My Relationship with Technology

My relationship with technology is anything but healthy. Unfortunately this is probably the standard for my generation, even if they don’t want to admit it. 

I’m proud to say I’m not always on my phone, however, when I am on it, I’m texting my friends, scrolling through Instagram, viewing Snapchats or TikTok. Nowadays, I use my phone as a saving grace to appear busy or not to feel awkward, like before classes start or if I’m riding up the elevator. I completely understand I could be doing something way better with my time. The sad thing is, with my recognition of my usage and dependency, I would dare say, has only gotten worse as a result of the pandemic.  

I don’t want to blame my unhealthy relationship with technology, social media particularly on the pandemic. I’ve been on Instagram since I was in 6th grade. So, I was 11. Now I’m well aware that kids, that age or younger have social media due to there not being social restrictions and if there are you can easily get around that, which leads me to two New York Times articles about Facebook creating an Instagram for kids. The other article poses a lot of questions for people who grew up with social media. I’m going to answer a few. 

I do think Facebook made the right decision in halting the development of the Instagram Kids app. I don’t think that kids below 13 should be exposed to social media, regardless if it is for their age or not. I was taught to be cautious of my privacy on social media, what I posted or what I commented, not all kids are taught that. Especially, with the content from influencers and advertisements that are on the platform now that weren’t on it when I first started using it, are additional things that children do not need to be exposed to. Personally, I don’t even think people my age should be exposed to it. Just because, the influencers more than likely do not actually use the products or brands they partner with. Children and some people my age don't know how to cross reference these products or people to make sure they’re good items, brand messaging, and so forth. Advertisements are now targeted to certain demographics because of the algorithms the platforms use, and I have no interest in seeing that stuff. 

                                         

I’m not at all surprised that social media can have harmful effects on mental health. I think that social media definitely heightens anxiety, depression, fear of missing out, and body image issues. According to the National Center for Health Research reports, “With 13% of 12-17 year olds reporting depression and 32% reporting anxiety, mental illness is a concern for adolescent health. It is a concern for young adults as well, since 25% of 18-25 year olds report having some form of mental illness” (NCHR). I would also like to share this, “In 2021, leaked documents revealed that researchers at Instagram found that using the app was harmful to teen girls’ and boys’ body image. About 1 out of 3 teen girls felt worse about their bodies due to using the app, and so did 14% of boys” (NCHR). This is completely insane. I think at one point or another, everyone has compared themselves to someone online. For me, I recognized in high school that I really didn’t care what people thought of me, so if I started to compare myself, I would unfollow them. It’s not worth it. 

If I was in charge of making Instagram, or other social media apps, I would let them customize their settings, including privacy and their algorithm. That way they can decide who can see what and they can filter what they are exposed to. US News shares this about social media usage, “People may willingly share their data in exchange for a free service that they value. But they have not agreed to submit to experimental manipulation that encourages slot machine-like behavior and can drive feelings of anxiety and depression. What's more, the algorithmic elevation of sensationalistic content distorts users' perception of political realities, promotes polarization, and worse.” If users were aware of this and could manage it, I think there would be much better effects on mental health and as far as the spread of misinformation. 

    Before I move on to other aspects of technology, I want to share some tips that I plan on implementing in my own life to have a better relationship with social media. Putting my phone on dark mode or lowering my brightness. This is to protect your vision and to make your phone screen less alluring. Taking breaks or days off from apps that are draining. Being conscientious of my screen time.

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There are positives to technology. Having the power to instantly know something by Googling it or looking it up on Safari, another genius invention, that I couldn’t imagine not doing. For instance, being able to stream music. The creator of Spotify is a genius. I love this invention and use it every day. It’s safe to say I’m a music fanatic. I also love television and movie streaming platforms. I binge shows on Netflix more than I probably should. But, hey I’m a pop culture major. 

These things are what I would consider some hobbies and bonding points. I could literally talk to anyone about music, movies, or shows, which is great! Speaking of talking, one positive thing about phones is being able to talk to your friends and family that you don’t see everyday. Something all of us probably started making a priority during the pandemic. At the end of the day, nothing is better than a sweet text message from a loved one.