How much does your daily routine involve your phone, TV, or a computer? Technology has become a crutch for most teenagers in the past decade. I believe technology is just as bad as it is good for us.

One reason why technology is a good thing for teens is communication. It gives you the ability to communicate with just about anyone within seconds. A phone call allows you to hear someone’s voice and talk with them just by dialing a number. Texting makes it easy to ask someone a quick question or to just keep in contact with others. Although I do think texting is a good thing, some may argue that texting can take away from face-to-face interaction when in the presence of others. As texting does certainly improve more distant communication with friends, family, etc., recent studies have shown it to be effecting our communication skills. I’m sure you have been to a restaurant and looked around the tables to find that just about everyone was on their phone, ignoring the people around them. A British study of college students found that 7% of students had lost a relationship or job due to cell phone usage. “Noticing the signals that people send out through body language are useful for interaction. All these signals are missing when you use text as a medium of communication” (TutZone).
Social media is a positive yet very negative thing for teens in our society. I know social media is a subject that many view to be a negative thing. “Victimization of young people online has received an increasing level of scrutiny, particularly after a series of high-profile suicides of teenagers who were reportedly bullied on various social networks” (livescience). Social media has created a cruel, fake world where someone will say anything they want to someone online, but would never even consider saying it to their face. I believe this is why cyberbullying has increasingly become a serious issue among our society. Along with cyberbullying and teen depression being a result of social media, I think it also provides an unrealistic world that consists of “goals”. All you see on social media is hashtag goals on just about everything. In fact, "82 percent of women feel the beauty standards set by social media are unrealistic, and almost three quarters of women believe social media comments critiquing women's beauty are destructive to their self-esteem” (glamour). I strongly believe that social media has its dark sides such as the unrealistic expectations and standards it shows, and it being the home of cyberbullying, but I do believe it has some positive effects as well. “Proponents of social networking sites say that the online communities promote increased interaction with friends and family; offer teachers, librarians, and students valuable access to educational support and materials; facilitate social and political change; and disseminate useful information rapidly” (procon). For a lot of teenagers, social media is a source of world news. Not many people watch the news anymore and when something notable or important happens, I usually find out first by seeing in on Twitter, etc. I think social media can be a good thing because it sparks new friendships, and it allows you to stay connected with friends, family, and what is going on in the world.

Technology has had a big impact on relationships in the past few years, as well. Having the ability to text and communicate with your significant other 24/7 may seem like a good thing, right? Well recent studies have shown that the increased use of cell phones and texting has actually given our society a false sense of connection. “According to Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and psychic energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections, he fears, will weaken” (smallbusiness). As I said earlier, social media has built up a trend of “relationship goals”. It seems to me that so many teenagers think that in order to have a happy and functional relationship, they have to live up to these sometimes unrealistic “goals” set by social media.
Another reason why technology is good for teens is education. Technology is increasingly involved in the education system. Schools use computers for testing, iPads for studying, smart boards for teaching and much more. Students can now easily access their grades online or by simply clicking an app on their phone. Teachers can use a reminder app to notify students of upcoming tests, assignments due, etc. According to an article on scholastic, “texting increases literacy and it improves spelling” (scholastic). They also said texting can help students improve reading skills, boost phonology, encourage creativity, break down words and teach effective note-taking skills. I believe technology improves education but some may believe it is a distraction for learning. In a recent survey, “60% of students claimed that texting is a major cause for distraction in the classroom, 59% said that they are busy checking out their favorite social-media sites, 45% noted that they are distracted by games and 25% revealed that students use the search functionality of their tech tools to search for answers (that is, cheat) during class” (cengage).

Technology is overall a helpful assistance in your daily life. Cell phones have just about every form of information and assistance you could possibly need. The navigation system that phones provide are very helpful especially when in an unfamiliar location. You can see the weather forecast, listen to music, store tons of pictures, and so much more with just one small device. Everything you could possibly want to know is right at your fingertips.
There are many positive and also negative aspects of technology for teens including cell phones, computers, etc. Some of the pros include easier communication, social media, education and the helpful assistance it provides. Some of the cons include weakened communication skills, cyberbullying and the distraction it causes.