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Kelly Quach

Professor Scaife

Rhetoric 1311

April 10, 2017

The New Addiction Is Technology

Whats the first thing that pops to your mind when technology is mentioned?

Smartphones, laptops or kindles? From 2016 to 2017, there was a 6% increase that individuals

have a device with a percentage of 77% (Smith). Recently, technology focuses more on

individuals addicted to their devices in harmful ways due to social media relationships and lets

us escape onto a virtual world with no interaction. Digital technology is becoming a problem to

teens identity and relationships.

The first reason digital technology is harmful is because social media promotes

unhealthy, superficial relationships. The author states, Social media is a top venue for flirting.

(Lenhart, et al) The essence of the authors argument is that were not in a deep, authentic

relationship, but we flirt on apps such as Tinder, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. The Pew

Research Center conducted a survey of teens between the ages of 13-17 on how do these teens

approach others when it comes to flirting and confrontation. Fifty-five percent of teens surveyed

let the other person know that they are interested. When teens like a post, comments or swiping

to the next picture only 47% do that. Also teens sending flirtatious messages to the other person

and only 31% have done so (Lenhart et al). What it means is there's no facial gestures, no

face-to-face conversation, no depth in via messages. Its known for guys to do all of these

situations than girls, because most are uncomfortable. For example, a high school boy says, I
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was dating this girl that I met through a social website that probably hardly anybody knows

about. So its a dating website for teens. Its called MeetMe. Its like more of an app kind of

thing. I was actually surprised. It was like, oh, what the hell. Ill try it. And I met a girl on

there and she lived up in [town]. I still talk to her, but were not together (Lenhart, et al).

While in a relationship we have multiple types of relationships, such as clingy, abusive, and

regular, but the main focus is online relationships. Online and a normal relationships have a

major difference which is face-to-face interactions. Relationships tend to take a majority of your

schedule and by all means being on your smartphones 24/7. (Lenhart, et al)

No one enjoys ending a relationship, but when it does individuals try to avoid

confrontation and ending it by text messages. The authors acknowledge that the best way to end

a relationship is in person and not online. (Lenhart, et al) While it is true that in person is the

best, it does not necessarily follow that all individuals should end relationships face to face

because some are in an abusive relationship and want to avoid the confrontation. Twenty-seven

percent of individuals have done this, although 31% have gone through it (Lenhart, et al).

Another way someone can end a relationship is mentioning it on social media. This is

unacceptable, because it can start rumors, inappropriate name calling and bullying.

The second reason digital technology is harmful to young teens even adults, too is we use

our devices to escape our reality and control where we give our attention. Journalist Kelly

Wallace states, Half of teens think theyre addicted to their smartphones. (Wallace) Even

Wallace mentions she has two kids who were on their own iPads over spring break where she

soon worries theyll be addicted. If I were to have kids, I would start to worry whether if they

dont have any digital technology in their hands. She conducted a survey between the ages from
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12-18 whether teens are addicted and half of teens admit that they are (Wallace). Speaking of

kids, my niece who is a two year old, she has an actual phone to watch cartoons. If her parents

would take it away from her, she would start crying until they gave it back to her which is

outrageous. Nowadays kids want to be on their devices and wouldnt even want to go outside or

play with their toys. Teens who own devices and are in school have the urge to check their text

messages and social media. Basically Wallace is saying that us teens cant go without seconds

thinking about the things on the phone. Parents had mentioned their teens immediately look at

their phones from the minute they wake up until night time. Not only kids and teens are addicted,

parents are too.

Sherry Turkle, a psychologist can relate to this because digital technology can bring us

together, yet it can bring us apart. We use our devices to hide from what goes on in the moment.

When we dont want to listen or whether were bored, we pull out our phones and isolate

ourselves from reality. For example, Turkle mentioned in her Ted Talk that someone said, Id

rather text than talk. We dont communicate with one another, because were afraid that no one

is listening and rely on our devices. People are supposed to care and comfort each other when

someone is hurt, but we cant show that we do if our devices run out of battery or we misplaced

it. Lastly, Turkle mentions we can still have digital technology in our lives, but not to the point

where theres no face-to-face interaction. (Turkle) At this point, its starting to be a problem in

our society.

Technology today helps individuals in their daily routine. An enterprise reporter Chandra

Johnson who reported that theres a positive effect on youth when it comes to technology.

Johnson states the main two topics that are effective are social upgrades and improving
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relationships. (Johnson) She used these topics to relate for young boys who play video games

since its a positive outcome. The reason for that is they are able to meet friends online and

theyve been bullied and that way theyre able to interact. For multiple reasons were having too

much of it, can ruin our vision, and well lose the in person interaction. The way we're having

too much digital technology is that we need to look our phones right when we wake up in the

morning, while we get ready, during the day and before we go to bed. It can ruin our vision,

because my brother and I got glasses when we were pretty young at ages of four years old and

thirteen. Were both legally blind if we dont have our glasses or contacts. My parents would

never tell me to not watch so close. We lose face-to-face interaction in a couple of ways, such as

having breakfast and dinner with your family or out to lunch with friends. We tend to look at our

phones while we scroll down and eating instead of putting our phones face down and talking to

the people we care about.

Back in the days, technology was nonexistent to young adolescent, but in this century we

use digital technology to seek who we are and the relationship we create. If we decrease digital

technology, there wont be a habit where it can actually make our society a better world when it

comes to technology. Think about if our society had less technology and more interaction, would

it be for the better or the worse?

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Works Cited

Johnson, Chandra. "Effects of Technology on Teens Are Not All Doom and

Gloom."DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, 11 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Lenhart, Amanda, Monica Anderson, and Aaron Smith. "Teens, Technology and

Romantic Relationships." Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. N.p., 01 Oct. 2015.

Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Smith, Aaron. "Record Shares of Americans Now Own Smartphones, Have Home

Broadband." Pew Research Center. N.p., 12 Jan. 2017. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Turkle, Sherry. "Connected, but Alone?" Sherry Turkle: Connected, but Alone? | TED

Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Wallace, Kelly. "50% of Teens Feel Addicted to Their Phones, Poll Says." CNN. Cable

News Network, 29 July 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.