A Few Problems That Teens Face With Technology And Ways To Solve It

Teenagers often have too much exposure to technology and information and need help with choosing the right sources. This may create many problems. For example, excessive use of technology can cause mental troubles like a rotting or lazy brain and ADHD, or physical problems such as weakened eyesight and obesity.

For teens the internet seems cool and easy. Everything on the internet is colorful and catchy. Almost all attractive ads catch eyes immediately. Social media makes it easy to meet virtual friends with a positive attitude and to receive good feedback from them. There is a big variety of information sources on the internet as well.  

Modern technology is also much faster than using books. For example, looking up a word in the big, heavy dictionary, that is probably only available in the library, might be a hustle, while looking up something online is immediate with almost no effort. Lastly, dictionaries don’t have every single word in the world, while the internet is more updated.

It is very easy to learn from the internet. For example, it is possible to use YouTube to learn any skills such as drawing or baking. Searching on the internet will always give at least 40 websites to choose from, even for a not very popular search topic, which is more than enough. Lastly, instead of going to the library or buying a book, almost any book can be read or listened to on electronic devices. The internet is a great way to learn a language, for example via Skype. Also, some language textbooks might not have the information people are interested in, but the internet has more information choices.

Technology can also be a great danger. For example, people are replacing their families and friends with people on the internet, some of which are fake. Too much technology might result in social isolation, a lack of identity, no self-confidence, and a diminishing sense of safety. A teen without a phone doesn’t know the trends that are currently popular, can be bullied, and feel a negative peer pressure. This can make a teen feeling left out or ignored. Not all people on the internet are nice, so it is possible that they bully or blackmail others. Kids grow up too fast when they learn things from the internet. Furthermore, teens with too much information get overwhelmed and don’t know what is important. Some ads on the internet can be fake. The things on the ads always seem perfect, but in reality they are not the same as they are shown. Similarly, the fake news makes people believe in something that is false. Lastly, electronics cause peoples’ health to get worse, such as vision problems, obesity, failing memory, emotional instability, sleep deprivation and stress. People have obesity from apps on their screens because they become addicted, which makes them eat in front of the computer and not realize how much they are eating. About 40% of people with bad eyesight have it from electronics, while 45% have back pain for the same reason. (American Optometric Association).

I have a few ideas for solving those problems. Limiting exposure to technology and time spent on unsafe websites is a good way to start. Parents can talk and educate children about a prudent and safe use of technology, but first, adults should be a positive example themselves. If parents are telling children to limit use of social media or video games, then they should do the same thing. Furthermore, parents can monitor kids by putting electronics in a place where they can be seen and controlled. This way parents can ensure that kids are doing productive things and ones that are necessary for school. Parents can also block websites that are not age appropriate. Teens shouldn’t stand out online and make their plans and ideas public when unnecessary. Lastly, someone’s real name, other personal information, or passwords should not be shared on the internet.

In conclusion, sometimes teens do not realize how dangerous the internet can be because many positive things about information technology encourage them to use it. The amount of information on the internet and its efficiency are the main reasons why information technology is so popular. Teens should be more proactive to mitigate this problem by convincing themselves to use less electronics and setting limits of the amount of time spent on electronics every day.

Work Cited Page:

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