Why Are We Becoming More Reliant on Technology?

Why Are We Becoming More Reliant on Technology?

    Technology has allowed us to advance in many exciting ways, connect with different people across the world, and has given us many new opportunities.   But it has also caused our nation to have a serious reliance on its phones. As the reliance on technology increases, it is important to use technology as a tool but not a replacement of learning.  Ian Leslie said, “Those who acquire the habits of intellectual curiosity early on will use computers to learn throughout their lives; those who don't may find they are replaced by one.” Replacing our face-to-face interactions for online relationships could actually lead students to become more lonely because they aren’t connecting with people that are physically around them.  Technology is affecting the way that we think and act on a neurological level, eliminating our social interactions with other people, and causing us to lack curiosity which leads us to not be as hungry for growth within ourselves.  

    Throughout this process of writing my Junior Theme, I was able to gain many new perspectives and ideas as I did my research on our growing reliance on technology.  I was able to truly see the positives and negatives of technology and its true affects on our society. It is proven that technology usage is rapidly growing and it is having effects in the way that humans process information and interact with one another.  As social interactions decrease, feelings of loneliness that can often lead to depression or anxiety is increasing. But I also learned that if we use technology as a tool it can be very helpful in the way that students learn. These new programs that are being created could actually lead to students feeling more engaged in the classroom.  This topic is extremely important in our society today because technology is having a serious effect on humans, especially Generation Z. Teenagers are struggling with depression, anxiety, loneliness, being engaged, connecting with friends face-to-face, and processing information. Although technology can be a beneficial tool, this is not what it is always being used for.  Teenagers are using technology as a replacement for how they learn and the relationships that they have. It is important to understand the correlation between technology and how its affecting students neurologically and socially. I have found through my research that if we use technology as a tool it will only benefit our society as a whole but if we use it to hide from the world and a replacement for what we learn it could lead to damaging impacts on our people and our world.