YammondaSparks

Mrs.Scaife
EnteringaConversation
4/20/2016
TheAddiction
Stop!Sitbackandtakeoneglancearoundtheroomyouaresittingin.Atthisverysecond
youarenotsurewhatyouarelookingfor,butdidyouhappentonoticethathalfoftheroomwere
mentallyengagedintoanelectronicglassscreenthatseemedtosnatchthemrightoutofsociety
andplacethemintheirownlittleworld?Didyoualsonoticethatalargepercentageofthem
consistedofpeoplefromtheageoffifteenteentofortyfive?Technologyhasbeenknownto
haveseveraleffectsontheworldandthewayitworks.Inthebeginning,welovedthefeelingof
havingtechnology.Itwasfun,itallowedustogetthingsdonetwiceasfastanditallowedusto
communicatefaster.However,thingsarestartingtotakeaturnintheoppositedirection.
Overtheyears,theuseoftechnologyhasgrowntremendously.Theleveloffun
distractspeoplefromtheirdailytasksandresponsibilities,societynowbelievesthateverything
shouldbedonequickly,completelyabandoningtheprocessofwork,anditistothepointwhere
phonesandcomputerscreensisharmingcommunicationbetweenusersandtheirfamily.What
arethedamagingaffectsoftechnologytooursociety?Technologyisbeginningtooverpower
themindsofitscreatoranditisstartingtoharmusinwaysthatwecouldnotimaginepossible.
Technologydatesbacktoaslongaspeoplehavebeenaround,butelectronictechnologyisfairly
new,causingittobeapartofourdailyliveswhetherwelikeitornot.Weusetelevisionto
watchthenews,weusecomputersincollegeandinourofficesoftheworkplace,weuse

microwavestocookfastmeals,andwehaveevenstartedtousetechnologyintherestroomswith
sensoredsoapandpapertoweldispensers.Theseactionsarecompletelyrationalandacceptable.
Theconcernbeginswhendiscussingtheuseofthemostcommonlyusedtechnologicaldevices:
cellphones,gamesystemsandcomputers.Thesethreedevicesarenotonlythemostcommonly
usedbuthavebeenproventobethemostthemostaddictive.Extremeusagecancauseincreased
levelsof

stressandnegativeemotionsasifweneedanymorestressinourlivesontopof
schoolwork.Whenpeoplebegintobecomeaddictedtotechnology,justlikeanyotheraddiction,
itcausesthemtodothingsthattheywouldnotnormallydosuchasloosesleep,putoff
responsibilitiesandsomeevendevelopaneatingdisorder.NewYorkTimesfamilyauthorJane
Brodyfindsthat
childrenwhoareheavyusersofelectronicsmaybecomeadeptatmultitasking,
buttheycanlosetheabilitytofocusonwhatismostimportant.Anotherpointthatshemakesis
thathalfofyouthfromages12to17aretextingmorethansixtymessagesaftertheyareintheir
bedsforthenight(Brody).
Thesleepdeprivationgrowsastheybecomemoreandmoreengaged.
Thelossofsleepwearsonthebrainandnervescausingthemtobemoregrouchyandproneto
becomeviolentoverthesmallestthings.Theycanalsoexperiencehallucination,paranoiaand
involuntarysleeping.Involuntarysleepingiswhenthebodyshutsitselfdownandmakesthe
individualfallasleepforasmallamountoftime.Technologygraduallybeginstoconsumeour
youthbydevastatingtheirphysicalhealth.
Somepeopleevenexperiencedeficienciesbecauseoftheiraddiction.Therearetwo
types:theunhealthyeatersandthenoneaters.Theunhealthyeatersbecomelazyandeatalotof
snacksandfastfood,generatingobesityasthedaysgoby.Theeasyaccessandquickservice
limitstheirtimeawayfromtheirtechnology.Thenoneatershaveamoreseriouscasebecause

theylosetheirappetiteandreceiveverylittlenutrientsatallandcaneventuallycomedownwith
anorexianervosa.Withoutrealizingit,theybegantoputtheirlivesinjeopardy.
Theextremeuseoftechnologyhasalsobeguntoreframethewaysthatsocietyoperates.
Theinitialpurposeoftechnologywastobreakdowntheimmenseandmosttediouschallenges
andtasksoftheworldsuchasproblemsofmatter,energy,spaceandtime.However,societyhas
graduallybeguntoabandonthereasonforitinitialpurpose.Isaysobecausewenowuse
technologyforthesimplestofthings.Insteadofwritingwetype,insteadofsolvingasimple
mathproblemweuseacalculator,andinsteadofwalkingtothemailbox,therearearehundreds
ofpeoplethedrive.
Asyoucanseeaddictioncancauseapersontousesomethingforacompletelydifferent
purposethananticipated.Itcanaffectnotonlysocietysoverallmindsetbutalsocommunication.
Whentechnologyisusedtosolvehumanproblemssuchascommunication,affectionand
emotionitcompletelyfailsandbackfirestremendously.Psychologistandresearcherofonline
communication,SherryTurkle,acknowledgesthattheuseoftechnologyisbecomingtoo
excessive.Turklereportsthatateenageradmittedtoherthatonedayhewouldliketolearnhow
tohavearealconversationbecausehedidnotknowhowto.Shewascompletelytakenbyhis
commentandbegantopaymoreattentiontoherfamilyandthewaythattheyusetechnology.
Texting,emailing,andmakingapostonsocialmediaisnotarealconversation(Turkle).For
example,Turkledescribesherdaughterandherfriendssittinginaroomcompletelyabandoning
theirtimetogetherbystaringattheircellphonesscreensandtextingeachother.Basically,
Turkleissayingthatrealconversationallowsyoutointeractwithpeopleandestablishabond.
Technologyisdamaginghowyouthbuildsrealrelationshipsthroughcommunication.

Ofcourse,peoplewouldcertainlytakeissuewiththeargumentthatevenchildrenand
teensarebecomingaddictedtotechnology.ThepolicystatementfromtheAmericanAcademy
ofPediatricsagreeswhenitsaysthatouryoutharespendingmoretimewithtechnologythan
theyspendinschool.InarecentstudytheyfoundthatTheaverage8to10yearoldspends
nearly8hoursadaywithavarietyofdifferentmediaandolderchildrenandteenagersspend>11
hoursaday(PolicyStatement).Theamountoftimethatchildrenareengagingintechnology,
couldbeputtowardsplayingoutside,makingnewfriends,exploringtheirhobbiesandeven
bondingwithfamily.Thetechnologyisolatesthemfromtheaffectionthathumansneedandthe
memoriestheywouldhavemade.
Counterargumenthere.Usetemplateandtalkabout
Of
course, ____________s would certainly take issue with the argument that ________. Technology is taking over
our youth.

Theaddictiontoisbecomingahugeproblem.Itwouldn'tberighttoplaytheblame
gameonhowitallbeganbutthereareafewthingsthatplayamajorroleinthisprocess.
Technologyisapoorsubstituteforinteraction(Brodypar.7).Inaddition,Brodyremindsus
thatsometimesparentsaretheonesthatareconstantlygivingtheiryouthtechnology.Itisalmost
liketechnologyisthenewbabysitter.Whenbeingintroducedtothesedevicesatayoungage,
itsetsthefoundationfortheaddictionandleavesroomforittoprogressovertime.Agreatway
torefrainfrompinningtheresponsibilityonscreens,istoteachchildrenhowtocalmthemselves
downandenforceactivitiesthattheycandoalmostanywhere,suchaspuzzlesanddrawing.To
escapetheaddictiontotechnology,societyasawholeshouldbegantosetboundariesonhow
muchtechnologyweuseandwhenweuseit.

Conclusionhere.becomeaproblem.

WorksCited

Brannan,Amy."ExploringLife'sMysteriesLogo."
ExploringLife'sMysteries
.Cover
StoryMedia,15Jan.2016.Web.22Apr.2016.
Kanat,Max."CodeSimplicity."
CodeSimplicity
.O'ReillyMedia,14Feb.2014.Web.22
Apr.2016.
Strasburger,VictorC.,andMarjorieJ.Hogan."TableofContents."
Children,
Adolescents,andtheMedia
.AmericanAcademyofPediatrics,n.d.Web.03May2016.
Brody,JaneE."SignUpfortheRunningEmail."
HealthandWellness
.NewYorkTimes,
6July2015.Web.03May2016.

 Turkle,Sherry.Connected,butAlone.
YouTube.
TEDTalks,Feb.2012.Web.May
3,2016.