My relationship with technology started in the fifth grade when my parents surprised my sister and I with our first iPhones for Christmas. My parents were reluctant to give my sister and I phones at an early age. However, with the transition to middle school, they thought it would be important to communicate with them about our whereabouts. My parents decided quickly with the phone that there were going to be some rules put in place. I think with my parents monitoring my phone use, it allowed me to not be as attached to social media and the internet as I am today. This let me still be a kid and enjoy other activities. It was comforting to know that I could contact parents at any time, and they could see my location. As I became older these restrictions subsided. At the time, I probably gave my parents a hard time about these limitations, but today I am thankful. When I was younger, I enjoyed being outside, playing with friends, and participating in sports.
As I entered my teen years, I heavily relied on my phone. I feel my relationship with technology was healthier when I was younger since I had limitations put in place by my parents. Today I am constantly using technology for school, work, and keeping in contact with friends. I feel as though some younger people have too much free access to their phones. I’m not sure if it’s the world we live in, but it’s concerning. I have learned that having a phone, the media can be a creative place, but it can also be very dark. I feel its important users stay informed of the positive and negative sides to technology, in hopes to ensure their online safety.
Today, I am an avid social media user. For the most part, I believe my relationship with the media is healthy. I enjoy being myself online, keeping up to date on other family members' lives, and for entertainment purposes. Sometimes, my parents may say I’m on my phone too much scrolling through TikTok, but I disagree. However, technology has become a major distraction and addiction for some. I feel users today are sometimes too invested in their phones and don’t know how to communicate properly. Being too invested on your phone you lose out on quality time with your loved ones, and you are not as socially aware of what’s happening in our outside world. This lack of quality time disrupts relationships with ones you care about the most. I try my best to monitor this and make sure I am only using my social media accounts during my free time.
I investigated my screen time and was shocked to find I recorded almost 4 hours a day on my phone. I expected the number to be slightly lower due to my busy school schedule and I thought I mostly used my phone in the evenings, but apparently, I was wrong. I did some further research to compare my findings and discovered that in the US, teens average screen time can be up to 9 hours! This number is very troubling. I feel as if we have allowed cellphones to control our daily lives. Being too invested we are missing out on what’s truly important in life. According to a Science Daily article called, “We’re not addicted to our smartphones, we’re addicted to social interaction” helped explain this addiction. In The article it states, “while smartphones harness a normal and healthy need for sociality, Professor Veissiere agrees that the pace and scale of hyper- connectivity pushes the brain’s system to run on overdrive, which can lead to unhealthy addictions” (Science Daily). I think we as society need to do a better job holding ourselves accountable and monitoring our technology use. Technology can be very beneficial when it comes to work aspects, but how much is too much?
When I’m on the phone, I am usually communicating with friends or on social media. I use social media to stay connected with my friends and family, find information, express my creativity, and much more. The main social media platforms I use are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Instagram especially is my favorite app. I enjoy all the excitement and creativity that goes into taking photos for Instagram. However, social media can be an extremely negative outlet for users. A lot of false images are shared amongst the media, which can be damaging to one's mental health. Especially, when it comes to body shaming. Social media has made up this “ideal figure” of what our bodies should look like. I found a Healthline article “body shaming in an age of social media” discussing body shaming in the media. In the article it stated, “Today a teenage girl is inundated with a tsunami of “perfect” body images through their social media feeds. In addition, people comment on these images, sometimes in disparaging and dismissive tones” (Healthline). I have struggled in the past with social media and wishing I could look like the other social media influencers, but I try to like myself for who I am!
Most of the time, users don’t understand that these images are highly photoshopped. Sadly, online influencers sometimes will promote these images or scams. This can make social media such a bad place because these creators are using large platforms and aren’t always promoting good. It could be argued that these influencers are contributing to these dark aspects of the media. Not to mention, how mean people can be online. Sadly, there are people in this world who find pride in bringing others down. Unfortunately, the media has allowed users to do this due to lack of laws and security. One way I try to avoid this is only allowing people and I know follow me.
Overall, I am grateful for my access to technology. It has made my life a lot easier in some aspects. But it has also shown me what to avoid. I feel it's important for users to be informed about these issues because once you post something on social media it's out there for good and anyone can use it! Someday I hope to have children of my own, and I know I am going to implement rules as well, just like my parents did. I also try to think about how a picture or post will be interpreted before posting it online. Therefore, I always make sure I am posting appropriate content online because you never know when it will come around and whose hands it can get into. Especially when applying for jobs! Today a lot of companies may ask you for your social media accounts. I don't believe that is asking too much of you. Companies want to make sure you are a good person outside of the work environment and will represent their brand well. Therefore, as I prepare to enter the workforce, I will be mindful that my digital footprint will encourage and promote health and positivity.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180307141337.htm
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/body-shaming-in-social-media#A-difficult-challenge
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