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Dominique Leon

Andrew Bashford

English 20210

27 March 2023

Misuse of Technology

In today's world, we know that technology is something that is updated every day

because we are constantly evolving as new things are always coming out. Technology has

opened the door to many opportunities and has even given us new experiences and has really

made life easier for many of us. Technology is constantly evolving, and we know that it will

never be the same as new things will always come out.

I want to start from this phrase to show that there are human abilities and characteristics that

are unique and valuable to human beings such as human experience and creativity that

technology cannot replace. "One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine

can do the work of one extraordinary man." (Hubbard) We know that the capabilities of

human beings are more valuable than a simple machine, a machine executes what you tell it

while the creativity of a person goes far beyond that.

My proposal will talk about the problems that the current generation (the millennials)

has due to the excessive use of technology, some consequences that this can generate will be

presented, being this as the problem. I will focus on how technology affects the mental and

physical health of this generation, and I will provide a solution to the problem as some general

suggestions that can help millennials to manage the excess of technology.

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The solutions that I will present are the responsibility of each young millennial as they are

suggestions that millennials should follow if they do not want to fall into an addiction of

technology.

For me, it is important to solve this problem because nowadays it has been seen that

for us young people excessive use of this can become a real obsession and like any other

addiction new technologies generate dependence. "Addictions, with or without drugs, are a

pathology of freedom" (Echeburua). In this quote we can see that addictions can be generated

by any excess of things you do; in this case, I have put this phrase because this way I can

demonstrate that being slaves of technology we are putting ourselves to close in a bubble that

is why being glued to our cell phones all the time, playing online video games, watching TV

all day generates dependence and therefore have the potential to be addictive. What

characterizes the addiction to new technologies is the loss of control over human behavior,

that is, how we stop doing physical activities that we all need or just going outside.

While technology can have many benefits such as connecting with friends and family over

long distances, it can have very serious long-term consequences.

For this generation, it is currently a concern because it is growing at an accelerated

pace and has become increasingly accessible, so it is important to know how to use it and

how to manage it so as not to fall into addiction and bone that is a serious problem faced by

most young people. (Idoeta)

One of the most common problems associated with the misuse of technology by us

millennials is addiction, increased screen time, and decreased face-to-face social interactions

is that we may even have some extent to feel a dependency on our cell phones and there is a

disease called "nomophobia" which translates to being the fear of not having a cell phone, it

is driven by a problem of excessive internet usage. (Care) We can see that there is currently
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a disease of dependence on having your cell phone. We can spend endless hours on our

phones, generating an addiction to always wanting to be on our cell phones, which can

negatively affect our ability to communicate and develop important social skills.

This is a problem because it generates isolation and we can feel disconnected from the people

in our daily lives acquiring socialization problems, we may lack social skills in the real world

such as the ability to communicate effectively, work in a team or solve a problem, this can

be especially problematic for a future as professionals in our workplace where the ability to

work well in a team with others is essential for success. (Idoeta)

On the other hand, it affects in our mental realm, "virtual relationships", addiction to

social networking, dating apps, texting can extend to the point where online friends become

more important than real-life relationships. And by this, I mean we have all seen couples

sitting together in a restaurant ignoring each other and each being on their cell phones instead

of enjoying and living in the moment they are on their phones catching up on what is

happening in the world outside, but they are not really living in the present. I think this is

important because we are not living in the moment, for example in this case with their partner

instead of being able to talk about them, about how their day went or to generate a relationship

between them, a bond, they are only focused on things that they don't need to in the present.

It is proven that in April 2022 the world population of 7,930 million people and 5,000

million people now use the internet, this means that 63% of the world population is now

online. (social) With this, we see that the vast majority use the internet that is only 37% do

not have access to a cell phone.

We see that the problems of misuse of technology are like a pattern as it is triggering one

problem after another problem that if a person by addiction generated by cell phones is

isolated, then it is very likely to come with more serious problems such as illnesses such as
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anxiety and depression. Social networks can be a constant source of social comparison and

can lead millennials to feel inadequate or not valued.

In addition, the constant pressure to stay connected and up to date online can be very stressful

and this can lead to issues of not feeling equal to the rest, or even to some extent comparison

issues of wanting to be just like that "influencer" we see on social media. "The striving for

an ideal image of bodily perfection can result in harmful behaviors when trying to conform

to that standard, which becomes an obligation to fulfill to be accepted and appreciated by

peers. Failure to achieve the set standards results in frustration and sadness." (Salesian) This

tends to affect not only the physical but also the psychological environment, harming

millennials and provoking more prejudice and stereotypes in society.

Although many young people do not follow this pattern there are many who do and

that is that they are guided and carried away by these "influencers" as the word indicates have

an influence on the people who follow them, so it is very important to take care and know

whom people follow and especially take care of the content we see on the internet.

Another common problem is exposure to inappropriate and dangerous content online.

Every time the world is being updated and is becoming more harmful for everyone, every

time new content comes out, it can be violent, sexually explicit, or inappropriate content

without proper supervision as most young people do since we do not have supervision from

our parents, we know that at young ages we are given a cell phone and we have no supervision

of it.

According to Unicef data, 42% of adolescents claim to have received messages with

sexual content called or better known as "sexting" (Cuesta). Another of the main risks for

young people is cyberbullying. According to the Unicef report, 2 out of 10 adolescents could
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be victims of harassment through the Internet and this occurs mainly for reasons of physical

appearance or sexual orientation. (Cuesta).

Finally, the figures for sexting and grooming are also of concern. Sexting is the

sending of photographs or videos of erotic/sexual nature through digital media and is

currently becoming increasingly common among adolescents. Although sexting is practiced

by both genders, it is usually girls who are pressured to send this type of content.

On the other hand, grooming refers to a new form of pederasty on the Internet, where

an adult impersonates a minor with the intention of gaining the trust of another minor and

end up having sexual contact. Contact with strangers through social networks is becoming

more and more common among young people and is becoming the most favorable

environment for grooming (Cuesta). I think that the generation of this time is more advanced

than before and that is why the numbers of this type of sexting and grooming are higher, I

feel that this also has to do with the values of each person who are part of sending this type

of content.

Another problem that I think it is important to treat are the attention and concentration

problems that can be triggered by addiction to technology. Constant exposure to visual and

auditory stimuli can generate distractions and difficulties in maintaining attention in tasks

that require mental effort.

This can also cause problems with your physical body, as the lack of physical activity due to

spending many hours sitting in front of a screen can lead to posture problems, obesity,

diabetes and other health problems related to physical inactivity.

According to the report of the UN (United Nations) in Spain about 37% of the adult

population and 43% of the child population are overweight. In addition, 17% of adults and

18% of children have obesity (Nestle).

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This is why this also goes hand in hand with the lack of mental exercise that is to say the

excessive use of technology can make young people neglect other activities that are also

important such as reading, writing, and problem solving on their own because we are used to

that when we do not understand something or do not know how to solve it we only look on

the internet and we want artificial intelligence to do for us, in this way leaving aside our

mental ability to solve a problem.

Another problem that can be addressed is cyberbullying this is a serious problem that can

affect this generation thanks to the misuse that young people provide to social networks,

bullies can take advantage of this intimidating the integrity of each teenager, so it is important

to know what we are going to upload on social networks.

I have many friends who are used to uploading to social media everything they do in their

day-to-day and although I consider myself part of this group too, I try to always be careful

with what I upload and especially take care of this, so it is important not to have public

accounts but private in this way you manage and know who your followers are and you can

take care of the people who are watching you.

It is important to know that victims of cyberbullying can experience a wide range of

emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, shame, and in some cases may even feel suicidal. In

addition, cyberbullying can affect the social, emotional, and academic life of the victim as it

is a very serious problem that should not be allowed and should be treated immediately.

Cyberbullying can include a wide variety of serious behaviors, such as sending threatening

or degrading messages, spreading false rumors, publishing humiliating photos or videos,

creating fake profiles to harass someone, and sending constant messages to harass someone,

among others.
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That is why we have to be aware of these types of messages to be able to differentiate and

know when to ask for help. It is important to take measures to prevent cyberbullying, such

as teaching young people to be kind and respectful online, fostering a culture of respect on

social networks and promoting education about cyberbullying. It is also important for victims

to know how to report bullying and seek help from trained professionals to deal with the

emotional effects of cyberbullying.

A possible solution to manage the excess of technology by millennials is to set a time limit

for the use of electronic devices and social networks can help millennials to control their

technological consumption. For example, today Apple has a screen time feature on your

iPhone that helps you see how much time you are using your cell phone, which should be

used by millennials who are addicted to technology to control the hours they spend using it.

While activating screen time, you will receive a notification that you have exceeded the

screen time limit or you will be automatically locked out of some applications and you will

not be able to access them, which will help you to reduce the time limit, and this will help

you reduced the addiction and by this reduce the possibility of getting a disease.

Practicing off-screen activities such as sports, walking, reading, painting, or making crafts

can help millennials find a balance between screen time and off-screen time. Turning off

notifications means. avoiding distractions and turning off the app and social media

notifications can reduce the urge to pick up your cell phone and help millennials focus on

their daily tasks.

It is also important to promote in-person socializing, for example by inviting friends to meet

in a public place instead of chatting online. And encourage more real world than online, this

means promoting temporary disconnection from technology and establishing moments of

rest in which electronic devices are turned off. I think it should be important that schools give
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talks to the millennials about all these consequences and explain this to them and show them

with examples that the beauty of life is to live in the moment and the present instead of being

all the time hooked on our cell phones, there will be time for that later.

Finally, it is important to mention that these changes will not happen overnight, they require

the commitment and cooperation of the whole family to achieve a successful outcome

especially if they are young millennials.

In conclusion, technology addiction is a real and worrisome problem, especially

among millennials. Technology has become an integral part of our lives, and while it offers

many advantages and benefits, overuse can lead to mental health issues, relationship

problems, academic performance issues, and other problems. It is important to take steps to

prevent technology addiction, and this can include setting time limits, encouraging outdoor

activities, promoting in-person socialization, establishing family rules, modeling appropriate

behavior, educating about the risks of addiction, encouraging creativity, and establishing

times to unplug.

As a society, we must take steps to address technology addiction and especially to help young

people find a healthy balance between technology use and other important activities in their

lives. It is important to recognize that technology is not inherently bad, but its overuse can

have negative consequences, and we must take steps to ensure that we use technology in a

responsible and balanced way.

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Works Cited

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https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/elbert_hubbard_108045 .

Cuesta, Laura, “ The impact of technology in young people”, The vanguard, November 30,

2021, https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/junior-report/20211130/7897657/impacto-

tecnologia-jovenes.html

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0la%20poblaci%C3%B3n%20mundial%20total.

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BBC News, “ Millennials: what went wrong with the generation that went from being

ambitious to being unhappy”, August 4 2021, https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-

57999304

National Library of Medicine, “Nomophobia”, April 8,

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%2Fspecific%20things%E2%80%9D.