Ryan Rogers Case

The effects of technology have affected our current generation of adolescents in a negative way. The current generation of adolescents has become technologically dependent. This means they do not know how to create this technology but they are dependent on it to function as a society. There are less and less social interactions between teenagers today and due to this the current generation of adolescents has inherited serious problems. People have become dependent on the use of social media and technology such as the use of phones and computers. I believe that there can be a positive balance of the use of technology and social media. To understand this balance you must first comprehend both the positives and negatives of technology.

The American Academy of Pediatricians conducted a research about the negative effects of the current generation's use of technology and social media. The clinical information that they discovered was unprecedented. They found a series of mental health problems that affect all of our lives today as a result of our dependency on technology. In research Pediatricians found that using a laptop, cell phone, or any form of technology can prevent sleep and affect sleeping patterns, potentially giving you a sleep disorder. Also the use of cell phones and laptops late at night has been link to stress and depressive symptoms in patients. In the AAP's study they found that patients that felt the need to have access to a cell phone or laptop reported depressive mental health symptoms as well. This also correlates to several of the AAP's studies of an actual addiction to technology, to have it around, and to constantly be checking social media and keeping up with updates and technology. The amount of times that patients checked their phone, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, triggered the addiction oriented parts of the brain. In relation to addiction, stress is a component of technological dependency. For example after coming home from school or work and immediately getting on your phone and social media profiles doesn't allow the brain and body to unwind from the day's work; this is a direct cause to a underlying feeling of stress. This is a major reason why our current generation of teenagers has had such a problem with stress more so then any other generation before. In relation to feelings of stress, a new anxiety has been discovered in recent studies of technological dependency, the fear of missing out has become a legitimate anxiety! Viewing social media pictures, stories, and videos of others sharing their own personal experiences and adventures has created new anxiety that makes other feel left out. This has created a societal pressure for the current generation of adolescents to attend and share every experience on social media. Related to the anxiety of missing out, the feeling of being isolated is a part of the excessive use of technology. Eventually with enough use of social media and technology a person becomes opposed to real relationships and connections and becomes isolated