Does Technology Make Us More Alone?
A common belief is that recent advances in technology resulting in overuse of social media and video games have isolated this generation — but I believe it has had the opposite effect.
In a three-year U.S. study by the MacArthur Foundation ending in 2008, when the Internet was still on the rise, hundreds of teenage internet users were observed. The study was created to determine how these teenagers used the internet to socialize and learn, and whether or not it was harmful to them. The results apply just as much today as they did over a decade ago — the key to healthy use of the internet is moderation. According to the study, teenagers were given the opportunity to explore their creative interests, communicate with friends, and ‘look up’ information on important topics. Thanks to the internet, we are more connected to the rest of the world than ever — today you are able to learn new languages, engage with friends in other countries, and even practise real-life skills through simulations.
With an over-reliance on this connection, however, there can be negative impacts on a person no matter their age. According to Clinical Director Dr. Joanne Fishman in 2010, dependence on internet use by adolescents is often linked to poor mental health. Fast-forwarding to 2020, the average person spends at least 144 minutes per day on social media, a 62.5% increase from 2012. More than half the population has an account on Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook, and according to a 2020 study by King’s College in London, roughly 10–30% of children use their smartphones so often that when separated from them, they feel immense unease. The effect social media and video games have on today’s youth is not to be taken lightly, however, blaming these effects on the technology itself is irresponsible. Public opinion on technology has shifted drastically in the last 10 years, and I think it’s time we stop pretending that the younger generations’ addiction to it doesn’t depend on what their parents, or other mature figures in their lives, have taught them. Social media is not inherently evil, but children should not make social media their primary source of affirmation, nor is gaming a negative way to entertain yourself, yet adults should not make it their primary past time.
Technology such as social media or video games has connected and informed us more than previous generations could begin to imagine, and although they can have negative impacts on our lives, with careful moderation they can be used to improve our lives instead.
