Can you imagine living in a world without the internet, televisions, automobiles, mobile phones, computers, and music players? Can you imagine driving to a new location without a GPS device for guidance? Life would be boring, unbearable and slow. Technology has made life easier than it was in the early years of the 20th century when technological advancements were nonexistent. Technology has become an indispensable tool that enhances human survival and effectiveness (Thomas 45).
Human beings cannot live without technology because of its influences and benefits in all areas of their lives such as transportation, medicine, communication, education, and entertainment (Radziwill 34).
Despite its innumerable benefits, technology has several adverse effects on society that include embracement of sedentary lifestyles, development of addictions, and destruction of relationships due to dependence on online socialization. This paper will discuss how technology encourages sedentary lifestyles that have negative health outcomes, initiates the development of addictions, and destroys relationships.
Technology affects society negatively because it encourages sedentary lifestyles that result in poor health outcomes. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 25% of children aged between 2 and 17 years of age are either obese or overweight. Technology acts as a catalyst for unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles that encourage conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Many people spend hundreds of hours watching TV, driving, playing video games, and surfing the internet that they hardly find time for physical activity. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) revealed that an average American child spends more than 7 hours daily using technology (Radziwill 39).
This is in contrast to the 1-2 hours that the association recommends. According to a research study conducted in 2000, physical inactivity that results from computer use encourages premature mortality and morbidity, obesity, and increased cases of overweight people (Thomas 47). According to the American Heart Association, technology has resulted in an 83% increase in jobs that have eliminated the need for physical mobility (Thomas 53).
Technology affects society negatively because it leads to development nt of addictions that affect productivity, relationships, and victims’ financial wellbeing. Technological gadgets such as mobile phones, computers, and music players are used for communication and entertainment. Frequent and uncontrolled use of these gadgets encourages addiction to things such as video games, social networking, online gambling, and online shopping.
A study conducted in 2004 revealed that internet use leads to pathological use among young people if it is uncontrolled. According to the study, participants who were addicted to technology abdicated their chores to spend time using technology (Kanwal and Archana 654). Also, the study revealed that lack of internet use for a day caused mental distress and panic.
Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland revealed that students experienced mental distress, panic, and confusion when disconnected from technology for a period of 24 hours (Gray par6). Participants in the study admitted to being addicted to technology such as social network sites, mobile phones, TV, and computers. Their addiction was evident from their inability to unplug from technology for 24 consecutive hours.
Finally, technology has negative effects on society because it affects the quality of relationships by limiting the amount of time couples spend together. Many people rely on technology for socialization. Therefore, the physical aspects of relationships have been ignored because many people use technology during the time that they should be bonding with their partners (Radziwill 51). Partners do not give each other sufficient time for romance and socialization.
A survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International revealed that technology causes arguments between partners because of frequent distractions during bonding time. According to 25% of the 2,252 participants in the study, arguments ensued in their relationships because their partners were distracted by mobile phones during bonding time (Chonchuir par7).
Among young people, 18 percent of participants reported that they had argued with their partners because of spending too much time using technology that they did not make time for them (Chonchuir par7). Technology increases suspicion between couples because of the propensity to use technology to hide extramarital relationships. Moreover, it erodes trust between partners because they develop the urge to access each other’s private conversations for proof of faithfulness.
Proponents of the technology argue that it improves communication and enhances learning (Cullingford and Haq 82). Emails and mobile phones increase the effectiveness of communication by delivering messages in record time. People in different parts of the globe can communicate easily because of technological advancements. However, sustained use of technology leads to the development of addictions that affect the productivity, work, and health of victims.
Technology enhances learning by providing vast educational resources on the internet and computers that aid in the completion of assignments and academic research (Cullingford and Haq 82). However, it has encouraged laziness because many students do not take the time to conduct thorough research in libraries. They simply search for information in online databases. In addition, the ease of information retrieval has affected the culture of reading and writing adversely.
Conclusion
Technology has changed the way people live in significant ways. It has improved communication, transportation, education, and medicine. Today, people cannot live without technology because of the critical role it plays in their lives. Despite the numerous benefits, technology has affected society negatively in several ways.
It encourages the embracement of sedentary lifestyles, development of addictions, and destruction of relationships due to dependence on online socialization and focuses on technology instead of partners. Technology has numerous benefits on society. However, it is important to address the numerous negative effects technology has.
Works Cited
Chonchuir, Sharon. Always Turned On: The Negative Impact Technology has on Relationships. 2014. Web.
Cullingford, Cedric, and Haq Nusrat. Computers, Schools, and Students: The Effects of Technology. New York: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2012. Print.
Gray, Richard. Facebook Generation Suffer Information Withdrawal Syndrome. 2011. Web.
Kanwal, Nalwa, and Archana Preet. Internet addiction in Students: A cause of concern. CyberPsychology & Behavior 6.6 (2003): 653-656. Print.
Radziwill, Nicole. Disconnected: Technology Addiction & the Search for Authenticity in Virtual Life. New York: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2010. Print.
Thomas, Michael. Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young people, Technology, and the New Literacies. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2011. Print.