As of 2022, 64% of the global population actively use technology, with statistics showing that the majority of social media users are between the ages of 14-30. Over the past few years, the use of technology has increased by a lot. On average, people are spending a whopping 8.6 hours a day on devices. 

While many parents are worried about their toddlers being glued to their iPads, less are paying attention to how technology has negative effects on teenagers and young adults, especially those still in high school. The “Royal Society for Public Health” conducted a survey that worked to show the impacts of technology on children between the ages of 14-24. The results displayed that social media usage had led to feelings of depression, low self esteem, bad posture, and anxiety. 

When they aren’t studying or doing homework, teenagers are usually on their phones or laptops scrolling through social media. Prior to having technology readily available, we would keep ourselves busy and explore. I believe that this would bring out our creative side, for example, doing projects or research on things we are interested in. Nowadays, you can waste time with social media, and you won’t have the time to investigate new things or let yourself be bored.

Others have claimed that technology can be extremely useful as it can lead to new inventions and inspiration. It makes it easier to communicate with others that you can’t be with all the time. High schoolers like to keep in touch with friends from different places, some of which are from places all over the world. Social media helps with being able to quickly and efficiently reach out to others. At Jefferson, we use Facebook a lot, and it is likely the only high school in the nation to depend so heavily on it. Another thing is that it makes life a lot easier with being able to create machines, and robots that can greatly help with everyday tasks. I believe that there are things that have only been possible because of technology. 

There are good things that come with the use of technology, but is it worth all the negative effects that teenagers have been facing recently? Friends say that they have headaches, neck problems, and shoulder problems. They sit for hours and hours in abnormal positions on social media, playing games, or just surfing the web. Although this may be bad for you in the long run, it’s normalized to be doing this for several hours a day. The director of Louisville School of Massage said that this can change the way your muscles are growing, the way your bones are structured, and the way your brain works. Not only does it affect your physical health, but also your mental health. 

Personally, I know some of my close friends that are dealing with this. As students at Jefferson, we don’t have time to waste and spend on social media. We have a lot more work, and big goals that we want to achieve and go after. I know some parents that have noticed negative effects in their children, and they’ve tried to tell their kids to lower the amount of time spent on devices. However, the kids don’t listen, nor give it any importance. Teens can be very independent, and like to do what they think is best for them. However, as teenagers, what we think is not always correct. It’s difficult to convince us to do or follow something, especially when it comes to rules about devices. Our time on devices shouldn’t be replacing the time that we need for sleeping, eating, staying fit and active, interacting with family and friends, and studying. The advice that doctors, parents, and scientists have given about the amount of time spent on devices is important and should be followed. We should try to limit the amount of time we spend on technology, and set a time for ourselves to engage in other activities that we find enjoyable. It may be hard at first, but you will be able to see a noticeable difference in both your physical and mental health. 

The time spent on devices has gotten to a very high point because of the pandemic. During lockdown, many teenagers didn’t have things to do, and they started using their devices more, and now that habit is hard to break. It is important and necessary to try to lessen the amount of time spent on technology and social media. At Jefferson, we have many extra curricular activities, as well as opportunities that can greatly benefit you if you take advantage of them. However, the amount of time you spend on devices can be a big distraction that will definitely take away from the time you can spend on other things, like school. It can also lead to all types of problems, and issues that will affect your life drastically.