Technology is not the Problem
Since the rise of internet usage in teens and young adults, many studies have been done on links between depression and social media. Studies have shown more depression, anxiety, and loneliness in this generation. But then again every generation has had studies done on them for having a difference from the previous generation. Those from the older generation complain that the youth no longer do what they used to do to pass time. In iGen social media is a huge pass time. Many have done research on how using so much social media affects their overall happiness, linking it to a decline in mental health. Mental health is definitely linked to social media, but like author Jean Twenge stated it may not be in the way we expect it to be. Through the use of social media a rapid decline in social skills has been noticed. There is less time being spent around friends and peers, and more on the internet. Most studies blame social media for unhappiness in iGen, which is not completely true. Many people use it as an escape from their unhappiness or reality.
There has been a lot of discussion on where Millennials end and iGen starts; some say it ends in 1999 and others say 1997. Research has shown a change in attitude around 2012, which would lead us to believe iGen began in 1995. Making the oldest of iGen to be seventeen or eighteen. This generation is full of technology, leading them to be better multitaskers. I personally can not disagree with this statement as I am listening to music, writing this essay, and researching on both my phone and computer. iGen is also able to take in information quicker due to many apps, which also makes for a shorter attention span. I can also attest to this, as I find it harder to read in recent years than when I was younger. As being apart of this generation I can agree with many statements about iGen; we are aware of our addiction to technology, but we also are not allowed out as much due to our parents fear of us being stolen. Many take to devices as a way of entertainment because of our parents who wanted to keep us safe.
Studies have shown that iGen is a depressed generation. Along with anxiety and loneliness, we are an unhappy generation. This can be due to our exposure to global problems from a young age and being expected to fix them when we’re older. Some of our global problems go back a few generations and no one has bothered to find a permanent solution that everyone can adhere to. For decades videos about starving children and nations under attack requesting our help have been on television, pricking at our hearts. Everyone wants to help but does not make a move, as they are strongly attached to their money. The decrease in happiness can also be linked to more surveillance on kids internet activity. Our parents talk about how they could go outside for hours and their parents wouldn’t know or care where they were. They went and partied at a friends and weren’t caught. Since the rise of internet, many parents track their children, leaving no room for privacy. Many argue that it’s important that they know what their child is doing, meanwhile our parents had next to no supervision. Most of my friends have or had parents who regularly checked their phones. Some live with the threat of having all internet access taken away. Although depression, anxiety, and loneliness are prevalent in iGen, it is not completely connected to our use of technology.
One downside to using our devices so much has lead to decrease in being able to understand how people feel by looking at them. People are also prone to keeping their feelings to themselves as well. We do not spend much time with people outside of our families so we do not get as much social interaction. Along with this there has been a drop in reading outside of schooling. People have problems reading longer text, not all but enough that it is a problem. Being introduced to technology at young ages has not done well with paper education. Which has lead to more use of technology in the classroom. Again technology has not lead to well developed social skills. Many people in iGen do not know how to react to others emotional needs, or how to process their own emotions. Some use social media as their emotional outlet rather than friends or trusted people in their lives. This generation is emotionally slow, yet we are more likely to help others or to give the benefit of the doubt than generations before us.
New generations always scare the older generation, this has been a fact since the beginning of time. Yet we are the most fascinating generation to researchers. We are the most unhappy generation yet we are more realistic and have higher expectations than our parents. We are the most unprepared for adulthood due to a rising economy that took up our parents time. We are emotionally and socially constipated due to technology. Every generation has its pros and cons. Each finds something to dislike about the next, this is a never ending cycle. Technology is not all to blame for our unhappiness. Many parents are not home to be with their children, and they are overbearingly protective. This generation is over all pessimistic, yet can you blame technology for everything? Global warming is natural, yet with all of our factories we have sped it up. We blame third world countries for the state they are in, yet we are a huge contributing factor in them for not helping or being the source of the problem. Technology has brought us so far, but it comes at a cost. Technology does not cause sad people, it’s an outlet for sad people.
Since the rise of internet usage in teens and young adults, many studies have been done on links between depression and social media. Studies have shown more depression, anxiety, and loneliness in this generation. But then again every generation has had studies done on them for having a difference from the previous generation. Those from the older generation complain that the youth no longer do what they used to do to pass time. In iGen social media is a huge pass time. Many have done research on how using so much social media affects their overall happiness, linking it to a decline in mental health. Mental health is definitely linked to social media, but like author Jean Twenge stated it may not be in the way we expect it to be. Through the use of social media a rapid decline in social skills has been noticed. There is less time being spent around friends and peers, and more on the internet. Most studies blame social media for unhappiness in iGen, which is not completely true. Many people use it as an escape from their unhappiness or reality.
There has been a lot of discussion on where Millennials end and iGen starts; some say it ends in 1999 and others say 1997. Research has shown a change in attitude around 2012, which would lead us to believe iGen began in 1995. Making the oldest of iGen to be seventeen or eighteen. This generation is full of technology, leading them to be better multitaskers. I personally can not disagree with this statement as I am listening to music, writing this essay, and researching on both my phone and computer. iGen is also able to take in information quicker due to many apps, which also makes for a shorter attention span. I can also attest to this, as I find it harder to read in recent years than when I was younger. As being apart of this generation I can agree with many statements about iGen; we are aware of our addiction to technology, but we also are not allowed out as much due to our parents fear of us being stolen. Many take to devices as a way of entertainment because of our parents who wanted to keep us safe.
Studies have shown that iGen is a depressed generation. Along with anxiety and loneliness, we are an unhappy generation. This can be due to our exposure to global problems from a young age and being expected to fix them when we’re older. Some of our global problems go back a few generations and no one has bothered to find a permanent solution that everyone can adhere to. For decades videos about starving children and nations under attack requesting our help have been on television, pricking at our hearts. Everyone wants to help but does not make a move, as they are strongly attached to their money. The decrease in happiness can also be linked to more surveillance on kids internet activity. Our parents talk about how they could go outside for hours and their parents wouldn’t know or care where they were. They went and partied at a friends and weren’t caught. Since the rise of internet, many parents track their children, leaving no room for privacy. Many argue that it’s important that they know what their child is doing, meanwhile our parents had next to no supervision. Most of my friends have or had parents who regularly checked their phones. Some live with the threat of having all internet access taken away. Although depression, anxiety, and loneliness are prevalent in iGen, it is not completely connected to our use of technology.
One downside to using our devices so much has lead to decrease in being able to understand how people feel by looking at them. People are also prone to keeping their feelings to themselves as well. We do not spend much time with people outside of our families so we do not get as much social interaction. Along with this there has been a drop in reading outside of schooling. People have problems reading longer text, not all but enough that it is a problem. Being introduced to technology at young ages has not done well with paper education. Which has lead to more use of technology in the classroom. Again technology has not lead to well developed social skills. Many people in iGen do not know how to react to others emotional needs, or how to process their own emotions. Some use social media as their emotional outlet rather than friends or trusted people in their lives. This generation is emotionally slow, yet we are more likely to help others or to give the benefit of the doubt than generations before us.
New generations always scare the older generation, this has been a fact since the beginning of time. Yet we are the most fascinating generation to researchers. We are the most unhappy generation yet we are more realistic and have higher expectations than our parents. We are the most unprepared for adulthood due to a rising economy that took up our parents time. We are emotionally and socially constipated due to technology. Every generation has its pros and cons. Each finds something to dislike about the next, this is a never ending cycle. Technology is not all to blame for our unhappiness. Many parents are not home to be with their children, and they are overbearingly protective. This generation is over all pessimistic, yet can you blame technology for everything? Global warming is natural, yet with all of our factories we have sped it up. We blame third world countries for the state they are in, yet we are a huge contributing factor in them for not helping or being the source of the problem. Technology has brought us so far, but it comes at a cost. Technology does not cause sad people, it’s an outlet for sad people.