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Larissa Pimentel
Professor Rodrick
English 115
09/25/16

Final Draft: Is Technology Really Corrupting Our Generation?

Have you seen the IPhone 7, its such a beauty right? Thats what has been the talk of the
generation that now revolves around technology and social media, people are raving about this
new product especially to the dismay of many the younger generation. Im a fan myself of the
social network that technology has given us, I find comfort in my technology through social
media that serves to me as a therapeutic relief especially on my breaks between classes or work.
Like myself, many find comfort on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram whether it is for
entertainment, voicing their opinion on a controversial topic, or simply putting their thoughts to
be heard. Social media has been a positive attribute to this generations youth because of the
comfort, freedom, and efficiency, that allows the youth to be who they are and voice in their
opinion on a broad network with many people to be heard and accepted.
Social medias most notorious question that is asked by its users is, Is this person real?
seeing as MTVs Catfish, is a hit among the nation its impossible to get that out of your mind,
but the people who do this find true comfort in hiding. In the article, Jazmine, 21, who has
created fake dating profiles to talk to guys in a bolder way, explains it this way: Lying online is
an easy way to get what you want, whether it's acceptance or popularity. You're in control, and
nobody can tell the difference between what's real and what's not, (Tomb). Here we seeing the
viewpoint of the person behind the screen using the many filters to comfort themselves, to live
with themselves and to talk to people without getting rejected. Technology has served as a shield

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and a blanket toward its users that find it easier to hide their flaws and talk to people they never
thought they could. This not only serves as a break barrier for the vainness behind people, but
also a break for the youth with insecurities that find it easier to cope with behind a screen.
Technology and social media have brought another positive attribution to the table,
freedom and the power to voice an opinion. In the journal How Effective Is Virtual Activism?
Debra Nussbaum Cohen interview teen Gabbie Baker that said, "To me it's just a place for
teenagers who are not eligible to vote to get online and voice their opinion on things where they
might not have a voice by voting, on things like poverty, says Baker. It's great to see so many
people getting online. You can really see what teens all across the United States are thinking and
that they want to make change, she says. It really makes you feel like you have a voice,
(Cohen). This gives emphasis to the quality most teens hope and wish for from people which is
freedom, especially on opinions. Teens get to voice in their opinion online with the internet to
give in an input on controversial matters without getting disregarded for being a teen. This gives
them the power to be themselves and get their thoughts out in public without being shut down.
The youth of the generation are allowed to voice in on controversial issue and gain an identity
for themselves that is their own, which is allowed online without any judgement but praises. I
find myself contributing to the teen voice on social media from political controversies such as
the presidential election in this upcoming year, to entertainment based on controversies like who
won a Grammy. Essentially the youth should have freedom of speech as they are the future of
this nation.
Technology and social media also serve as a mental positivity among the youth of this
generation. In the article Facebook's Contribution to Well-being among Adolescent and Young
Adults as a Function of Mental Resilience by Ido Ziv & Mali Kiasi, they wrote A few studies

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suggest that the internet can contribute to social capital by allowing a relatively safe place for
social interaction that does not demand the social skills required for face-to-face interactions
(Amichai-Hamburger & McKenna, 2006; McKenna et al., 2002; Ybarra et al., 2005). In this way,
use of the internet can facilitate the formation of new relationships (Kraut et al., 2002; Parks &
Roberts, 1998) while enhancing self-esteem, (Ziv & Kiasi). This exemplifies the struggles in
anxiety and social awkwardness that teens may have, enforcing that with the help of social
networking they find it easier to talk to people. With many that suffer from a lack of
communication skills, they find a great benefit and comfort in social network that allows them to
talk to people and make friends. Through the broad network with many behind a screen they are
given confidence to interact with one another through something that is incredibly easier and
takes the pressure off of in personal interaction. Through online interaction they grow confidence
to approach people which is something that they wouldnt have been able to do in person.

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Many might see the latest technology and internet as an addiction that is corrupting the
minds by making youth antisocial and isolating them from the real world. The picture
exemplifies the addiction of social media that takes a toll on many that makes many think of how
its effects cause isolation. Although, social media is popular and can be claimed as an addiction,
it is not in fact isolating us from the reality of the world. As displayed in the second picture it
exemplifies the unity the social world of technology offers. Technology today gives us a new
way to interact with people we cant interact with face to face. Through the internet we can
interact with many across the world, take part in debates on controversial issues, and gain insight
on these issues as well. The world of technology and social media keep us updated with news
and with this new kind of interaction.
Through these beneficial examples of the positive attributes that technology and social
media bring, it is safe to say that its not so bad. With the generations growing and becoming
more and more advanced theres many effects that contribute to the wellbeing of a youth in the
growing generation full of technology. It may not be too bad to say that it does cause some good.
Interaction among one another, a voice in which you identify with who you are and what you
stand for, and the simple being of comfort in talking to strangers is gained with this newfound
confidence through social media.

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Works Cited
Tomb, Devin. "Is everyone faking it online? You want to be seen at your best--and through the filter of
social media. Its easy to convince people of anything. But could lying online lead to damage
IRL?" Seventeen May 2013: 100+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
Cohen, Debra N. "How Effective is Virtual Activism?" The New York Jewish Week, Manhattan edition
ed.: 38. Jun 20 2008. ProQuest. Web. 22 Sep. 2016 .
Ziv, Ido, and Mali Kiasi. "Facebook's Contribution To Well-Being Among Adolescent And Young Adults
As A Function Of Mental Resilience." Journal Of Psychology 150.4 (2016): 527-541. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.