Untitled Document 18
Untitled Document 18
Alayna Johnston
Mr. Walsh
English 1201.520
2 May 2021
I remember when I was young and my entertainment was different sports balls, bikes, and
a playground. Nowadays these things have all been replaced by tablets, phones, and television. I
can’t say that I didn’t watch my fair share of Barney and Mickey Mouse but my overall
entertainment was created on my own using imagination and playing games with my friends. My
nieces, nephews, and little cousins, now come to our family gatherings and their parents
immediately put a tablet in their hand to keep them entertained and most importantly to the
parents, quiet. It was watching moments like this with my family or even passing ten year olds at
the mall holding cell phones that made me interested in this topic. I believe that with the creation
of cellphones, social media, and the internet, the effects are more negative than they are positive
for humans.
The history of communication devices only dates back about 150 years ago. The
telegraph was invented in 1876 by Samuel Morse who sent the first long distance message from
Baltimore, Maryland to Washington D.C. and it stated “What hath God wrought”. Following this
invention was that of the telephone only 32 years later and this advancement is the most
profound because before this messages could only be sent through dots and dashes, morse code.
The telephone was created in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and the first call was made to his
assistant, Tom Watson, when Bell said “Mr Watson-come here-I want to see you”. The next
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form of communication invented was radio and although its widely spread use is different now
the premise is still the same. It was invented in 1901 by Guglielmo Marconi who’s first message
was the Morse code for the letter S across the Atlantic from Cornwall to Newfoundland. After
radio was created and audio messages could be sent, the next logical step would be that of video
messages, and for that the television was born. Created by Philo T Farnsworth in 1926 but his
first message was made in 1927 consisting of just a horizontal line. Shortly following television
was the invention of the computer just eleven years later, created by John Atanasoff. It wasn’t
until 1974 that personal computers were created and the first model was named the Altair. In the
same year of 1974, the internet emerged and was created by Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn and
all it could do in the beginning was transfer “packets” of data to the right place. All this is, is a
simplified version of what everyone does today! After all of the necessary technology was
invented, it was only a matter of time before it turned into something that the creators never
intended it to be.
The first negative effect of technology comes from its physical effects on the human body. In an
article by the Medical News Today written by Jon Johnson and titled, “Negative effects of
technology: What to know'', they discuss the many consequences of technology. For example
eyestrain is a common issue that is caused by the constant looking at screens that nearly all
people do on the daily. Eyestrain is shown by multiple symptoms but the most common are
‘“blurred vision and dry eyes''(Johnson). Another physical side effect of technology is poor
posture. Most technological devices promote a downward looking user position and this leads to
hunching and looking down towards the screen. This kind of position can cause unnecessary
pressure on the spine and neck and a lifetime of pain. Another article from the website U.S.
Norton, titled “Technology use and the physical effects on your body”, explains ways for people
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to avoid these negative effects while still being able to use their technology. The article explains
how cThey suggest getting up and moving every 20 to 30 minutes, in an attempt to avoid some
of the deadly risks. U.S. Norton says that one way to avoid a strained neck is by holding youre
device directly out in front of you. Although many physical problems are caused by technology
and devices, it is important for people to take the necessary steps to protect themselves from
The next negative effects of technology are psychological, meaning that they affect
people mentally. The first being the feeling of isolation and Johnson states that people who use
social media more are three times more likely to feel socially isolated compared to those who use
social media significantly less. The next mental side effect of technology is depression and
anxiety although these results vary. The biggest factor in determining the risk of depression or
anxiety is the kinds of interactions that people experience on social media. People who have
positive experiences and support from social media platforms appear to have less anxiety and
depression. Not everyone experiences such good interactions on social media and many people
have to deal with cyberbullying from either people they know or even strangers! An interesting
study was conducted by Dr. Zachary G. Baker regarding social media and the phenomenon of
FoMO, otherwise known as the Fear of Missing Out. Baker found out that “Nearly three quarters
of young adults report experiencing unease when they felt at risk for missing out on what their
peers are doing” (Fear of Missing Out: Relationships With Depression, Mindfulness, and
Physical Symptoms). Dr. Baker found a relationship between the feeling of FoMO and
depression. All of the psychological effects of social media and technology have been linked to
the increase of suicides within the past two decades. According to the University of Utah’s study
titled, “Suicide and Social Media”, in 2015 the number of suicides among teen girls hit a 40 year
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high. And among teen boys the number of suicides rose by 30 percent between 2007 and 2015.
Although this study is most definetly most conclusive, it is ironic that the suicide rate rose at the
same time the number of social media platforms and users. The 2019 Pew Research Center
reported that social media use in the United States has dramatically grown in the last fifteen
years. The popular app, Facebook, weas created in 2005 and this led to 5% of Americans being
on social media. Over the next fifteen years, with the creation of so many other social media
apps that number has risen to 72% of Americans using at least one form of social media.
(Maryville University). Technology and social media have caused many psychological effects on
billions of people and that is one of the reasons why the negative effects of social media
Another important question regarding how technology affects all of us, is asking how it
affects children. In the article, “The Impact of Technology on The Developing Child” written by
Cris Rowan and published by the Huffington Post, he speaks of these effects. Rowan opens by
talking about when “children used to play outside all day, riding bikes, playing sports and
building forts'' (The Impact of Technology on The Developing Child). Since that time, lots of
things have changed in the family dynamics of the world. The advancement of entertainment has
changed so quickly from tree branches to iPads and it has affected the world in ways that people
are failing to recognize. Many families are disconnected and the time when families would
connect and share stories, dinner time, is now “replaced by the "big screen `` and'' take out”
(Allen). Children now rely on technology for the wide majority of their own entertainment and
this has many negative effects on their creativity and imagination, and many would say that those
skills are imperative to success. There are also many frightening statistics regarding children and
technology. For example from Consumer Reports, more than 90% of American children have
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some sort of online footprint by the young age of two and that young children spend an average
time of 7.5 hours a day on different forms of technology. The effects of technology on children is
even more concerning than those on adults because the children are the future of the world and
there is no telling how much technology will continue to advance and its effects worsen.
Another important part of life that technology has posed negative impacts on is
education. For example plagiarism in schools has increased exponentially since the internet
became so easily accessible. An article on the website, Check for Plagiarism, titled Cyber
Plagiarism and Statistics, marks the summer of 2006 as the date that plagiarism was reinvented.
June 2006 marks the date where a message was sent to a sorority and fraternity chapter across
the U.S. adveritising a new website with downloadable essays, labs, and assignments. The
website was titled “Writing Sucks”. Ever since then, thousands of plagiarism sites have arisen
making it difficult for teachers to know what work is genuine and what could have been
downloaded off a random website. There are so many staggering statistics regarding plagiarism,
for example around 31 million students all around the world have admitted to being a part of
plagiarism, accoring to Skills Counter, and that every 1 out of 3 students confessed to plagiaring
not just homework assignments but also entire essays. In 2020 and 2021, nearly all students from
to look past the likely possibility that a large number of these students used the internet to
complete most of their assignments. This example of a negative effect of technology has grown
greatly within the past two years and its repercussions are the most dangerous. Students are
losing their skills such as test-taking, studying, and also a simple work ethic. Technology has led
to less learning and students losing their abilities to take tests and it is one of the reasons why
Another example of negative effects of technology is in the increase of car crashes since
the invention of cell phones. Texting and driving leads to 1.6 million car wrecks in the United
States each year, according to Carsurance. Out of all of the car accidents in the United States
more than 25% of them involve a cellphone. The constant distractions of notifications, phone
calls, texting, and everything else that people can do on their cell phones puts the driver and
everyone around them at a high risk of car accident. One way to measure the danger that
cellphones impose on drivers is how much it increases the driver’s reaction time. Carsurance
explains that “a teen with a cell phone has the same reaction time as a 70 year old”(Carsurance).
This statistic is a frightening one due to the known fact that with age, reaction times grow longer.
Short reaction times can save lives in the moments where decisions must be made within an
instant in order to swerve, brake, or perform another task that avoids an accident. Although some
states have enforced laws to try and deter texting while driving, this problem is growing rapidly
Throughout history, people’s ancestors relied on manual labor to feed their family which
kept them strong and well. In modern times, there is no doubt that technology has brought ease
to our lives but also increased the risk of health issues such as obesity. Although scientists can
not blame all obesity on technology, it is the bad use of technology that is the main cause that is
creating health issues among people. Obesity is not just something that affects people’s
appearances, it can lead to many life threatening health problems like heart disease, diabetes,
hypertension, hyperlipidemia, joints problems, and more. “According to the World Health
Organization, almost 600 million people are obese in the World and 1.6 million youngsters under
the age of 18 are overweight”(Healthcare Guys). Since the introduction of constant access to
technology and entertainment, obesity has been on a constant rise. According to USA Facts,
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obesity hasn’t just doubled but it has tripled within the last fifty years. Obesity is still on a
constant rise and to control these numbers people need to limit their technology use in an attempt
experience more in the future and that is the loss of jobs to robots. Although this example sounds
like it is fresh out of a movie, it is something that everyone should be concerned about. Starting
with the obvious, cashiers and retail staff are already starting to be replaced with robots. Even at
a McDonalds in Centerville, Ohio, they now have touchscreens where you can order and
checkout without speaking to one worker. This issue is not something that is happening in 10,
20, 30 years, it is something that is already happening. Another group of people that are under
the threat of losing their jobs because of robots are farmers. People have already created the first
autonomous farming machines and they are available commercially. This advancement means
that these machines can take over many different tasks that previously were jobs. According to
Forbes, it is not only low-level workers who are at risk. Even managing jobs are at risk of seeing
their upper ranks taken away with the increase in artificial intelligence. This is because robots
can oversee a great deal of operations 24/7.This is a group of people that no one thought were at
risk of losing their jobs to robots. According to Lynn Wu, professor at The Wharton School and
AIB Affiliated Faculty, there is a decreasing need for managers because robots can record
precisely the work completed, with no messing up the numbers and no agency costs. There is no
arguing the simple fact that robots can work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, without
a complaint. Technology has both the power to create jobs and also destroy jobs and people just
The final example of why technology has affected society in a negative way is the loss of
human connection. Human connection is the exchange between two people when they are
interacting with oen another. The power of human connection can deepen a moment and builder
a deeper trust between people. Another part of this is social connection and that is when someone
feels that they belong with a group and have a feeling of closeness with other people. Scientific
evidence suggests that this feeling is a psychological need for people to feel satisifaction in life.
Social media and technology has led to a more difficult path to feel this connection to people.
The majority of conversations are held over text and email and many people are losing their
ability to communicate and hold a connection with someone. Social media, although created to
keep people connected, has led to an increase in social isolation. Social isolation is defined as the
state of lack of contact between a people and society. Loneliness and social isolation differ
because loneliness is the lack of human interaction temporarily. When a teenage girl sees videos
and pictures of friends hanging out, girls with different body types, and also groups that she feels
like she can’t be a part of,leads to the feeling of isolation. Steve Cole, a genetrics researtcher at
the University of California Los Angeles, believes that social isolation is the strongest and most
important social factor. The loss of human connection has led to mental and physical effects and
is something that needs to be taken seriously. Now that the United States has begun to open up,
people need to take the opportunity to leave their house and experience real-world connections
Although there are many examples of why technology is bad, it is an ignorant opinion if
one ignores all of the positives. One major positive of technology is how easily accessible
information is to anyone who can access the internet. Just one generation ago, many people had
to write essays using only books and encyclopedias and now people walk around with billions of
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resources at their fingertips. According to Internet Live Stats there are around 5.5 billion
searches done on Google per day or over 63,000 search queries done per second. This number
has multiplied by 144 in the past ten years. That exponential increase is due to the access of the
Mickeel Allen, a professor at Alvernia University. This article addresses the positive effects of
technology in education. Teaching is more interactive and collaborative than it has ever been and
that is thanks to the help of technology. Students have access to billions of articles, videos, and
so many other sources to help them learn or even write research papers such as this one.
Advancements such as these help students to learn better than they ever have before to make
learning more fun and entertaining! Instead of learning from tech books and lectures, teachers
The third example of technology benefiting society is communication. This is one of the
biggest if not the greatest benefit of technology because of how easy it is to stay connected.
Whether it’s distant friends or family or even strangers that met through the internet, technology
has allowed everyone to stay connected to anyone! Through examples such as social media,
texting, and affordable cell phones, communication with distant aquaitances is as easy as ever.
Technology brought with it many new methods of communication that continue to develop every
single day! People can be on opposite sides of the world and video chat with just a simple WiFi
connection. Another positive from technology addresses a problem that technology made worse
and that is obesity. Especially during a time when most gyms and workout classes aren’t open,
technology and different apps have brought many possibilities to people to work out from the
comfort of their own home. Many of these apps and programs are either free or inexpensive and
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give people the ease of a work out that can last as long as they want and with the difficulty level
they prefer. Going along with people’s health, within the past five years, smart watches have
been worn by a lot of people! Smart watches can track people’s steps throughout the day, their
heart rate, measure exercises, and so much more. Wearable devices such as smart watches,
increase people’s awareness of their body and can also shed light on different health issues.
Although this entire research paper is about the negative effects of technology, this does not take
away from the many positives and benefits that come from them as well.
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