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Kirsten Blevins

Professor Bekah Ballard

Expository Writing 1000-105

2 February, 2024

Technology Invasion on Youth

Phones, technology, and internet access are destroying young people's minds. By

allowing children unrestricted internet access, they have developed a mindset surrounded by

society's ideas and unrealistic television. Many people are raising their children in front of a

screen because they no longer want to parent, which is leading kids to not feel connections with

their parents who have become consumed by technology. Parents need to stop giving children

immediate access to technology and start responding to their needs. Technology may have some

benefits to communication and ideas, but children do not necessarily need to have technology at

their fingertips. Technology has taken over the minds of young children and the way they process

information. By eliminating technology consumption we can hopefully save our children from

becoming addicted to technology. As parents, your goal should be to provide what is most

beneficial to your children and in most cases, technology is not the way to show the most

improvement in their well-being.

From my own experience, I have witnessed parents who give children phones and tablets

to watch videos to entertain them, or to stop them from crying. As someone who has worked in

child care, we are told it is best to comfort a child by talking to them and asking about their

feelings. This way you can build a trusting relationship between you and the child and help them

communicate their feelings so we know how to respond. The response of just handing a device to

an upset child causes them to create a connection with their devices rather than their parents.
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They become dependent on technology to find happiness and a sense of comfort. When children

go on the internet to find this they often leave disappointed due to the way social media and the

internet have conformed to be a negative and desensitized reality that children are trying to relate

to. Children need time to explore themselves and be creative, they cannot pursue a personalized

way of thinking if everything they learn is given to them on a screen.

I believe that when children reach a mature age, children should be allowed to have cell

phones. They need to have developed what is right and wrong before they begin scouring the

internet and possibly finding something that is inappropriate or even dangerous to themselves.

Cell phones and technology are dangerous when you do not know the capabilities of the devices

or the people on the other side of the device. Children could be putting themselves and others in

harm's way because they do not know any better communicating with strangers. Children also

learn many habits through television that may not be suitable for them. They could take these

actions portrayed on television and recreate them. Restricting what they are watching may aid in

stopping negative behavior, but there is still a concern about social interactions. If children

become so consumed with television they forget basic interactions with other human beings.

Children should learn to communicate with others and understand social cues by playing with

other kids and getting outside time.

In today's time, a lot of parents have been working online since COVID-19. This has led

parents to give their children devices as well as a use of distraction so that they can complete all

of their work. While this specific topic becomes more challenging going back and forth between

keeping children safe from doing dangerous activities inside, or outside the house. This is when I

think that restriction is the easiest option while still ensuring safety for children. Allowing them

time to watch television and also screen time within a reasonable amount. This still gives parents
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time but prevents overconsumption of media. Then once all the work the parent needs to finish

they should interact with their children. Parents will still have to do household chores, and that's

when letting kids help cook, clean, and learn basic household necessities will help them become

more independent later in life. We need to encourage spending time with children. Parents should

be aiding in their growth and development and not be depending on television to do that for

them. Parents should separate their work life and their home life. When parents stop spending

time with their children, the children become neglectful of their parents for not caring about them

enough. Children should be dependent on their parents, not their devices.

Giving your child a device to calm them down may seem like the easiest option. In the

long term, this can be detrimental to their mental health and well-being. If parents start now, by

making sure their kids are not dependent on technology, become connected with their parents,

and even learn simple life skills that can benefit their growth as a person. For example, people

now struggle with making their own food due to their parents not showing them how to cook.

Children need their youth to learn things about nature and themselves; the internet is not the

place for that. Creativity and imagination stem from curiosity and exposure to the world. The

minds of the younger generation are so dependent on technology that many of them cannot

function properly without it. Technology is the new invasion of society and without stopping it at

a young age it will consume our individuality and mental stability.

Technological invasions have spread so much that we are unaware of what it entails.

Parents, stop handing your child a device when you feel that your child is upset or needs a

distraction. We need to help children grow, by going outside and exploring the world and nature

and all of its amazing things. Technology is too dangerous to be handled by children. Parenting

needs to take a step back from technology and go back to its roots. Parenting is supposed to be
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interactive time. We are ruining the younger generation's minds one device at a time. Go out,

explore, and try new things with your children. It is so important to create connections with your

child and not a screen. Be aware of the negative effects of technology and what harm it can do

especially to children. Technology and media should be consumed in a reasonable amount. Let

children grow up and be curious, imaginative, and creative without doing it through a screen.