learn a particular skill or overcome a challenge that they’re facing. Other productivity apps like Google Drive, Calendar, Google Translate, etc are integral to everyday life, from keeping track of important documents, creating grocery lists and managing expenses to translating foreign languages and organizing daily schedules.
There are also many valid reasons to limit the use of smartphones and technology. As stated by Jean Twenge, the arrival of smartphones have impacted the younger generations by negatively influencing their social lives and mental health. However, although smartphones and new technologies introduced different challenges into the rising generations, it is significant to expand these technologies in order to benefit the world further. Researchers who are studying artificial intelligence and machine learning can help utilize these features to improve efficiency of manufacturing and even save lives. For example, development of self-driving cars can reduce motor vehicle accidents on the road and improve motor safety in general. Overall, it is necessary to keep up with the advancement of smartphones and computer technology to better the lives of many people in this tech-driven world.
There are many valid reasons, especially for limiting the use of smartphones for children. I remember when I was little, I played around in the concrete streets, holding my dolls and playing make-believe. Now, I go to restaurants as a college adult and see children with their eyes glued to the smartphones their parents give them. Digital technology has become a great way to “shut children up”. But I am worried about this and I don’t think I’d want my children being exposed to technology too early.
After reading Twenge’s article on The Atlantics, I actually found multiple unreliable resources and logical fallacies. Take the most obvious example, among those data figures which she used to relate the emerging of smartphones and some social phenomenons, at least “not hanging out with friends” and “less sex” are unaccountable. The first one could high dependent on a wide variety of PC or console games instead of smartphones, since they are the primary alternative of face-to-face social activities. The second has been proved to relate to lower infertile desire caused by economic depression, etc. Meanwhile, it’s quite noticeable that she mainly used personal experiences and anecdotes, which are helpful but not well-thought enough to illustrate a social problem brought by the smartphone.
Even though we can notice obvious non-rigorous in Twenge’s article, it cannot prove the regulation to new-emerging technologies is unnecessary. Widely known, both of the most widely used smartphone OS platforms, Android and iOS, are promoting to update their privacy agreements to be more strict. And they are limiting smartphone applications’ access to the user information to the minimum, simply because there is too much personal information is being stored in our devices nowadays. Such actions are showing more regulations have their rationality.
As one student in our class mentioned, “technology itself is neither good or bad, it depends on how people use it.” Although such a statement is still debatable, and we haven’t yet stopped to chase for a more reliable answer to this question, the progress of smartphone technology and its successor, as a major part of this era, is not likely to stop in a foreseeable future. This reality should become a common sense, and also a universal “problem” for all people, researchers, artists and (governmental) regulators. In my opinion, the correct thing for human society is embracing new technologies at a controllable speed (or method). This balance, if connect to the topic of our question, can be defined as a kind of “pressing ahead with limitations”.
There isn’t a reliable answer to if technology is good or bad. I think because technology is still “young” in our human civilization, it takes time for us to realize what good or bad technology can actually do to our lives, including our health and mental state. My mother was the first generation of getting eye lasik. At the time when it first came out, it was great. It was the elimination of glasses. But twenty years later, the first generation patients are now experiencing a lot of eye problems, including my mom. I think this example is similar to tecehnology. We don’t know now, but maybe twenty years later, we will start finding out.
Smartphones have become a part of our daily lives and social media applications is increasingly taking up our time. I feel that before social media apps like instagram and snapchat were invented, people used their smartphones in a less harmful and unproductive way. Smartphones have become a device we can easily reach for whenever we feel just slightly bored or uninterested in whatever we are doing or things that are in front of us. I have become extremely reliant on my phone even though I might not even be using it to be productive or meaningful. Since smartphone is such a personal item, I feel that it would be unethical and improper if there are constraints that are put on to limit the usage of it by any government or corporations. I find it to be the most fitting that we apply those limitations ourself, even though it might not be as successful in terms of speed. I feel that the best form of limitation is when we truly understand the harm of continuous and passive use of social media and that we should create a plan that works best to us, individually. This could be downloading apps that block social media for a certain time or days. or to simply go on a social media cleanse for a period of time. It could also be changing the way we use social media, instead of passively scrolling, we could actually share our projects and hobbies online or to actively search for a healthy and productive community that we could become a part of.
With today’s technological advancements, many have begun to question smartphone regulation. I personally believe, smartphones should most definitely be regulated to a certain extent. In the article, Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? by Jean Twenge, she discusses the effects of smartphones on teens. Twenge emphasizes how this new technology has not only led to teens being less social but also deteriorates their mental health. Individuals born in the years 1995 through 2012 are the generation who have grown up with smartphones. Studies have shown that as a result of such technology fewer people are going outside to hang out with their friends and when they do go out they still use their phones around each other. This goes to show how more people of this generation prefer to stay in their homes rather than to go out. Twenge reports, the more they stay home the more time they spend on their phones. In a study, it was concluded that “the more time teens spend looking at screens, the more likely they are to report symptoms of depression.” Depression is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, especially because it is kids that we are dealing with. Social media is one of the main reasons to blame for this. Apps like Instagram, where posts are based on likes, where influencers flaunt their “perfect” bodies, where people show their “perfect” lives, makes individuals like teens grow insecure about themselves. For these reasons, it is that there should be some type of limitation to technology.
First, delete Apps that you don’t have to use. Consciously put the mobile phone aside, learn to shift your attention by doing some other things, and try not to use the mobile phone for things that can be done without the mobile phone. We need to slowly get rid of the excessive dependence on the mobile phone, so that the mobile phone will return to its original role of toll again. Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on non-screen activities are more likely to be happy.” It means people are not using social media by their own will. Most of them are just following the crowd.
Second, attend more social activities by real person. It’s harmful to our body and mind if we spend too much time with our phones. Try to know people by talking to them. In Black Mirror about a woman builds a replica of her husband from his photos and posts on social media. It seems terrifying but if we take it to our life. Can we know a person only by their information on social media? The answer must be no. Mankind are very complex races. Sometimes you need years to get deeply known of others. The best way to do it is through conversation. After all, it’s a respect for each other to come out and put down the mobile phone to chat.
I completely agree that we should be the ones to take action and try to reduce our reliance on smartphones and other technologies alike in order to reduce the negative impacts they have on us. It is important to remember that they are tools to better our lives and to be affected by them in such a big way is not a good thing. As technology continues to advance, I think it is also important to have a proactive mindset and be considerate about how we approach these new tools.
I really like how you provided practical application regarding the topic. You’re right, we are so dependent on social media and following the crowd. There is a need for change to be instilled in the individual rather than being a sheep who blindly acts. Your response really challenged me!
I agree that social activities in person are crucial. There are many people, usually in college, who tend to stay at home and stay on their phones all day doing nothing productive. There is a boundary that should not be crossed when using your phone and letting the phone become the most important thing in your life. Do not get me wrong, I love iphones and the way they help us in all ways, but it would be great to let them be phones and not something that rules our lives. Finding that thin line is incredibly hard for many, but not for those who prioritize their social lives in human.
Twenge’s article on smartphone use and the rise of physical/social/mental health crisis was very interesting and insightful. As Twenge mentioned that “the arrival of the smartphones has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health,” I was also able to observer and see this quote reflect in my own life. Being born in the late 90’s and observing the changes to technology and social media, I adapted quickly to using smartphones and laptop. Also, attending an elementary/middle school that was heavily technology based, I realized how I was one among many others, including third graders and up, bringing my own laptop to learn coding, photoshopping, and etc. The arrival of technology and smartphones has definitely left an impact in my life, as now it is impossible for me to leave my phone and leave to go anywhere.
With fast development of technology, it is obvious that the views and experiences of everyday life for teens nowadays are differences from those of the generation that came before. As Twenge says at the end of the article, “restricting technology might be an unrealistic demand to impose on a generation of kids so accustomed to being wired at all times.” I do agree with this statement as our society have really adapted to using smartphones. It has established a new culture and I do think that it is impossible to change what is already taking place. Putting limitations and restrictions is not fixing the problem and instead, I believe that we should shift to address the main focus of the problem by educating or lookings for ways to resolve the effects that smartphones are causing (mental-health related issues, lack of social interactions, cyberbullying, etc).
I think the arrival of smartphones have radically changed not just teenagers, but also children and adults. Seeing my parents know how to use technology, from seeing the security cameras on their phone to learning how to call an Uber, I am seeing how my parents’ lives have drastically changed as well with technology. The digital immigrants have adapted; but compared to teenagers, they are two different groups. Teenagers are digital natives, they grew up with technology. Immigrants had to learn how to handle technology, just as I think I had to adapt when iPhones came out.
Technology will always be ever changing and expanding. It will continue to challenge society, calling for people to accept the new changes or ignore them and be left behind. The smartphone is no exception, constantly changing and becoming more powerful. However what are some of the possible negatives of having such a powerful device constantly at your fingertips? In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation” by Jean Twenge. Twenge likes to point out a multitude of negatives that smartphones have caused for the younger generation. One of the negatives that Twenge gives is that “Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on non screen activities are more likely to be happy.” I think that this is more or less what the article pulls on, it uses evidence that since smartphones have come about teens are less likely to; go on dates, engage in sexual activities at a younger age, not hangout with friends in person, develop more mental health issues, and get less sleep. All of these are detrimental to health and they should be taken seriously. The IGen generation is going to need to learn to set limits and to address the negatives that come from an overuse of electronics on a daily basis.
However I think that we still must press ahead with technological developments. The smartphone has allowed for many people to stay in contact with loved ones far away. It allows for people to share special moments to “followers” which they are given the options and abilities to control. It also allows for an easy bridge between languages and cultures. Some smartphone apps are able to translate languages in real time. However limitations I believe should be delegated by the parents to an extent. In my opinion I believe that parents should be able to limit certain features of a smartphone, it should although be based on the age of the child and what developmental stage they are at. It would also be necessary to protect the vulnerable minds of children. I think restricting the usage would help address some of the concerns of the reading, but I don’t think it will be very significant. I think in the current generation if smartphones were to disappear it would not solve all of these issues. Technology is apart of our life and advancements are impossible to fight, it is best to accept new changes and learn how to adapt.
Technology is always changing, and I agree that we must go ahead with technological developments. I really enjoy watching all these generational gaps and trends that make up the ideas and practices of different age group. I actually think that the added features of a smartphone every year is a tactic to keep the audience’s attention fixed on their products. Why can’t iPhone come out with different features, but instead, add a little bit here and there every year? I’ve noticed this but yet, I am excited every time there are new phones out.
No doubt, I think smartphones must be pressed ahead because we have no choice but to continue developing it. People are used to living with smartphones and it’s not possible to live without this essential technology. Could you imagine driving without GPS? Nobody can deny how much convenience and benefits it brings to our life. However, according to Twenge’s “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, she summarizes the correlational data linking teen mental health with smartphones and absolutely stands on the side of “yes”. In face of all these evidence, I can’t repudiate what she claims and so what I’m talking about is the slim odds to achieve the hypothesis that this technology can be constrained. It’s not even possible to stay where we are, let alone go backwards. People always have incentives to advance this technology due to greater demand of more convenient and entertaining life. If there are some limitations which are established by the government, they won’t work because people will do it under the table.
In order to reduce the harms to the youth that smartphones cause, there should have some kind of restrictions enforced on them by their parents. Of course, a pair of parents is a much more efficient monitoring unit than the government because they just need to take charge of one or several kids, but the government need to supervise the whole country. Before becoming mentally mature, kids are hard to prevent themselves from spending too much attention on smartphones and not able to distinguish right from wrong. As a result, they maybe led astray by it and not grow up under favorable circumstances. Actually, we already have some solutions. Some smartphones and apps can set the time they can be used at present. That’s one way parents can restrict smartphones of their kids. And about when the limitations can be lifted, there is no hard and fast rule. Parents must judge for themselves that when their kids have self-control and can make a sound judgment.
Humans have this curiosity that cannot be stopped. I think we’ve observed that with the rise of the atomic bomb. Once the atomic bomb was created, there is no stopping it. It’s possible to live without this technology, but we’ve seen past politicians and diplomacy advocating to end the rise of atomic technology. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, just as it’s not going to happen that technology suddenly stops developing. There will always be very powerful and wealthy people behind to push for technological advancements.
My daily schedule involves using my cell phone and laptop for more than 6 hours a day. In society today, I feel as if technology such as smartphones have taken our lives. Smartphones have been so widespread that even kids from 6th grade to 8 grades even have smartphones. We depend on it for everything to do. We used our devices seeing the best place to eat, reading the news, and most especially, for most teenagers, we use it for social media platforms. Social media platforms such as Snapchat and Facebook are very addictive that we become glued to our phones. This has become a problem where most teenagers stay home and lay on their bed. Our generation has developed a new way of being lazy. Technology is still changing and advancing and although it is a good thing, we should limit ourselves on depending on our devices. In reading, “Have Smartphone Destroyed A Generation,” Jean Twenge talks about our mental issue health that goes along using our smartphones. She was concern about the attention span of this generation today. She conducted over tons of research on the happiness and amount of time spent on a cell phone. She says you more like to be depressed when you used your phone more. I agree with Jean Twenge because I personally get more depressed when I am looking at Snapchat seeing my friends going out and I just in bed looking at my phone. There has to be a limitation where we used our technology. It may be helpful in obtaining certain resources, but being dependent would cause you to lose a sense of reality. It makes a big difference when one is spending time with their parents. Twenge research says that parents would try to have a nice conversation with their kids, but they would be stuck on their phone and their response would be “okay, okay, whatever.” We are so glued to phones that our generation can not hold a general conversation with someone right in front of them. It a bit of cliche, but “with great power comes great responsibility” goes along with this situation. It important that we try to limit the amount of time we spend on our phones and go out and explore. Twenge has done research where our percentage of job, dates, and happiness dropped for this new generation using smartphones compared to the Boomers, Her research said that the percentage of jobs high school seniors worked dropped from 77 to 55 percent and the amount of student that goes on a date dropped from 85 to 56 percent. Why watch your friends posting their fun lives on social media when you can go out there have fun yourself? It is better to see a beautiful landscape in person than a picture online. It is important to put your phone away so you can go outside and explore what is out there. Being in bed all day with your phone should not be the way to spend your day when you can be productive. In conclusion, we should a good balance between using our phones and being outside in the real world.
Ever since the new feature that shows how much time I spent on my phone, it hit me that I use my phone more than 6 hours a day a well. It came as a shock because I didn’t think I’d be using my phone that much. But as you have stated, we use our phones for everything, and we depend on it so much. I am absolutely dependent on my phone and cannot live a day without it. It’s also my tool of making money so I start feeling anxious when I don’t have my phone around me. It’s a wake up call for me to learn how to balance – but no one really teaches you how to “balance” the use of technology. Everyone seems to all be in the same muddy water.
I agree with much of Twenge’s argument in Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? Yes, iGen is considerably worse off for having such access to smartphones. I actually think he doesn’t go far enough with certain points. He mentions that a teen doesn’t need to leave home to have a social life. “They don’t need to leave home to spend time with their friends”. I would wager that it is encouraged to stay at home. Anyone who enjoys video-games, an ever-growing chunk of the youngest generations, will know that for most games you can’t play with your friends unless you are alone at home. While a child can socialize via the many audio and video applications with his/her friends it will always be inferior to an in person connection. This online connection is plagued by a bombardment of stimulus. There may be the social expectation that children will put down their distractions during conversations, but a set of devices that facilitate distraction is not good to saddle a child with when children naturally have little ability to control themselves.
As a man with ADHD, I know that the number of ADHD diagnoses has spiked dramatically since my generation. Forget about the depression symptoms in teens, I fear the correlation of ADHD and smartphones/digital devices. The fact that a child carries around a $600-1100 distraction machine is a disgrace. It may well be used as a tool of socializing with others at a distance, but it cost the focus on the people in the immediate surroundings. Socially, we all understand taking out your smartphone during a conversation is a signal of disinterest. Since smartphones are both a continuous tool of distractions and a signal of disinterest, they are non-conducive to a child’s development. Thus, when Twenge describes the girl who threw her friend’s phone I interpreted it as a learning moment. Despite the implication of destroying what was likely a young girl’s most valuable possession, I believe that the interaction taught both girls a valuable lesson about the social and cognitive implications of the devices they carry.
A few years back it was uncommon to own a smartphone; Nowadays, three out of four teens in America own an iPhone (Twenge). Teens now spend a larger portion of their time on their phones than they used to before. In Jean M. Twenge’s article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” she emphasizes on the problems developed through the creation and use of smartphones by teens. Problems such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, feeling left out, and lack of sleep have increased in teenagers due to their constant use of smartphones. I do believe that growing up constantly on a phone is bad and does affect teenagers’ development and social skills. However, the same thing can be said about anyone of any age. Too much of anything is always bad and problems will arise from it. The issue we see with the iGen teens is that they are on their phones 24/7. Their iPhone has become the last thing they see when they go to sleep and the first thing they see in the morning (Twenge). Also, their main use of their iPhone is to be on social media. During this age group, every teenager is searching for their identity of who they are or who they want to be and social media often gives a false representation of life. For example, if a teenage girl who always has access to Instagram constantly keeps looking at the lifestyle and appearance of a model and thinks that she may not be as pretty or as skinny as her then there is a high chance she may develop depression. There should be restrictions of limiting “screen time” and by this I mean the use of social apps and media. I do not believe that smartphones as a whole are bad because there is a difference in always using your smartphone to be on social media and constantly using it to look up the news, check the weather, or use the calculator. Currently, many people depend on smartphones on a daily basis to set alarms in the morning to wake up, set meeting/activity reminders, order food through apps, look at the weather, get directions to where they want to go and many other things. It has as well become their main source of communication. However, this is not a bad thing. Smartphones have made our lives better and easier. Because of smartphones, we can communicate with people across the world, we are aware of things, good or bad, going on everywhere, we can take a photo of anything whenever and wherever and we have an easier way of tracking things so we don’t have to memorize so much. Technology is only going to keep advancing in the coming years and we should push for it. At the same time each and every person should learn to understand their limit of time spent on certain apps on their phones, but they should also be allowed to use their smartphones freely.
A smartphone is now an essential tool for people to make contact with the outside world due to portability and versatility. We need to use a smartphone to call or text the people who are not around us, check the email for school or business purposes, watch videos and listen to the music to relax. We need to admit that it is hard for us to get rid of the smartphone in the modern era.
However, it is nonnegligible to see the harm it brings to us. In Jean Twenge’s article Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation, we can see statistical proofs of how depression has correlated with the screen time for teenagers nowadays and how smartphone causes teenagers to sleep fewer hours. Nevertheless, we need to use the smartphone and it has already become part of our lives. It is not realistic to ban the phone and not use it purposely in our life. So how do we suppose to do to reduce those adverse effects of smartphone？
As far as I concerned, many Chinese applications are now having functions like “teenage mode” to control the behaviors of users. For example, one of the most popular video apps “bilibili” has the teenage mode that limits the users to use this app between 10 pm to 6 am. Also, there is an app about “focusing on studying” that can let you and your friends supervise each other from using the smartphone. You open it when you want to study. Once you leave the app and opens another app, your friends will be notified. There are many methods that prevent people from using their phones in the time that they should not, but the problem is: will people use those functions?
So it comes to my point of view that: one of the most fundamental parts of preventing the harm from the smartphone is for people to realize the harms that it might cause, to educate them on what and how smartphones destroying our daily lives. Although knowing the harms, people would still use it as they used to, it improves the chance for people to take action on overcoming those harms consciously. I believe when people realize how smartphones ruin their lives, they will spontaneously look for ways to correct it; then those functions on apps are truely useful.
In current society, our world has become heavily reliant on media and technology. Part of that system is the use of smartphones. Smartphones essentially govern our way of life from something as simple as checking the time on the lock screen to using social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. When Twenge discusses teens living their life around the smartphone, she’s not wrong. At the dinner table, instead of actively socializing, the current generation uses their phones in one way or another whether that is watching Youtube or responding to a friend’s message. Although advancements in technology have made routine life much easier for the average individual, it is important to realize that limitation should be established by the government in terms of smartphone tech development. Twenge also acknowledges the negative psychological impact that smartphones have on young teenagers. For example, on Instagram, there is a culture of only portraying a perfect life with edited pictures, facetune, and photoshopped posts — all of which distorts the hard reality of life. Teens can oftentimes compare themselves to which reflects on their own image and perception of themselves which leads to thoughts of inadequacy and symptoms of depression. Teenagers spend most of their time on their phones to achieve a feeling of comfort and independence, which leads to a lack of social and human interaction skill sets. Something that I’ve noticed on campus is the notion of students looking at their phone while walking to and from class. Our society has gotten to the point where we look down at our phones to avoid interaction with other people. Maybe it’s human nature to behave that way, but as a society, we need to take measures to stop allowing smartphones to take over every moment of our daily lives.
With the now widespread and dominant appearance of smartphones in the youth of America, concerns are starting to be raised. Almost every teenager owns a smartphone and would agree that they have become dependent on their mobile devices. But is it really such a bad thing? The smartphone is now facing heavy accusations of creating a “destroyed generation” by psychologists like Jean Twinge. In Twinge’s article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation” she claims that “the twin rise of the smartphone and social media has caused an earthquake of a magnitude we’ve not seen in a very long time, if ever” (Twinge). At first glance, the title of the article seems very alarming but after reading the article It’s very easy to uncover the biases in her writing. Every claim that Twinge chooses to highlight in her article all negatively showcase the smartphone and the detrimental effect it carries over today’s adolescents. After sharing statistics about generation Zers and how they’re less likely to date in high school, Twinge states that “The decline in dating tracks with a decline in sexual activity… The teen birth rate hit an all-time low in 2016, down 67 percent since its modern peak, in 1991” (Twinge). Arguing against Jean Twinge’s article, Sarah Rose Cavanagh brings up the important question “This is what a destroyed generation looks like?” (Cavanagh) Millennials carried many distinctive characteristics in their youths that their predecessors would have been frightened by as well. Every generation blossoms into adulthood in their own unique way and in their own timing. No type of government control can stop a generation from experiencing life in a different way than they’re supposed to. The time period that a generation grows up in will always be unique and will always define that group of people.
Jean Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation”, highlights the many ways that smartphones can negatively impact younger generations, in terms of responsibilities, happiness, depression, freedom, sleep, etc. She argues how these devices can be detrimental to people’s well-being and mental health. Less people are more likely to find happiness while looking at their screens, increasing their chances of depression and risk of suicide. Those engrossed in this technology also lose much on sleep and choose to stay at home on their phones instead of going out into the real world and facing real people. I think that although there are some points that I could agree with Twenge about, I still think that we should move forward with this technology. Smartphones can be very useful to our daily lives. It has a way of connecting people from miles away in a single click, whether through phone calls, text messages, snapchat, etc. It also provides an easy way to look things up by using the Internet, as well as watching videos and listening to music, things that were only accessible in the past by watching television or listening to the radio. However, with the many benefits that the smartphone can provide for us, I still think that there should be limitations placed on them, not by the government, but by the parents of these teens. They should be able to educate them so that they are more informed about this issue and apply it to their futures. By limiting their time on their phones, teens should be able to spend more time in the real world, hanging out with their friends/family, in jobs, sports, or other activities, which can hopefully increase their happiness and decrease any depression or suicidal thoughts they would have if they continued to stay on their phones.
As a college student in 2019, it is safe to say that smartphones are an impactful factor of our lives in which they are responsible for shaping our generation as well as the one after. Similar to every piece of technology that had been invented, smartphones are powerful computers that come with pros and cons. Although smartphones have raised multiple concerns about mental health as well as behavioral problems among teens, we should not place limitations on this technology but instead, provide proper resources and awareness for its audience.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article “Have smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” I realized I was considered an iGen since I was born in 1997. I remember when I was in 5th grade my friends started to get cell phones and that was the first time where I went to my family asking for a phone. Phones then weren’t all smart this was in 2009, and my generation was starting to get phones at a younger age even myself when I was in the sixth grade. In most recent years I have noticed the negative effects that phones are having on teenagers through concerns and the unknown damage it may or may not cause. Twenge argues why phones have decreased and increased many activities teenagers participate in, for example, “smoking had lost some of its romance.” Twenge’s memories of his childhood had teenagers doing activities with friends that were outside of a household and that those days had changed due to smart phones changing the way teenagers interact. I do not agree with the stigma that smartphones should be regulated in some way or another to keep adolescences safe, many of these activities mentioned by Twenge are just a change in culture, and consist of advancements that are inevitable. Today, we say kids use to play outside and now they stay inside using gadgets, but once more decades have past there will be a new saying that the old generation will use to explain how their early childhood was. The generation that comes before will always be a bystandard to technological advancements and the evolution of communicating with one another. Regulating a smart phone isn’t the answer in this day and age as we see technology going places our mind can’t comprehend, but the new generation will have a better grasp for having it in their every day life that we couldn’t see ourselves doing.
As the development of the technology, it is evitable for people, not only for the latest generations but most of people regardless the age that using smartphones more frequently. In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, written by Jean Twenge, the author says that “fewer kids are spending time simply hanging out”, which I totally agree. However, the author ignores that hanging out is not the only so-called good lifestyle. When we were young, in fact, we used to hang out, but it is because that we could hardly entertain ourselves at home. There are no computers, smartphones, but only some animations we could watch on TV. Today, I have smartphones, and I can watch movies, play games, and read books through my phone, which has already pleased me a lot. Why do I have to hang out with my friends? We can talk to each other, and see each other online. That is a new lifestyle which is upgraded by time. It appears to all generations. If it really can destroy something, it should influence for all generations, although it can’t. In fact, smartphones did not destroy the new generation, but, by contrast, benefit the new generation a lot in most fields. For example, using smartphones, I can easily reach to the analysis answers of my homework everywhere. without taking the heavy books. When I drive to some places I have never been, I do not need to check out the directory before. All I need to do is typing the destination in my phone. Smartphones really change our lives. I have to admit that some teenagers using their phones inappropriate, but it cannot blame to the technology. A technology is always neutral. Whether it is good depends on how we use it. Thus, we need to constrain ourselves from always using smartphones. Sometimes, the regulation from parents or teachers is necessary.
There definitely is a problem with kids on smartphones. Everyone know this, everyone sees this, but no one does anything about it. There’s a simple reason for this: technology has integrated too deeply in an average person’s daily life. There’s no limitation that can be installed that will successfully decrease the detrimental effects and not hinder our ability to use our technology to the fullest potential. Any sort of governmental limitation on technology would cause an uproar in protest. People want the autonomy to decide how much technology they choose to have in their life, and having to abide by the law would make people feel like they don’t have the freedom to decide for themselves. Forcing a lifestyle change through an action by the government would make young people feel more restricted than they already do. In my opinion, I don’t think limitations on technology use should be installed, but there should be proper educational programs in grade schools.
Hi Rheem,
I enjoyed reading your comment as it was straight to the point of there seeming to be no point of hope. I agree that we have come too far for regulations to be made on children and smartphones, but I think there can be things done in small acts that can help them restrict them need for it all the time. I think with other boundaries by parents, children can stray away from smartphones a little.
It is a generation whose standards, values, habits, and personal behavior differ significantly from previous generations. The smartphone is a technology which has profound personal, social, and cultural effects. Evaluated by the standards and values of previous generations, these effects have been seen as both positive, such as less teenage drinking and premarital sex-illegitimate births, and negative, more depression and higher suicide rates. (Some contradiction to these findings related to happiness may be found in Twenge et al.) Judged by the standards and values of previous generations, many people believe that, overall, the effects of regular and prolonged smartphone use are adversely affecting the lives of children and teenagers, and that smartphone use should, therefore, be limited in some way, especially for children and teenagers. The question, then, is, “Must we press ahead? Or should limitations be established.”
In dealing with large scale social trends, history has taught us that they have a life of their own and that efforts to consciously limit them are usually futile. For example, in the 1920s, no amount of objections by older generations stopped girls from cutting their hair short, wearing their skirts short, dancing, smoking, and other “outrageous” behavior. By the same token, in the 1960s, no amount of objections by older generations stopped young people from being attracted to the Hippie lifestyle, smoking marijuana, loving rock music, and hating the Vietnam War.
Thus, the lessons of history indicate that no efforts by older generations or government can ultimately stop the social trending Smartphone use behavior. While actions by parents to limit the time their children spend on their smartphones may be effective for a while, but in the end, as the children get older, their preferred behavior will win out.
Thus, despite the fact that many of the results of smartphone behavior and their personal and social effects are seen as negative by many people from previous generations, there is probably little that can be done about it—except for parents controlling and limiting the use of smartphones by their children, but that authority only lasts for so long, so, in effect, its results will probably be minimal. Thus, smartphone use and the effects and results of it, both positive and negative, can be seen as a powerful social trend out of the direct control by society and government.
In discussing the ways in which technology impacts our lives, there are many factors that determine whether it is truly beneficial to the human race. Technology, and specifically the cell phone, possesses both positive and negative aspects in regards to its impact on the younger generations. This impact is discussed in Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” The studies from this article demonstrate that because teenagers have started to obtain cell phones earlier in their lifetime compared to previous generations, their face-to-face social interactions have decreased immensely while their time spent in isolation, such as by themselves in their room, simultaneously increased. This effect has led to a decrease in teens partying and being introduced to the dangers of drugs and alcohol. In addition, teens are currently less likely to have sex, resulting in a reduction in teen pregnancy. Although these are positive effects, they are also accompanied by issues with mental health. For example, teens who are actively engaged on social media sites are more likely to face depression due to the pressure from peers to increase their number of “likes.” This pressure demonstrates that their happiness stems from their perceived popularity on social media. Furthermore, as mentioned in the article, studies show a correlation between the increase in social media usage and a decrease in the overall happiness of teenagers. One explanation for this correlation is the increase in cyber bullying that accompanies the increase in social media usage. The example of teens and their cell phone usage denoted in the article demonstrates the significant and lasting effect of cell phones on society as a whole, as well as the need to balance the pros and cons of cell phone usage. Cell phones enhance everyday life, however, they also produce negative effects on younger generations. Because of these negative effects, society has an obligation to generate a compromise that allows for both the positive effects of cell phone usage while also minimizing its negative consequences.
As much as technology has exponentially grown, I believe that smartphones are a beneficial factor in our society. The only reason why there are drawbacks as of now is because we’re still on a learning curve with how to handle information that is now widely available.
Any new technological devices that are brought into the market will face backlash, but we’ve found how they have helped in changing public opinion for the good. For example, with the generation growing up with televisions in their houses, their parents have complained about how kids don’t play outside and just stay in the house having their brains rot from tv. This was also before stricter censorship on what was broadcasted on television was enforced. During the Vietnam War, news networks were sending camera crews to combat areas to capture the war. When people saw what was really happening and how American soldiers were dying, it moved everyone to ending the war and bringing them home. Two modifications came from these events which were having people rethink of what to show to the public and allowing people to see realities of the world and second guess if wars are necessary.
Moreover, pertaining to how smartphones are affecting the mental health of millennials and gen z, I think it’s more of a reflection of being disillusioned to the current state of the world. For those that have access to a smartphone or even computer, they are easily connected to the latest news, updates, and current events. And with the reality of how bad news is more viewed than good news, bad news will be more prevalent. The aspect of social media where people only upload their life “highlights” also forces others to believe that they should be living a glamorous, happy life as well. However, in reality, it is a choice to only post or showcase the good moments in life because we value captivating content and look for ways to emulate it. One way of how smartphones have benefited us goes back to connection. We have the ability to talk to others that can understand and empathize with us, and they do not have to be in the same room. They could be cities or even continents away. Networks are broadened, and the ability to link with someone who can relate to you is made easier.
At this point of time, filtering or censoring information is not possible. But how we react it is what we need to figure out. Whether it’s having a tech cleanse or finding balance between the online world and real world, smartphones are inevitable.
When we talk about the topic, whether using smart phone is good or bad for our lives, people always have different opinions. Personally, I think smart phone is the advanced of the technology and it makes our life much more easier. By using smart phone, people now can contact their friends anywhere anytime instead of waiting for weeks by writing letters.In the reading “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, Jean Twenge believes that using cell phone has greatly changed the lifestyle of young generation. She writes “the arrival of the smartphone has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health.” In the passages, she analyzed the good and bad side of using cell phone by the young generation. I agree with the good parts, but not very agree with some bad side. I think cell phone is not that seriously bad for young generation. It is just one of the new lifestyle. Jean Twenge shows the bad side about using smart phone by stating “Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011. It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones.” I do not think the reason of increasing rates of teen depression and suicide are mainly because of their smart phone, because there are many other pressure which may hurt our teenagers such as schoolwork. Moreover, by using smart phone, teenagers can chat with friends, watching some interested videos, thus smart phone can also help teen to avoid depression or suicide.
The smart phone is just like any other old technologies such as radio, television, computer. It will be replace by some better and more convenient technology but it should not replace by some government laws. Right now, the benefits of smart phone bring to our lives are much more than the bad influence.
With the rise of smartphones, today’s adolescents are increasingly attached to their new devices. Handheld smartphones and tablets, and the applications they allow access to, are constant companions to children and teenagers in a way that no previous technology could compare to. Because of this, smartphone users are commonly found changing habits to account for constant screen time. Such a trend is documented in Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Are Smartphones Destroying a Generation?”. In this article, Twenge describes a generation of people who, having always lived in a world dominated by the internet, would rather stay in their rooms and browse their phones than meet with friends outside. Twenge raises concern over the link between teenagers’ constant smartphone use and risk of poor mental health, and advises people to limit themselves when using their phones, a standpoint which may lead to beneficial changes going forward.
In her article, Twenge describes an increasing prevalence in mental illness in today’s adolescents, in part due to constant smartphone use. The world established by smartphones and tablets asks for input from the average consumer in a way that has never been seen before through previous technologies; apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can incite people to use their devices for longer than they otherwise would while also causing mental distress. Such social media platforms are infamous for constantly making people feel self conscious. For example, Facebook and Instagram can seem like a constant feed of pictures designed to make people look like they are living their best lives. These platforms can cause viewers to make frequent comparisons between themselves and what they see on their screens, leading to feelings of sadness or envy. Browsing the internet for long periods of time can also just be boring after a while, but because of the seemingly endless supply of content, it can be difficult to stop. I am someone who has suffered from clinical depression that, in retrospect, has been fed by my frequent use of social media such as Instagram and Reddit. Some days I would ask myself, “Why would I leave my bedroom when I had a world’s worth of entertainment and information at my fingertips?”. In practice, however, no matter how many subreddits I browsed, no matter how many photos I scrolled through, being logged onto the internet for long sessions would often leave me with a hollow feeling.
With these ideas in mind, I believe that smartphones will have benefits as long as they are enjoyed in moderation. For example, I briefly mentioned access to information as a benefit, but there is almost no benefit in spending a lot of time accumulating knowledge without applying or sharing it in the world outside of the smartphone. It is up to parents to regulate their children’s use of smartphones. We may not be able to stop the impending advancements of technology, and pushing forward may make improvements to quality of life, but that does not mean we have to succumb to smartphone addiction.
Though technology has become an alarmingly significant role in the lives we have today, I do believe that technology is neither good nor bad. Like anything, too much of something will eventually become bad due to diminishing marginal return. I do believe the standard of technology today has been beneficial. It has made life in a sense “easier” or made certain things more convenient. Not only is there the social media factor but it allows easier ways to get in touch with someone, make an alarm, or track your steps. However, technology has certainly robbed our generation in the social aspect. Children are now growing up with technology and its changing the childhood that these people experience. The way we treat other people is being changed constantly due to this technology thats surrounding us at all times. Despite this, I believe it is too difficult to blatantly state if technology is bad or good, there are certain levels to it.
Personally I agree with Jean M. Twenge in that today’s generation is the most reliant on smartphone and internet technology and that it greatly affects the lives of today’s youth. As someone who was born during the tail end of the 90’s, I grew up witnessing the drastic change in technology from products like flip-phones to smartphones and tablets. Though we claim that our lives are greatly improved with the development of new technology, the mental health rate of the newer generations have been declining. This could stem from a number of factors, for example the development of body issues in adolescents and young adults caused by social media, and its effects on how society expects young people to look and act.
On the contrary however, the internet and social media are very useful in keeping in touch with friends and family. In addition, the internet is a very useful tool for the ill and disabled who often rely on it. Social media could also offer a safe space for those who are experiencing social difficulties living among their home communities by finding refuge online with others who relate. Since the beginning of the internet, there have always been dangers aimed at children and teens, but I believe that it should be mandatory to teach the new generations about updated internet safety.
I personally really agree with what you are saying. Phones had made it easier for me to work with my boss who is stationed in Phoenix. Phones had made it easier to talk to relatives oversees. I think, as you said above, the danger is the content, not the phones. How would you recommend teaching more class? like mandatory educational classes as a young child or perpetually throughout the whole academic life of a student?
I would support the further use of smartphones in the future because it should help our society improve, and develop a higher quality of life for everyone.
It’s understandable that at the moment technology looks to be in the middle of its rise in taking over the lives of our youth today, and that may be true. However, I believe that this is just a transition period from those in our society who have used very little technology in the past generations to watching those young individuals who have now had a smartphone since the day they were born. This dilemma could have also came up when the radio first emerged, or the TV. Did we need regulation for those? These pieces of technology not only act as tools of entertainment, but also tools of learning. Nowadays we have tools, such as Youtube, Google, Skype, and various other programs that help facilitate the transfer of information from one place on the planet to another. These tools are only in the palm of our hands because it can be accessed through our smartphones. Another possible tool for the future would be being able to connect a wireless ultrasound to your phone to be able to more efficiently find injuries or illnesses which would help improve our healthcare system significantly.
Opponents to this view may look at the statistics on how teens have shown increases in loneliness, less sleep, and less direct social interactions. I can acknowledge that there is an issue with social media playing a significant part in the lives of our next generation. This can be further illustrated in “Have Smart Phones Destroyed a Generation?”, by Jean Twinge, where Twinge describes how her children interact with technology, “I’ve observed my toddler, barely old enough to walk, confidently swiping her way through an iPad. I’ve experienced my 6-year-old asking for her own cell phone. I’ve overheard my 9-year-old discussing the latest app to sweep the fourth grade.” Just imagining a child being able to use technology more than being able to use their own brain or body is beyond concerning which is why we should not turn a blind eye to a growing issue at hand. However, I don’t think applying a government policy is possible because of how significant technology is, and is going to be in the future. The most we can do for our youth is to provide high quality mental health campaigns, and educate them on the harms of overuse of technology. Through those tools, we will be able to influence future generations, and their parents, to do their best to be more attentive of their smartphone use, but to influence them to use it as a tool to learn over a tool to entertain.
Although I agree with you on the need to educate kids on the use of safe smartphone usage I do disagree with you on the fact that the emergence of smartphones are equal to the radio and the tv. What differs between the start of the tv and smartphone is the ease and level of interaction both have. Smartphones allow kids to interact with others and see a much wider scale of forms of entertainment such as watching videos, surfing the webs, texting others, social media, and etc. All of these things are possible at the tips of their fingertips which makes it so they can use smartphones anywhere and everywhere. The emergence of the smartphones have a larger effect on kids than the TV and the radio. In order to solve this issue I do believe that education is needed to educate safe usage of smartphones.
Jean Twenge made a few distinctions focusing on the psychological aspects between the previous generation without smartphones and the current generation, giving rise to the question of if smartphones should be constrained? I think smartphones are useful, giving reminders, keeping track of our fitness, letting us connect with family, taking pictures, and helping us navigate as maps. With smartphones embedded in our daily lives, we also are aware of what we miss out on either likes, vacations, luxuries, events, and more, causing the phone generation to be disappointed, which has been addressed Twenge on how “Forty-eight percent more girls said they often felt left out in 2015 than in 2010, compared with 27 percent more boys.” Also, this can be seen in my generation as we’ve coined the term “fomo” which stands for “fear of missing out”. As a solution, instead of limiting this technology, I believe that there should be lessons taught in school in order to mentally cope with this better instead of experiencing “fomo” and spiraling into negative thoughts. I think that technology is a great tool if used right and that a large amount of these problems stems from mental health, as said in Jean Twenge’s article “Psychologically, however, they are more vulnerable than Millennials were: Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011.” If we can safely allow future generations to enjoy whatever new technology that may be thrown at us while coping with it mentally. Instead of letting technology control how we feel, we should know how to use technology safely.Instead of restricting us, I feel that people should know what can do them harm and choose to now when to either put down the smartphone or not be weighed down by their own thoughts. Although more research may be needed to understand how to teach people, millennials and all generations, to cope with how they feel and know what they’re facing when using smartphones. Smartphones are a wonder and give so many benefits, connecting people and having quick and fast communication, that I hope that future generations will be able to utilize them properly and enjoy without the cons concerning mental health.