Recently, there have been numerous studies exploring the effects of technology on the youth population. Along with the significant growth in technology use, there are substantial gaps in knowledge about the rapid and sweeping changes it has on young people. Technology offers many benefits, including sustaining distance learning, improvements in communication, sustainable development, and transformation of goods and services. If it is universally accessible and used appropriately, technology can be a game-changer for the youth. It can significantly help address numerous problems regardless of a person’s disability, ethnicity, geographic isolation, or race. It can do so by providing youths with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly digital world and connecting them to a world full of new opportunities. However, technology also has adverse effects on youth. Unarguably, technology is slowly reducing human’s imagination and creativity because people are highly dependent on the internet, are digitally distracted, and is sometimes causing social anxiety.
How Technology is Hindering Creativity
Today’s society has become more dynamic and complex than in the past. Therefore, it demands people to demonstrate creativity in unforeseeable and complicated situations. Creativity is the ability to design and imagine new inventions, solve difficulties in new ways, produce works of art, or develop an idea based on an unconventional or original approach. Creativity is perhaps the essential skill required in today’s ever-changing environment. However, reliance on digital technology is turning people uncreative as most of them rely on the internet for nearly all their information needs. “People are increasingly turning to digital platforms, especially the internet, to access knowledge instead of relying on their ability to think” (Alter 2018, p.5). Precisely, technology has gradually altered people’s imaginativeness as it has reduced people’s ability to think critically and creatively.
Google has become the ‘go to resource’ for information: People rarely check if the information they receive from Google is correct. Such an issue has stifled creativity as people think less and rely more on information from Google. Since this has become habitual, creativity is increasingly becoming uncommon, especially if it goes against the grain; that is if one thinks outside the box or has ideas considered unconventional. People are increasingly becoming reluctant to think for themselves or formulate new ideas and instead rely on technology. The practice is becoming a dangerous state of affairs, as there are chances that people may become misinformed. Being misinformed increases the likelihood of suffering manipulation as people cannot judge or assess the credibility of the information available to the public. Although integral, the internet can be a useful source of information. The platform can also be used to spread misinformation. Precisely, the increasing inability to think critically and creatively makes people increasingly susceptible to misinformation and manipulation.
People usually argue that technology is helping the world advance, at least by making information more accessible. From an independent view, the notion may be accurate, but it is also encouraging a retrogressive culture because it hampers people’s capacity to think freely or objectively. According to Adam Alter (2018), a New York Times bestselling author, “there is a lack of professionals to filter internet content” (p. 26). Therefore, an avalanche of substandard content threatens the global economy, values, and even creativity and innovation. The suggestion above is conceivable in that most information on the internet goes unverified, and people cannot doubt its legitimacy. Therefore, misinformation is becoming a severe problem in the digital world because it easily misleads people. Sociologist Jurgen Habermas proposes that “the internet contributes to the deterioration of creativity as intellectuals lose their ability to create a focus as there is a multi-focus, decentered public sphere developing through computer-mediated communication.
One of the many different functions performed by the human brain is creativity, which is perhaps the brain’s most crucial role. Remarkably, innovation involves advancement or progress and is an integral part of problem-solving. Today, people are increasingly becoming dependent on their mobile devices and the internet to access information. Individuals seem attached to their phones and internet-enabled devices, consequently making it a norm. Presently, it has become common to search online for details without “fact checking” the content received by people. This method of obtaining information has become the norm. It has had a negative impact on creativity in that most people receive similar information from the same source.
How Distractions Caused by Technology Hinder Creativity
Creativity starts with attention or awareness. One must observe and analyze things to be imaginative. Whether it is attention to the world around our inner selves or us, innovativeness starts with the conscious choice to be attentive. People’s increasing reliance on technology creates a world where people are less aware of their physical surroundings or events happening around them. For example, smartphones have become the most common solution to boredom. People have lost the capacity to find innovative ways to manage boredom because they rely on various applications and games on their smartphones when they are not busy.
What most people are referencing when using the term “boredom” is the idea of simple monotony. Clay Shirky (2010), a lecturer at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University, suggests that, “idleness implies a minor sensation felt when a person is in a short unavoidable, and predictable situation that entails the absence of engagement” (p. 45). For most people, boredom usually occurs in a few familiar places, such as long car rides, checkout lines, and bus stops. The notion of idleness has adopted negative meanings and led to a consideration that it is a waste of time. However, wandering of the mind proves to be amongst the most productive processes.
When an individual is idle and, especially when they are alone, their brain goes into a state a free or unrestricted form. According to Shirky (2010), “scholars refer to a person’s mental status during periods of boredom as a “default mode network” (p. 37). In the time spent in default mode, an individual is alone with only their thoughts and no outer stimuli. The experience provides an opportunity for the brain to engage in free-thinking, otherwise known as creativity. Such activity helps to make use of idle time constructively. Idle time presents the perfect opportunity for a person to apply imagination in several ways, such as constructing their sense of self. In other words, to understand their personalities better through critical thought.
The constant use of technology impairs critical thinking, which is an integral aspect of creativity. Critical thinking about oneself comprises aspects like evaluating feelings, dislikes, experiences, failures, and achievements. Alter (2018) suggests that, “creative thinking enshrines an account of an individual’s past and is responsible for how they imagine their future” (19). Such a process leads to the assessment of the physical body, feelings, and the necessary response. Additionally, the closer a person is in-tune with how they are can imply their ability to reflect on or analyze external events. Such a scenario occurs because the individuals have a relatively robust and broad understanding of self and are not easily swayed or manipulated.
The less a person relies on technology, the more they develop their ability to self-analyze and think freely and imaginatively. “Creative thinking is the cornerstone of a person’s emotional intelligence and is necessary for a deeper connection and understanding of one’s identity” (Bonnardel & Zenasni, 2010, p. 182). Unfortunately, due to overreliance on technology, most people have little time for self-reflection, and consequently, their ability to think crucially and creatively diminishes significantly. Some distractions caused by technology, especially the internet, through the provision of suggestions to read certain content or information have led to a world of “shallow thinkers.” These slow thinkers experience an influx of information that influences their creative process. Shirky (2010) explains that since a person’s working memory is continuously overloaded, they cannot think properly, causing the loss or impairment of their long-term memory. Shirky’s assertion is seemingly supported by Naveen Joshi (2019), Director at Allerin.Process Automation, who proposes that, “when the load of information exceeds the mind’s capacity to store and process information, it results in a situation where the person cannot retain some details” (p. 121). Additionally, the person may not draw connections with information already kept in their long-term memory effectively. Therefore, it is the long-term memory that produces creative thinking.
How Technology is Causing Social Anxiety
Social anxiety can also imply emotional phobia or shyness. Such fear is an extreme manifestation of stress and includes various symptoms which, unlike “ordinary” shyness, can differ in severity throughout an individual’s life. “People usually derive their inspiration through a need to belong” (Bonnardel & Didier 2016, 85). However, individuals suffering from social anxiety might find it hard to fulfill this social need due to reliance on technology such as smartphones, games (like the Play Station), and computers. For people with anxiety, these technologies function as a substitute for human interaction. The gadgets distract them from ordinary life and lead to the avoidance of social situations.
Regulating one’s emotions is a vital part of development, especially for young people during their formative years. Individuals learn to cope and handle strong emotions by establishing inner regulatory processes and experiencing them. According to Arooj Rizvi (2016), a lecturer at the University of the Punjab, “Individuals with social anxiety are at increased risk for complications such as depression, suicide attempts, and alcohol abuse” (120). To avoid situations that may lead to nervousness, people with the problem often turn to technology as an avoidance tool. For example, social media offers the ideal space for people suffering from social anxiety to interact with other people without physically meeting. In such cases, the technology works to the detriment of people with emotional fear because it masks the problems and can lead to complicated situations such as disrupting family life, limiting work efficiency, or reducing self-esteem.
Conclusion
Technology has undoubtedly revolutionized how we interact and has introduced immense benefits. However, technology has also caused adverse effects, especially at the individual level, such as stifling creativity. Technology is slowly killing imagination because people are highly dependent on the internet and are digitally distracted. The technological advancements are also causing social anxiety. People can argue that the brain functions just like a muscle and gets stronger with regular use. Therefore, overreliance on technology has resulted in less utility of the mind leading to reduced creativity. Social anxiety is a condition characterized by the fear of humiliation or embarrassment. Overreliance on socially interactive technologies, like instant messaging and social media, has exacerbated social anxiety by offering “safe spaces” that do not require human interaction. To avoid emotional pressure, a person might seek distraction from interaction by relying on technology to communicate with others. In the long-term, the fear may lead to severe conditions such as depression or reinforce behavioral avoidance towards natural emotional experiences.
References
Alter, L.A. (2018). Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. Penguin Books.
Bonnardel, N., & Didier, J. (2016). Enhancing creativity in the educational design context: An exploration of the effects of design project-oriented methods on students’ evocation processes and creative output. Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology, 15(1), 80-101.
Bonnardel, N., & Zenasni, F. (2010). The impact of technology on creativity in design: an enhancement?Creativity and innovation management, 19(2), 180-191.
Joshi, N. (2019). Is technology increasing or killing our creativity?Allerin.
Rizvi, A.Z. (2016). Personality, social anxiety, and excessive use of Facebook. Int J Psychol BehavSci, 6(1), 119–127.
Shirky, C. (2010). Cognitive Surplus. Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age. Penguin Group.