Do People Rely Too Much on Technology?

As the years go by, technology appears to advance faster and faster to the point where it almost seems futuristic. More and more, people tend to depend on technology to the point where it’s dangerously high. As humans in today’s time, we rely too much on technology, and in the end, it damages our relationships, mental health, and opportunities for success.

Our younger generation has become addicted to their smartphones. In a study done by CNN, 50% of teens admitted to feeling addicted to their smartphones, with 79% of teens checking their phones every hour. Additionally, within the 79%, 72% of teenagers admit to checking their phone to respond to texts and social networking messages immediately. Additionally, within the 79%, 72% of teenagers admit to checking their phone to respond to texts and social networking messages immediately(CNN, 2016). Unfortunately, 35% of teenagers admitted to texting and driving, putting their lives on their line to respond to a friend (CNN, 2016).

Parents have a problem as well. 28% of parents admitted to feeling addicted to their phones. 69% of parents admitted to checking their phones every hour, with 48% of parents feeling they had to respond and social network messages immediately(CNN, 2016). Parents also text and drive more than teenagers, with a staggering 56% admitting to it (CNN, 2016). Smartphone technology is causing both parents and teenagers to be distracted while driving, increasing the chances of a severe accident.

Dependence on technology has also been shown to have a negative impact on mental health and physical health. In a study done by the Pew Research Center, 59% of teenagers have admitted to being bullied online, leading them to be insecure about their actions. An additional study showed that with a 10% negative online interaction, the risk for depression jumps to 20% (Primack,2018). Addiction to technology also hurts our physical health.

With depression rising, it also affects a big thing for humans’ sleep. When it comes to relaxing at the end of the day, addiction to technology can make this hard for us to do and give us physical body issues that affect sleeping patterns, causing our body’s internal clock to be thrown off rhythm. It also gives us sleep deprivation that can cause many harmful actions to our bodies. Some examples are high blood pressure, an increase of a heart attack or stroke, and a chance of getting diabetes when it comes to relaxing at the end of the day when addiction to technology can make this hard for us to do and give us physical body issues.

When more and more people are addicted to technology, it causes relationships to be damaged. When a child’s screen time rises, and they have less interaction between people their age, they tend to get lonely. However, in a study, it was shown that older children who spent a week at summer camp without a screen in their face showed improvements in child’s ability to read, understand verbal cues, and an improved relationship between people their own age (Qustodio.com,2021).

Technology has also ruined the modern-day image of romance. Instead of having face-to-face conversations, we’re quick to rely on facetime and texting to get our points across. In over 51% of relationships, a partner has admitted that they ignore texting during a conversation (Vogels and Anderson, 2020). With 40% of relationships being irritated on how long their partner spends on their phone per day (Vogels and Anderson, 2020). It is essential to communicate to your partner not over the phone but in person in a situation like this. Hearing them out on what technology is doing to your relationships is extremely important to have a happy relationship.

Technology will only continue to rise over time; that’s a given. However, we’ll be fine to manage our time efficiently and only be on technology when needed during acceptable hours. We need to ensure that we have to ensure our mental health and physical health won’t be affected by technology before technology. So go out and work out or hang out with friends and make memories; technology can wait for you.

50% Of Teens Feel Addicted to Their Phones, Poll Says | CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/03/health/teens-cell-phone-addiction-parents/index.html.

Smartphone Addiction Could Be Changing Your Brain | CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/health/smartphone-addiction-study/index.html.

Anderson, Monica. “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 14 Aug. 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/.

Primack, Brian A., et al. “The Association between Valence of Social Media Experiences and Depressive Symptoms.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 6 June 2018, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/da.22779.

Team, Brain and Spine. “Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep (and How Much You Really Need a Night).” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 27 Aug. 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20most%20serious,can%20even%20affect%20your%20appearance.

“How Does Technology Affect Children’s Social Development?” Qustodio, 21 Sept. 2021, https://www.qustodio.com/en/2020/07/21/technology-child-social-development/.

Vogels, Emily A., and Monica Anderson. “Dating and Relationships in the Digital Age.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 5 June 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/05/08/dating-and-relationships-in-the-digital-age/.