Contemporary Social Issues

Technology is Destroying our Minds, Bodies, and Communities

How is Technology destroying our Minds, Bodies, and Communities?

Technology is everywhere. As a younger individual of nineteen years, throughout high school, college, and simply out in public, technology is impossible to escape. In school, walking around the halls is full of other students aimlessly walking with their phones in front of their faces, teachers yelling at students constantly to put there phones away and pay attention. Even at lunch, when it’s a time to stop the schoolwork and socialize with your friends, students take this opportunity to use technology once again. In college, you see more people who care about school, but there is still an evident need for technology. In society in general as well, you see adults texting or being on their cell phones while driving, or during meetings. Technology is everywhere and is taking over the need for hard work and social interactions.

Technology is destroying our minds, bodies, and communities. It is definitely useful and has been beneficial in relation to medical advancements, discoveries and much more. However, the amount we use and rely on technology is the problem. Some negative ways that technology is affecting our minds, bodies, and communities are; It is affecting our eyesight, its seriously addicting, its being used as a babysitter, and it is becoming a necessity.

Technology today is used to teach or occupy children, which is not healthy. Exposing children to technology as a form of distraction as “58 percent of admit” doing so (Bustle). Children grow up too fast and can become addicted to technology if they are exposed to early. Healthy access and supervision at a young age would help immensly.

Eyesight – In society today, screens are everything. Phones, computers, televisions… Technology is everywhere. The visions council conducted a report in 2013 showing, “nearly 70% of US adults experience digital eye strain as a result of the growing use of these devices” (Bustle).

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How will technology continue to affect society if nothing changes?• Technology will come before jobs and in time,

will start eliminating some jobs all together. This will result in mass unemployment.

• There may be an increase in obesity and diseases related to being immobile, being able to order food from the seat of your couch, and not getting outside to get fresh air. One’s health depends on a healthy lifestyle and with technology, this lifestyle is harder to maintain. If technology continues like this, the issues will worsen.

• Technology will replace the need for human interaction. With the advancements being made in technology, the amount of time people spend in front of a screen is vastly greater than the amount of time people spend face to face. This can only get worse if technology continues in this same way.

Is your job being affected?With how far technology has come and the

advancements being made, some jobs are being replaced by intelligent technology or are in serious jeopardy.

It is seen through studies that growing jobs are those in which advancements in technology are being researched, as well as service jobs that will always be needed. This includes; health care workers, lawyers, social workers, etc…

Vulnerable Jobs

• Butchers• Payroll Clerks• Bank Tellers• Cashiers• Typists• Pharmacists• Book keepers• Secretaries

Facts about technology and how it affects individuals

• Studies show that 63% of Americans log on to Facebook daily, and 40% log on multiple times each day.

• Two-thirds of people admit to having difficultly relaxing when unable to use their social media accounts.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics now suggest our kids limit screen time to a maximum of two hours a day apart from homework.

• If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest after China

• It is thought that video games spark violent and aggressive behaviour

Statements about Technology

“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots”.

Albert Einstein

Technology is nothing, what’s important is that you have faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.

Steve Jobs

Carl SaganWe live in a society exquisitely dependant on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.

Symbolic Interactionalism TheoryWhat is this theory?

The symbolic interactionalism theory relates to the interaction between individuals and the affect that has on them. For example; an individual attending school learns behaviours from their teachers and classmates.

How does it apply?

The symbolic Interactionalism theory relates to technology and how it is destroying our minds, bodies, and communities as the issue with technology is the amount it is being relied upon. Through interactions and learned behaviour, children as well as adults, are subjected to walking and texting at the same time, texting or calling while driving, socializing through devices, etc… This subjection teaches individuals that this behaviour is accepted which does not help the issue of technology.

Conflict TheoryWhat is this theory?

The Marxist based conflict theory, specifically the social conflict theory, relates to the different powers within society and the effect it has on others. For example; the rich and the poor. The rich makes decisions for the rich, which can negatively affect those in a lower class.

How does it apply?

The social conflict theory relates to technology and how it is destroying out minds, bodies, and communities because, advancements in technology help those who are already wealthy. For the other individuals who have less or significantly less income, technology is taking over their jobs and ability to provide for their families

Technology vs the human body

Technology is a powerful element within society that affects individuals in both physical and psychological ways. These are some examples;

• Sleep – The use of technology, especially at night can seriously affect one’s sleeping patterns. There is a potential for sleep disorders which can be harmful to one’s body.

• Depression – There have been multiple studies that have shown that individuals with the need to have technology available at all times or who have an unhealthy attachment may show signs of depression or a depressive disorder.

• Addiction – Technology is seen as a form of addiction in some cases. Studies have shown that over time, one’s brain starts to develop a certain pattern of change. Also, Because of the amount of times individuals go to check technological gadgets, it can be seen as a form of addiction.

• Anxiety – Technology is becoming a driving force for anxiety and other psychological disorders. Aside from the anxiety of being detached or unable to be around your cell phone for example, studies have shown that individuals have anxiety about what they look up. Women in particular are known to have anxiety if they don’t “Instagram enough” or post the “cutest” picture.

• Insecurity – Technology gives anyone the ability to constantly check in on others lives. Having social media sites, magazines, etc... Allows individuals to follow what people are doing throughout the entire day. Focusing so much on other people makes you insecure or uncomfortable with yourself. If technology were less of a priority, people would be able to spend more time focusing on themselves as opposed to other people.

• Isolation – Technology keeps people isolated. You could be in a large group of friends, with no conversation or interaction. This is because individuals now a days are so caught up in technology that there is a need to constantly check your phones and seeing what others are doing. Technology is isolating people from the potential of forming stronger relationships.

How can we solve this issue?

Technology is such a large part of society and how the world works that coming up with a proper solution would be very difficult. The amount that individuals use and rely on technology is the real issue, rather than the technology itself. We have become so dependent on it that it seems like the end of the world thinking of a world without technology. Overall, the solution is simple. We need to realize that technology is a secondary source of interaction, communication, and learning tool. Individuals need to be retaught the value in human interaction and going outside in the fresh air. The reason technology is destroying our minds and bodies is because the world have in a way become one in which you sit at school or work, and come home just to sit down and use some sort of technology, whether that be the television, computer, or cell phone. Another solution would be to reconfigure the school system. Instead of sitting in a classroom the majority of the day, take the kids outside, do interactive learning, anything that will get them up and moving. Teaching individuals at a young age about the value in relationships and health is the simplest solution to this growing problem of technology.

Bibliographyhttp://www.ehawellness.org/ehareps/9ways.pdf

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