Cheryl DeVito

ENC1102

Final Draft

February 14, 2014

Is Technology Transforming Our Lives in a Positive Way?

      We live in a time of many opportunities to be able to communicate with one  another, rather it be loved ones, friends, businesses or purchases. Technology is a high tech means used in interrelations with life, society and environment (“Technology”). It has become very much a part of our daily lives. There are advantages to having technology in our lives. Technology gives us many tools and ways to help people in different aspect of their lives by communicating faster, accessing information easily. It is like walking into a candy store, all flavors available and you want to try every single one of them. Just look at all the social media, video games, cell phones that are at our disposal. Is this exposure for the betterment of society or not?

     Take social media for instance, our surroundings have a huge impact on how we develop and on how our minds will function. A Common Sense Media Research Study (2012) was conducted on Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives and the study found that 90% of 13-17 year olds have used some form of social media in their daily lives. It was reported also that teens express that social media has more of a positive impact on their life then negative. Most teens don’t think that social media is affecting their social and emotional well-being. As a parent these results of the research ease some concerns that teenagers are getting an effect that is positive by using social media than having the opposite effect. Concluded in the study “social networking can contribute to feelings of depression or social isolation; so it is with some relief that we find that only 5% of teens say social networking makes them feel more depressed, compared to 10% who say it makes them feel less depressed and 83% who said it doesn’t make a difference one way or another”.

            For more information visit www.commonsense.org/research.

                  On a negative note is social media taking away our ability to have conversations

face to face, where we are able to hear and see feelings involved, and  be able to react on them. How do we know who we are actually conversing with if we cannot see them?

      Video games, however are another concern. Media technology is a part of our lives today. More and more children are starting at an early age using video games. How is this affecting their young brains when it comes to creative play, using their imagination, critical thinking skills and empathy for others? There are games available for play that are not suitable for young children and yet being a pre-school teacher I hear of how a four year old has been expose to either watching an adult play and or playing, a game themselves. Their little minds are just starting to mold and soak like a sponge all that is around in their environment. How are they able to distinguish between reality and fantasy? There is concern of too much viewing of in-appropriate games in numerous amounts of adolescents and teens today. Feelings of empathy and compassion towards others are diminishing in society (Sara).

      Then there are cell phones It is wonderful to be able to pick up my cell phone and be able to talk to any loved one who are in a different country, state, or city, whether it is talking, using face time and texting. Texting now a days is second nature to teenagers. The more teens driving the more fatalities can happen with cell phone usage and texting. Texting is a distraction that causes you to not focus on the road. Our youngest drivers are the most at risk. Teenagers think texting is so quick that there is no harm to do it while driving.  It becomes dangerous because it involves focus, using your hands and mind all at the same time (NHTSA). States are making laws against texting while driving. Fifteen states have implemented texting laws because it takes away a person’s attention on the road (Anyanwu).

     Is this exposure of technology for the betterment of society?  Being a parent of a teenager, after reading and researching about technologies in this time I could see how technology can be positive for society. The studies show that using technology in our schools at an early age is beneficial in reading skills. Students are more motivated to work with the computer on reinforcing skills introduced and by working with each other they learn cooperation. We just have to be more aware of what our children are doing on the internet. Teach them the advantages and help to reduce the effects of violent video games and misuse of social media. Not let ourselves lose our human nature of feelings and compassion towards others.

                                                             Works Cited

Anyanwu, Ofinakachi J. “Estimating the Impact of Cell Phone Laws on Car Accident

Fatalities.”  Pepperdine Policy Review 5 (2012): 103-16. ProQuest. Web. l8 Feb.2014.

Barnhart, Steven, Lesley Mandel Morrow, and Debra Rooyakkers. "Integrating technology with

         teaching of an early literacy course: the early literacy course described used many kinds of

          technology to improve teaching and learning." The Reading Teacher 56.3 (2002): 218+.

          Academic OneFile Web, 25 Feb. 2014.

Document URL     

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA94326626&v=2.1&u=lincclin_fccj&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=dfd0639b132e6a7e8dd789f8fca15b71

Gale Document Number: GALE|A94326626

NHTSA U.S. Department of Transportation www.nhtsa.gov.

Sara “Children and Technology should you be concerned.” Care2make a difference

            Web 8 Sept. 2013. www.care2.com

Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital LivesCommon Sense Media Research

            Study June 26, 2012 Web www.commonsence.org/research