The first ever documented electrical discovery was almost three centuries ago in 600 BC, and since then we have progressed with new discoveries and inventions. Unfortunately, accompanied by these new discoveries/inventions are new issues. Some of these issues can be minor like malfunctions and price ranges, or are more serious like data security and cyberbullying. One of the biggest issues in society today is technology addiction among the younger generation, and this issue doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
“Technology is used in almost every job now,” junior Soha Kiyani said. “Even hands-on jobs like construction use technology more.”
A driving issue with people becoming addicted to technology is that they let it become an obstacle and interfere with their goals. According to a survey by the US Department of Education, at the beginning of 2022, 94% of public schools have access to technology. Technological addiction has become a prevalent issue over the years and all age groups, mostly affecting the youth. However, technology addiction affects the youth differently than any other age group. A human’s brain is developing all the way until the age of 25 and constant use of technology at an early age can affect not only attention span but also retaining information.
“I’ve seen too many children glued to their phones and they aren’t even in high school yet,” Kiyani said.
One major cause of this addiction is that kids have access to technology with no restrictions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 97 percent of 3-18 year olds have internet access at home. 804 million children under the age of 14 have a phone and 20% of kids under the age of 5 have a phone, according to SellCell. So not only do children have phones, some of them don’t have any screen time management. Giving children undeveloped screen time while their brains are still developing could possibly affect their learning.
“My little brother got his first phone in 5th grade,” junior Talan Chanthalack said. “I only got mine in 7th grade because of COVID.”
Some effects of technological addiction that the youth can suffer from, according to the National Institutes of Health, are; lack of sleep, limited physical activity which leads to physical health issues, mental health issues, and weak relationships with family. These all deeply affect a kid’s mental and physical health, which can hinder their success in school. Some solutions to this issue, according to websites like the National Institute of Health and Addictioncenter.com, are setting goals, abstinence from certain apps, support groups, and different forms of therapy to refrain from unnecessary use of technology.
“The most effective method I’ve seen for helping with technology addiction is limiting screen time or taking away the electronics in total,” Chanthalack said.
With 1 out of every 2 teens feeling addicted to their smartphones (according to the UK Parliament), anyone can be susceptible to this addiction. A growing child suffering from sleep disturbances, depression, and impaired comprehension can severely impact their brain development. Even though this addiction gets easily overlooked by other notable addictions, technological addiction should still be taken seriously just as any other addiction.
