Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, from the way we communicate to how we work, learn, and even think. What once seemed like distant possibilities—smartphones, artificial intelligence, connected devices, ect.—are now integral parts of our daily routines. But while technology has brought undeniable convenience and innovation, it has also raised important questions about its impact on our relationships, our privacy, and our sense of self, especially in children and teens.

The problems of Technology

The issue of technology arises when young children spend their entire day scrolling through social media apps like Instagram and TikTok. Studies in technology throughout several fields shows just how much children are being affected by the ever-growing technology [1]. A lot has been questioned about the impacts of technologies on children’s physical and psychosocial development. “In the cognitive sphere, the influence on sleep, memory, reading ability, concentration, the ability to communicate in person are commonly cited, in addition to anxiety symptoms when children are away from their cell phones.”

One of the biggest concerns of technology is that social media has been linked to the growing depression crisis in adolescents [2]. Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Humans require in-person contact with others to trigger the hormones that make a person more positive. In today’s world, many young people rely on social media platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to connect with each other. Each has its own benefits, bringing people closer together, communication, creativity, but it’s often the over or misuse of these platforms that cause such problems in adolescents.

I believe one of the next biggest problems of technology is something called “Doom scrolling.” Doom scrolling is mindless scrolling through social media videos that are made to install fear, anger, or even sadness in a person for hours. Doom scrolling is completely understandable and becoming more frequent each day, I’ve done it myself. It’s hard not to when your algorithm specially designed for you is showing shooting after shooting, war after war, panic panic panic. The reason I believe this is becoming such a pressing issue is because when a person falls into doom scrolling, it is so incredibly hard to get out of. You are being fed stuff that is meant to scare you, meant to make you hopeless. Maureen Salamon in her article “Doomscrolling Dangers,” describes exactly why it’s such a problem. “In the wake of the pandemic, doomscrolling’s mental health effects have been examined more extensively. An April 2023 research review published in Applied Research in Quality of Life analyzed three separate studies involving a total of about 1,200 adults, suggesting doomscrolling is linked to worse mental well-being and life satisfaction. An August 2024 study of 800 adults published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports reinforces those findings, suggesting doomscrolling evokes greater levels of existential anxiety — a feeling of dread or panic that arises when we confront the limitations of our existence. Yet another study in Computers in Human Behavior in April 2024 provided additional perspective, suggesting that employees who doomscroll while at work may become less engaged with their professional tasks. On a practical level, Dr. Nerurkar says, doomscrolling can give us ‘popcorn brain,’ which happens when we spend too much time online. ‘It’s the real, biological phenomenon of feeling your brain is popping because you’re being overstimulated online,’ she explains. ‘Then it’s hard to engage with the real world, which moves at a much slower pace.’”

Even then, doomscrolling isn’t the most pressing concern for parents and researchers, online interaction is. What I mean by online interaction can range from a variety of things. Cyberbulling, FOMO, comparison, online predators, ect.. The biggest thing I want to focus on is the comparison. With the uprise in social media platforms, there has been a drawback in self-esteem for young children with technology. Platforms often highlight only the best moments in a person’s life, such as vacations, achievements, or (mostly) physical appearance, leading people to feel inadequate if their own lives don’t measure up. This constant exposure to a filtered life can distort their self-image, as most internalize these unattainable, fake, standards. On the other side, the people who post the photos and videos also struggle with these issues, just in a different way. The desire for validation through likes, comments, and followers has been linked to feelings of insecurity, as teens see their worth as online approval. The pressure to maintain a “perfect” online presence can contribute to anxiety, loneliness, and depression.

So how do we fix it?

For parents with young children, the answer is easy. Cut back on your child’s screen time. Make the go outside, make them hang out with friends and interact with people. For parents with older children, or maybe you’re a teen yourself, technology addiction might be an actual thing for you. And that’s completely normal, but not irreversible.

1. Use an app to track how much time you spend on social media each day. Then set a goal for how much you want to reduce it by.
2. Turn off your phone at certain times of the day, such as when you’re driving, in a meeting, at the gym, having dinner, spending time with offline friends, or playing with your kids. Don’t take your phone with you to the bathroom.
3. Don’t bring your phone or tablet to bed. Turn devices off and leave them in another room overnight to charge.
4. Disable social media notifications. It’s hard to resist the constant buzzing, beeping, and dinging of your phone alerting you to new messages. Turning off notifications can help you regain control of your time and focus.
5. Limit checks. If you compulsively check your phone every few minutes, wean yourself off by limiting your checks to once every 15 minutes. Then once every 30 minutes, then once an hour. There are apps that can automatically limit when you’re able to access your phone.
6. Try removing social media apps from your phone so you can only check Facebook, Twitter and the like from your tablet or computer. If this sounds like too drastic a step, try removing one social media app at a time to see how much you really miss it

While technology defiantly has its benefits, it’s important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. A robot is not human, comments on a video aren’t the same thing as a genuine conversation. Be the change. Start a life filled with people instead of pictures.

Written by

Anna Houser

I am a 11th grade student living in Georgia. My interests are music, old history, medicine.