Post #12: Final Post (Society's Relationship with Technology)

Bill Gates once said, "We're changing the world with technology." But is this change good or bad?

To answer this question, there are key factors to consider. While reflecting on my own technology usage, I found that I spend on average eight hours a day on my phone according to the screen time feature in settings. This number is shocking to me considering this is an excessive amount made up of time spent on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and even Messages. This leads me to wonder: is technology taking up too much time in my life and many other individuals without even realizing it?

We see in both Gen Z and Gen Alpha, mainly Gen Alpha, that technology and social media has begun to consume their lives. Statistics show that 43% of Gen Alpha has a tablet before the age of six and 58% has a phone before the age of ten (The Annie E. Casey Foundation). Having grown up into a world full of technology, there is no doubt that Gen Z and Gen Alpha will suffer immense negative effects on their mental health. In most cases, some kids and teens are even to the point of being addicted and dependent on their electronics at all times. 

Gen Alpha is predicted to be the highest generation who relies completely on social media for news. 

The article says, "Kids born dur­ing or around the COVID-19 pan­dem­ic are already show­ing delays in social and emo­tion­al devel­op­ment." Since everyone had to quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, kids and teens were left to rely on technology in order to communicate with their friends and family.

Coming out of quarantine, adolescents became so used to talking via texting or calling that their in-person communication abilities are drastically weakened. Many choose to hide behind their phones now instead of socializing with others because they don't know how to interact with people due to the increase of isolation and depression during COVID-19. 

As far as behavioral development goes, technology has ruined the way Gen Alpha treats fellow classmates, friends, and even family. My boyfriend, who works at a daycare and is surrounded by kids everyday, recalls an instance where he had to confiscate a tablet from two kids because they were fighting over it, resulting in both of them getting angry. 

A common term said in today's society is "brain rot" and is derived from TikTok. The slang term refers to, "the supposed negative psychological or cognitive effects caused by consuming low quality or excessive amounts of online content" (Wikipedia). A few of the most popular examples include, "gyatt," (buttocks) "rizz," (having strong charisma) and "big back" (someone overweight). 

Most kids will constantly repeat these words to others without knowing the meaning behind them and how some of them could be offensive. The idea of "brain rot" is a never ending cycle as one person sees a video of an influencer saying it and immediately think that it is an acceptable term to say in everyday talk. This begins the spread of negative conversation between kids without even truly knowing they are saying hurtful things. 

It is clear that technology has put a strain on Gen Alpha's relationships and behavior, but what about Gen Z?

Technology has become so advanced that it has made it to where Gen Z can earn a college degree completely virtual. Just thinking about this statement is crazy given that Gen X didn't have anywhere near the complex technology as we have today and had to do everything in-person, making it way easier for young adults today to get college credits online without having to work as hard. 

Moving to the darker side of technology, social media apps in young adults, specifically Snapchat and dating platforms, can be dangerous. In June 2024, a man named Evan Blankenship used the shared Snapchat location settings to track down a victim, attempting to kidnap her. Ensuring the location settings are turned off on all apps is extremely important as shown in this case and allows for a more safer experience on social media. 

Going along with the decline of human interaction mentioned earlier, technology is changing our love lives. According to Walden University, "Now, 33% of couples have met online, and thats expected to rise by 70% by 2040" (Walden University). The famous dating app, Tinder, is the modern version of how blind dates used to be in older generations, except blind dates are set up by already existing connections. Tinder or any other form of meeting strangers online can be very unsafe as many use it as a kind of "catfishing" by creating fake profiles to get your money and information. 

Circling back to the question asked in the very beginning, technology may enhance our communication, allow us to have access to resources, and stay in touch with friends, but it definitely comes with its negative effects too. In the end, there is no right or wrong answer because like anything else, technology comes with the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

After viewing my screen time, it has made me realize the huge amount of time I spend on my phone each day and to remind myself to find a balance in my use of technology.