Technology, if not abused is a good thing. But recently, study shows that many teenagers have been badly affected by too much use of technology such as smartphones and televisions.
One serious damage noted are students' flunking grades due to spending too much time using gadgets and not prioritizing school works. An assessment released in the Perspectives on Psychological Science journal revealed how several parents are worried for their children's addiction on their cellphones and use of social media.
However, experts advise adults to eliminate their fears since findings from their studies show how kids' constant use of cellphones and other gadgets have its share of benefits.
Candice Odgers, associate professor in Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy and associate director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy stated, "Each generation worries about how young people are using their time. We see young people constantly on their phones and assume ill effects, but much of the research to date tells a more positive story."
She suggested that parents should understand the intention behind their child's use of social media before reacting on their addiction to it. "We tend to count hours spent using technology, rather than seek to understand the reasons teens are immersed in the digital world. When we look closely, we see considerable overlap between the underlying motivations and content of online versus offline communications and activities," Odgers said.
Experts found how the teens' offline worlds are connected with their online lives in a way that was differently viewed before. Kids who are socially awkward in person build stronger social relations online. These teens maximize the use of social media to express their feelings and strengthen relationship with friends rather than strangers using the internet when it seems challenging to do outside the social media world.
PhD candidate Madeleine J. George stated, "The overlap between offline and online connections is so striking that viewing what happens online as somehow separate from teens 'real lives' is a false distinction." Hence, technology is becoming a helpful tool to re-establish youths' connection offline through online source rather than shutting down offline interactions as what was feared by most parents.
