Don’t Blame Me, Blame Technology

Authors: Hang Khuu and Emma Phillips

Content:
According to research done by the Orleans Marketing Group, over 3.8 billion people use the internet today, which is 40% of the world’s population. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, technology is present any and everywhere you go. However, as the presence of technology increases, what is its effects on our brain and behavior?

In a research study under the Media Psychology Division of the American Psychology Association (APA), they examined the good and bad effects of video games, online learning and internet resources such as Google, Yahoo, and other media. These studies validate the risks of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), which many professionals consider is comparable to substance abuse. Addicts are most often glued to their screens with their minds trapped for hours at a time and are excluded from all social interaction. Sometimes people use Internet media as a mental and emotional refuge to escape from harsh reality. However, this causes them to neglect their family, work, studies, social relationships and themselves. Meanwhile, Internet media has also positively impacted the public. The growth of new applications in commercial areas, such as online buying and banking, are improving the world’s economy at a fascinating rate. Furthermore, technology’s presence in education enables students to learn virtually and collaborate with others.

Research in this field is only continuing to grow as technology and media become even deeper ingrained in our daily lives and ultimately it finds that the effects can be both helpful and hurtful. The lists below details other significant positive and negative effects of media that studies found on individuals and society as a whole.

Positive Media Effects:

• IQs are rising due to advances in media assisted learning and interactive game playing.
• Girls are advancing in the field of science.
• Communication is increasing across cultures.
• Media has helped foster public understanding of many crucial issues

Negative Media Effects:

• Attention spans are decreasing due to exposure to excessively stimulating and fast-paced media.
• Violence in media causes desensitization to violence.
• The average number of sleep hours per night decreases in inverse proportion to the average number of hours per day of Internet use.
• Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is increasingly diagnosed by professionals.

Questions:

1. Do you think technology has more positive or negative impacts on people’s behavior?
2. As technology becomes a bigger part of our lives, do you think it needs to be limited to reduce negative effects? How do you think this could be done?
3. What other positive or negative impacts does technology have on people? Have you experienced any firsthand?

Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-media-psychology-effect/201203/brain-behavior-and-media

https://orleansmarketing.com/35-technology-facts-stats/