TechLife

3/31/2012

Table of Contents

2Teenagers: A Day Without Technology

Cyber bullying3Isolation4Children: Future Uncertain6Violence7Obesity10

Teenagers: A Day Without Technology

How technology has affected this age group most of allT

he underlying truth of technology is that the negatives outweigh the positives. Sure, you can just Google the answer to many of your lingering questions; whether they may be academic or anything else, but the fact of the matter is you learn nothing in the end. Getting the answer and understanding why and how you got it are at two different ends of the spectrum. This fact is widely known, but despite all this, teenagers will rather take the easy way out in order to get that easy A. In their minds, there are more important troubles in their lives to deal with: social networking, television, computers/internet, video games, and the infamous cellphones. This mindset not only hinders thinking for ones self, it basically makes the teenager develop the idea that technology will always be there and have the answers, when in fact, it does not. Besides never experiencing a day when technology did not exist around them, their attitudes towards that type of world are incoherent and misinformed. While these thoughts are running through their minds, many of these teenagers parents struggle to catch up to the status quo of technology-know-how in this new and ever-changing society. How does this ignorance develop among these young adults? It all undoubtedly stems from the aforementioned fact that many of them have never lived a day when technology was not around them.

This mindset not only hinders thinking for ones self, it basically makes the teenager develop the idea that technology will always be there and have the answers, when in fact, it does not.

Despite great argument to this statement, technology affects teenagers the most; it certainly increases proficiency, but it also leaves many of them to become vulnerable to develop a sedentary lifestyle, which will only lead to judgment through many forms of todays media. Cyber bullyingCyberbullying has been on the rise and has gained international awareness ever since Megan Meiers death occurred in 2006. The tragic event was caused when Megan received many hateful remarks through a social network, MySpace, from a teenage boy, who later turned out to not exist, but was their next-door neighbor who was tormenting the impressionable girl to the point that she hanged herself on October 17, 2006. Cyberbullying has increased in its awareness and its practice and as a result, Anti-Cyberbullying laws have been enacted in order to prevent and prosecute many certain individuals who believe that this type of harrasment will go unnoticed. Cyberbullying undoubetdly inflicts mental anguish on the victim and can cause the most harm to a teenager as insecurity within them rises and rises until they cannot deal with it any longer.Isolation

This current generation is starting to become solitary since they have become fully infatuated with the idea of technology: online shopping, the use of social networks, online gaming, computers, cellphones, and television. With so many things to do, an addiction develops among these teens and they, without realizing it, spend most of their day using various combinations of these distracting technologies. These types of technologies might actually be used for purposes other than entertainment ones, but only a very small percentage.

With so many things to do, an addiction develops among these teens and they, without realizing it, spend most of their day using various combinations of these distracting technologies.

This increases awareness that our present generation will become a solitary one that shuts itself off from all other aspects of society and will undoubtedly increase efficiency, but at the cost of hindering everything else. Education is the aspect in a teenagers life that is the first to be effected by the obsession and fixation on technology. Grades drop, attention and interest drops, and complete understading of the subject at hand is virtually nonexistent. This is why these distracting technologies will make teenagers take technology for granted since they will not think without turning to technology for a helping hand. Americans have become more socially isolated, the size of their discussion networks has declined and the diversity of those people with whom they discuss important matters has decreased. Americans have fewer close ties to those from their neighborhoods and from voluntary associations and the rise of cellphones and the internet caused this. This is not the case with individuals who use little or no technology in their daily routine, but it is the fact for heavy users of technology, since they do not care for face-to-face interactions with members of their discussion networks. Some fear that internet activities in the home may substitute for participation in neighborhood and public spaces. Time spent online may replace time that would otherwise be spent socializing with ties and in places outside the home. As a result of this, a sedentary lifestyle develops within teeenagers as they ignore all other social responsibilities and stay home as they will not go a mintute without being satisfied in their entertainment needs.

The action that needs to be taken to combat the ever-incresaing isolation, as a result of the introduction of technology in the lives of teenagers, is moderation to some degree. Social networks could be used for certain hours of the day and be replaced with going to public places to enjoy the outdoors for all its wonders. This will all, in turn, make for a better and stronger adult generation that will be fully involved within their society.Children: Future UncertainHow these young members of society and their relationship with technology is one of total dependenceT

odays children are growing up in a rapidly changing digital age that is far different from that of their parents and grandparents. A variety of technologies are all around us in our homes, offices, and schools. When used wisely, technology and media can support learning and relationships. Enjoyable and engaging shared experiences that optimize the potential for childrens learning and development can support childrens relationships both with adults and their peers. This great chance to redefine how children learn new things, during infancy and during school, is masked by how many of them spend long hours of the day watching mindless television programs that is no benefit to anyone, but the producers and television networks who air them.The explosion in technological options available to children and adolescents over the past few years is truly significant. Many of them, are exposed to technology for the very first time through the television set around the age of infancy. A large proportion of older children know how to use cell phones. They communicate with their friends via e-mail and use many of the social networks available to them. They enjoy DVD and MP3 players and do much of their homework on computers. They have quickly come to depend on the efficiency and portability of most devices and are often more knowledgeable about them than their parents and completely at ease in their use. They have quickly come to depend on the efficiency and portability of most devices and are often more knowledgeable about them than their parents and completely at ease in their use.

New technological developments can influence the impact of the media on children and adolescents in both direct and indirect ways. Not only has media content changed, but children's access to it has changed quickly too, and important questions have arisen almost as fast. Violence

How do all of these developments in technology affect children? A sedentary lifestyle undeniably develops within these young members of society as they would rather watch their favorite cartoon than go outside and paly with their siblings and others around them. What influences do technological advances have on children's developmental processes? Children will end up developing in a world where violence and entertaiment are one in the same as no form of media will be able to survive without it since viciousness sells among viewers. How has the nature of the information to which they are exposed actually changed? Many of the eduactional programs that once existed in order to develop their young minds even before they started attending school, are being diminished to very low numbers and the Public Broadcasting System seems to be the only television network that seeks to entertain and educate our children. What effect do the new technologies have on families? As a whole, it blinds them into believing that there is no such thing as a bad childrens show and that too much time watching television can have negative effects.The range of technological options and the varied content now available, is cause for concern, to children and adolescents. The ways in which they use those options; how technology is used for informational purposes and for entertainment; and what impact their choices have on their developing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior is something that needs to be discussed and brought into the light in order to show parents that childrens early exposure and introduction to technology; video games, television, computers, cell phones, social networks, can cause them to develop aggressive behaviors as a result of their exposure to large amounts of violence through these types of media.What effect do the new technologies have on families? As a whole, it blinds them into believing that there is no such thing as a bad childrens show and that too much time watching television can have negative effects.Other negative effects develop through the prolongued viewing of television: children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight, kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior, and TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes. The violent acts seen through the television set are numerous and cause children to become desensitized to violence and more aggressive and makes them believe that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want. This is a total step to the left when compared to the ideals of their parents and the idea that violence is a bad practice. The violent acts seen through the television set are numerous and cause children to become desensitized to violence and more aggressive and makes them believe that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. Public convictions that violent media content contributes to violence in society are supported by reports of criminals' media use, naive beliefs in the connections between crime rates and media violence, media reports of copycat crimes, and the publicized reports of some highly visible research. Video games play a great role in these copycat crimes as games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty franchises endorse the idea of violence to its fullest extent. Violence can never be fully avoided within society and children are the most impressionable members within it. The only solution to this problem would be for parents to become more involved in what their children can and cannot watch, can and cannot play and start going outside to show them that there is a life outside the television set.Obesity

Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity since children, while watching TV, they are inactive and tend to snack. They are also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods like potato chips and soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods. Children who watch 4 hours of television a day will suffer more indirect effects than those who watch only 2 hours, regardless of what content they watch. Watching television may lead to serious, long-term consequences both for individuals and for societies, especially to the extent that this behavior is primarily sedentary and prevents time spent outdoors. As a result, heavy television viewing has been linked to such consequences as obesity and lack of physical fitness.Knowing when enough is enough is the first step that needs to be taken by children and their parents in order to prevent a sedentary lifestyle to fully develop and make them realize that prolongued hours of television can have serious effects on the physical and mental level.

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