By: Zariah Palmer
Being tied into electronics has become such a normal thing for teens today that they actually haven’t noticed that they really have an addiction. Social media, Mobile research and online shopping are all causes of this. They can be great to a certain extent but, too much of a good thing can be bad.
Social media has cut off face to face human interaction leaves adolescents in awkward social situations when they are actually around someone else. Words are summed down to one word text expressions because they don’t actually know how to normally respond. It also drags them into societal standards making them feel and need to be something that they actually aren’t. Following celebrities and influencers who are made up to look the way everyone else wants to, many will suffer from insecurities that can lead to eating disorders or worse to be just like them. Only because the person they idolize is portraying an unrealistic body standard or lifestyle.
Many teens are also quick to look up the answer to school work on the internet. Yes, that is very convenient but isn’t beneficial in the long run. It’s actually helpful to study to complete homework or assignments because your brain retains information to store for when the phone isn’t there. It’s not possible to use a phone during a test so it’s pointless to use it to look things up unless it’s to help understand something. It is easy for teens to pull their phones out and begin looking something up. So easy in fact it makes teens think that they don’t actually need an education because if they want to know it they will just look it up.
Online shopping has guided teens into the comfort of not leaving the house to get things. It is so easy to have literally anything delivered to your front door, from food to your necessities. Companies like Uber eats, Postmates and Doordash have been designed for you to not have to leave the house. This isn’t lazy unless you do it all day every day and many teens do go through these companies all of the time. Not allowing them to actually be active and collect a change of scenery.
Moderate use of the internet is great. However, being hooked to it and it’s benefits can be dangerous and mind clouding. For today’s teens it isn’t seen as an issue because of how common it is and it can be called an addiction. The playing factors social media, online shopping and mobile research are all beneficial but only to a certain point.
May122020
