This essay is about how technology is effecting the younger generations negatively and it is a proposal essay. Any feedback is helpful and greatly appreciated. :) Thank You
Directions:
-Use effective transitions between paragraphs.
-Include only those details and sources that support your thesis. Don't go off on tangents or include opinions that don't point back to the thesis.
-Each paragraph should have a topic sentence. A paragraph needs at least 5-8 sentences that fully and adequately support the topic sentence.
-Use appropriate tone, voice, and persuasion.
-Don't use too many quotations in your paper.
-Cite your sources properly IN THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER (the text of your paper) according to MLA formatting.
-Read your sentences aloud to check for run-ons and fragments.
-Don't end a paragraph with a quote. If you quote something, your next sentence should be your own thoughts, analysis, and comments on that quote.
***Feel free to copy to a word document and edit through there or read there. The length required for this paper is 8-10 pages and the file was too large to attach.
Paper:
It is estimated that children spend about seven hours a day and fifty hours a week on technology alone including, but not limited to television, mobile phones, and gaming ("Positive" par. 9). As technology becomes more advanced and younger generations are having access to technology, they are becoming more dependent and can't imagine a life without technology ("Reasons" par. 2). About sixty-seven percent of households in the United States own a gaming system. Out of that sixty-seven percent, twenty-four of those systems are portable. Only twenty-nine percent out of the sixty-seven percent have gaming systems that are educational (Children). According to my research, as the want and promotional advertisement for technology rises, children are in no shape to deny it. Although this is the technological era, parents and/or guardians, schools, and the government are not seeing what kind of effect that technology has on the children of the younger generations. It is true that we can use technology to help further our knowledge to understand things like erosion using the Grand Canyon, or studying space without using a space shuttle to fly an entire class out into space; using technology to study subjects that we could not study on our own has increased our knowledge about said subjects. As children are being exposed at earlier ages, psychologists are picking up trends of several different types of disorders in children, the most common disorders being found are: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Addiction just to name a few. Due to the constant urge to use gadgets, the pressure from parents, or always being surrounded by all things transistor, the children of the new millennium are in danger of many negative side effects from the excess amounts of technology being used.
Due to the popular demand of television, children now tend to watch an excessive amount of television when they could be doing other proactive things. Now that there is an excess amount of television being watched, the younger generations are becoming less motivated to go outside and play or do anything recreational that involves putting in effort to complete the task. It is said that "Young children require three to four hours per day of active rough and tumble play to achieve adequate sensory stimulation to their vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile systems for normal development" ("Impact" Rowan). From the lack of health diets and poor television habits, obesity is increasing within the younger generations ("Impact," Jones & Neiman, 2003). If these kinds of habits continue to exist the younger generations are going to become unhealthier then they currently are and they will not have long healthy lives.
As the social networks stay popular, children, teens, and even parents are constantly updating their "statuses," uploading pictures, and spending hours online socializing with their friends. With the constant distractions from their gadgets and the lack of will power to "...pull themselves away from their devices is a bad trend and one that is ultimately going to shape society at the rate things are going" ("Reasons" Goessl). According to a blog from performancing.com, "The more time the students spend on these social media sites, the less time they will spend socializing in person with others" ("Negative" par. 5). While the social media sites boom, communication skills are being reduced, because of that, "texting" and "im-ing" are becoming more popular. Not only is the way we talk to each other different, but the way children are typing is changing. Younger generations are using more slang then proper English, some slang words and abbreviation that are being used the most are: lol(laugh out loud), ttyl(talk to you later), tots(totally), gorg(gorgeous), lyf(life), da(the), and txt(text). Using these terms in personal conversations are now all the rage, but it is now getting to the point where using that type of language is getting transferred into school work because it is being used out of habit, "They start relying on the computer grammar and spelling check features. This reduces their command over the language and their creative writing skills ("Negative par. 6)."
Spending too much time using social networks, gaming online, or multitasking with different gadgets often cause different disorders among our youth, starting at an early age. According to Drs. Joseph F. Hagan and Peter Nieman, "...it is important for physicians to discuss with parents their child's exposure to media and to provide guidance on age-appropriate use of all media, including television, radio, music, video games and the Internet" ("Impact" 2003, par. 1). Within our technological era, "According to a study headed by researchers from Washington State University and compiled from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for the years 1990 through 1995, cases of ADHD diagnosed each year nearly doubled in that time" ("Disadvantages" par. 2). Having Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder as a child they "...may struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school" ("Attention" Mayo Clinic Staff, par.1). When children use technology to play games such as Call of Duty and Halo they are playing the same games soldiers use to train for war, "Like many soldiers in the 276th Engineer Battalion, whose PlayStations and Xboxes crowded the trailers that served as their barracks, he played games during his downtime. 'Halo 2,' the sequel to the best-selling first-person shooter game, was a favorite. So was 'Full Spectrum Warrior,' a military-themed title developed with help from the U.S. Army" ("Virtual," Vargas, 2006). Not only do these children play violent games, they are being affected in more ways than one. One way that these violent games are affecting children is "Children who overuse technology report persistent body sensations of overall "shaking," increased breathing and heart rate, and a general state of "unease." This can best be described as a persistent hyper-vigilant sensory system, still "on alert" for the oncoming assault from video game characters" ("Impact," Rowan). If children are showing these signs then they are also getting the same symptoms of a soldier who has post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
Not only is ADHD being recognized and diagnosed but also addiction is starting to trend. Even though gaming addiction has not yet been recognized as a true addiction the article, "Gaming Addiction Statistics, Facts, Articles, & Research" argues otherwise. The article states "In recent years gaming addiction (computer game addiction, console gaming addiction, or even excessive play on portable systems) has received increased attention not only from the media, but also from psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health organizations, and gamers themselves" ("Gaming" par. 1). From a psychiatric research journal, "Regions of the brain associated with cravings in substance abuse also appear to be activated in gaming addicts when they view images of video games ("Brain" Ko, Liu, Hsiao, Yen, yang, Lin, Yen, Chen. 2009). Gaming addiction is a serious disorder, not only do gamers struggle to keep their urges and gaming under control but they also have their futures and accomplishments such as academic achievement, relationships, and their health at risk("Gaming" par.2).
Using technology as a gamer, they tend to think about technology in game formats, but so do most parents and researchers who are trying to develop theories and prove that gaming addiction is truly a mental disorder. One way that most people (including myself) do not think about technology in a way is educational. Limiting me from these thoughts left me blindsided when I found articles that promoted technology as a positive to the youth. Technology has its benefits to the young students by helping them engage in learning while making it more fun. One way that technology can be of use to younger children is through electronic devices. Electronic devices have played a key role to"... encourage cognitive learning and development of analytical skills. This may help in build-up innovative thinking, investigative skills, strategic thinking and foster the creativity potential of kids" ("Positive" Lee). For example, some ways that technology can be used in the educational system is through science. Within science, teachers often discuss in their lectures how erosion works, biology and the study of particles, and finally space. Without technology, children of this generation would not be able to see how water sculpted the Grand Canyon, millions of light years away to see what a star looks like, or what exactly makes up the air that we breathe or the water that we drink. Having technology to show how these things work are a big benefit to have in the school systems.
Arguably, technology is giving the students more access to what older generations had in regards to research and the World Wide Web. But with more access comes with more responsibilities and opportunities for children and students to stumble across information that may provoke curiosity or have a "stranger" try and gain information from them. From an online newspaper called The Telegraph Williams argues that "...internet firms have a responsibility to ensure that children are unable to access inappropriate content online, including websites promoting self-harm and extreme violence..."("Virtual," 2012). Is it only the online firms' duty to make sure children cannot access certain information online or are the parent's ones to take part of the blame as well? Because online firms can only do so many things to keep children from accessing information, parents should also be monitoring what their children view online; after all they are in the same home as the child daily and have the most control over the child. It is still debated whether the internet firms are going to be held responsible or if it is ultimately under the parents to take responsibility of their child's actions. Although the internet provides children with key materials they need and necessities to complete their work, it also exposes them to risks that they may not come across in the "real world" ("Keeping," Dombrowski & Gischalar, par.1, 2004).
The World Wide Web has a great amount of information, because of that information children sometimes stumble upon pornography by accident. As children learn more about "adult content" some children act differently. According to Dr. Margolies, "...a small percentage of kids seek out pornography on purpose, and most respond appropriately by quickly leaving the site..."("Teens," 2010, par.1). When some children find pornography online they often question what they just found is, and sometimes ask their parents what it is, although some children often hide the fact that they found porn and do not tell their parents at all. In a study to see how pornography effected development, "...2,343 Dutch 13-20 year olds found frequent exposure to SEM (pornography) via the Internet was related to greater sexual uncertainty (i.e., clarity of one's sexual beliefs or values) and more positive attitudes toward uncommitted sexual exploration (i.e., sexual relations with casual partners)" ("Facts," Peter & Valekenburg, 2008). The easily accessible pornography online is becoming one of the major controversies that people are trying to find ways to further protect the youth and helps them have healthy development. With overexposure to pornography during adolescent years, "...many teens can become depressed and anxious as a result of overexposure to pornography" ("Pornography," 2012, par.5). With the dangers and effects from pornography, it is clear that parents should do their best to keep track of how their children are using the internet.
After carefully doing research to support my thesis, I then began to observe my own siblings to see how technology affected their lives. I have a younger brother who is twelve and a younger sister who is fourteen. While I observed them I looked for different things such as what they did while they ate, when they got bored in a conversation, or what they decided to do within their spare time. First I observed my younger brother; he is very big on technology. In his room alone he has a game cube, and a big screen TV, and several portable gaming gadgets such as a Nintendo DS and a tablet that he uses the most. From the time he wakes up to the time he is told to go to sleep, if he could get away with it, he chose to play "Minecraft" or "Call of Duty" and sometimes the new game he was bought, "Halo 4." Because he does get hungry, like all little boys do, he will put his game on pause, switched the input channel to television, and watched any show that he found entertaining, while switching between shows when the other one is on commercial. I noticed he was very dependent on technology and when asked "What would you do with your spare time if our family did not have any of these things like Xbox, Netflix, or any of the fancy technology, only basic cable in the house?" He simply answered "I would probably go outside and find something to do."
Secondly I observed my sister, her time was spent differently, when she woke up she started to find something for breakfast, whether it was to make something or just simply look through the food we had in the cabinets, she took her time. Once she found something she then brought it to the table and watched whatever her younger brother was doing with the TV, although she did not seem to be engaged as much as he was. Whenever she was done she then went into the living room where there was an open TV and she then turned it on and laid there for hours till she became hungry again or got bored. After the television was watched, she would then go find a mirror or into her room and practice her routine or take a nap. Later on she then got something else to eat and continued to watch TV or use her tablet to access Facebook with the TV on in the background. Her daily routine showed that she was not gadget dependent but excessively relied on the television to keep her entertained. I then asked her the same question as my brother, which was asked "What would you do with your spare time if our family did not have any of these things like Xbox, Netflix, or any of the fancy technology, only basic cable in the house?" Her reply was "I would spend my time flipping through channels, take a nap, maybe read or find something to entertain myself with." After observing my siblings I started to notice how technology dependent they are, before they got to the age where all they wanted to do was watch TV or play on the game consoles they played outside. Sometimes even as a family we would get out the board games and make family memories. Now as we are getting older it is hard to get the family together to play games that are not dependent upon technology.
In conclusion, technology is becoming a part of the younger generations more and more as they get older. Constantly being surrounded by things transistor, the children of this new millennium are in danger of the many side effects that are being discovered. Technology is replacing many things like books and magazines and in turn making them e-books and e-magazines that get downloaded from different apps. Schools are taking advantage of these changes and cutting costs towards printed books. Having technology in classrooms is making the learning process fun for students and engaging them in learning new things, but having all technology around students is also helping bring out the negative side effects that are already in progress. Side effects like disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, addiction and new symptoms that are leading towards similarities from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These disorders are keeping children from achieving their academic excellence, or obtaining stable relationships with peers and friends. Not only are these disorders developing but an excess amount of internet and social networking is being noticed thus effecting current grades. Parents, schools, and the government are not seeing these effects, but they are slowly taking over children's lives. If people act now we can get ahold of these addictions and help those who are currently addicted and keep children from gaining new addictions. Technologic advancement is a necessity for our country to keep up with the other countries, but it has to be controlled before it starts to take over everything. With that being said I leave you with this question, can our technology obsessed ways be changed or is it already too late to make the first step and start controlling our gadget use?
Directions:
-Use effective transitions between paragraphs.
-Include only those details and sources that support your thesis. Don't go off on tangents or include opinions that don't point back to the thesis.
-Each paragraph should have a topic sentence. A paragraph needs at least 5-8 sentences that fully and adequately support the topic sentence.
-Use appropriate tone, voice, and persuasion.
-Don't use too many quotations in your paper.
-Cite your sources properly IN THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER (the text of your paper) according to MLA formatting.
-Read your sentences aloud to check for run-ons and fragments.
-Don't end a paragraph with a quote. If you quote something, your next sentence should be your own thoughts, analysis, and comments on that quote.
***Feel free to copy to a word document and edit through there or read there. The length required for this paper is 8-10 pages and the file was too large to attach.
Paper:
It is estimated that children spend about seven hours a day and fifty hours a week on technology alone including, but not limited to television, mobile phones, and gaming ("Positive" par. 9). As technology becomes more advanced and younger generations are having access to technology, they are becoming more dependent and can't imagine a life without technology ("Reasons" par. 2). About sixty-seven percent of households in the United States own a gaming system. Out of that sixty-seven percent, twenty-four of those systems are portable. Only twenty-nine percent out of the sixty-seven percent have gaming systems that are educational (Children). According to my research, as the want and promotional advertisement for technology rises, children are in no shape to deny it. Although this is the technological era, parents and/or guardians, schools, and the government are not seeing what kind of effect that technology has on the children of the younger generations. It is true that we can use technology to help further our knowledge to understand things like erosion using the Grand Canyon, or studying space without using a space shuttle to fly an entire class out into space; using technology to study subjects that we could not study on our own has increased our knowledge about said subjects. As children are being exposed at earlier ages, psychologists are picking up trends of several different types of disorders in children, the most common disorders being found are: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Addiction just to name a few. Due to the constant urge to use gadgets, the pressure from parents, or always being surrounded by all things transistor, the children of the new millennium are in danger of many negative side effects from the excess amounts of technology being used.
Due to the popular demand of television, children now tend to watch an excessive amount of television when they could be doing other proactive things. Now that there is an excess amount of television being watched, the younger generations are becoming less motivated to go outside and play or do anything recreational that involves putting in effort to complete the task. It is said that "Young children require three to four hours per day of active rough and tumble play to achieve adequate sensory stimulation to their vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile systems for normal development" ("Impact" Rowan). From the lack of health diets and poor television habits, obesity is increasing within the younger generations ("Impact," Jones & Neiman, 2003). If these kinds of habits continue to exist the younger generations are going to become unhealthier then they currently are and they will not have long healthy lives.
As the social networks stay popular, children, teens, and even parents are constantly updating their "statuses," uploading pictures, and spending hours online socializing with their friends. With the constant distractions from their gadgets and the lack of will power to "...pull themselves away from their devices is a bad trend and one that is ultimately going to shape society at the rate things are going" ("Reasons" Goessl). According to a blog from performancing.com, "The more time the students spend on these social media sites, the less time they will spend socializing in person with others" ("Negative" par. 5). While the social media sites boom, communication skills are being reduced, because of that, "texting" and "im-ing" are becoming more popular. Not only is the way we talk to each other different, but the way children are typing is changing. Younger generations are using more slang then proper English, some slang words and abbreviation that are being used the most are: lol(laugh out loud), ttyl(talk to you later), tots(totally), gorg(gorgeous), lyf(life), da(the), and txt(text). Using these terms in personal conversations are now all the rage, but it is now getting to the point where using that type of language is getting transferred into school work because it is being used out of habit, "They start relying on the computer grammar and spelling check features. This reduces their command over the language and their creative writing skills ("Negative par. 6)."
Spending too much time using social networks, gaming online, or multitasking with different gadgets often cause different disorders among our youth, starting at an early age. According to Drs. Joseph F. Hagan and Peter Nieman, "...it is important for physicians to discuss with parents their child's exposure to media and to provide guidance on age-appropriate use of all media, including television, radio, music, video games and the Internet" ("Impact" 2003, par. 1). Within our technological era, "According to a study headed by researchers from Washington State University and compiled from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for the years 1990 through 1995, cases of ADHD diagnosed each year nearly doubled in that time" ("Disadvantages" par. 2). Having Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder as a child they "...may struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school" ("Attention" Mayo Clinic Staff, par.1). When children use technology to play games such as Call of Duty and Halo they are playing the same games soldiers use to train for war, "Like many soldiers in the 276th Engineer Battalion, whose PlayStations and Xboxes crowded the trailers that served as their barracks, he played games during his downtime. 'Halo 2,' the sequel to the best-selling first-person shooter game, was a favorite. So was 'Full Spectrum Warrior,' a military-themed title developed with help from the U.S. Army" ("Virtual," Vargas, 2006). Not only do these children play violent games, they are being affected in more ways than one. One way that these violent games are affecting children is "Children who overuse technology report persistent body sensations of overall "shaking," increased breathing and heart rate, and a general state of "unease." This can best be described as a persistent hyper-vigilant sensory system, still "on alert" for the oncoming assault from video game characters" ("Impact," Rowan). If children are showing these signs then they are also getting the same symptoms of a soldier who has post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
Not only is ADHD being recognized and diagnosed but also addiction is starting to trend. Even though gaming addiction has not yet been recognized as a true addiction the article, "Gaming Addiction Statistics, Facts, Articles, & Research" argues otherwise. The article states "In recent years gaming addiction (computer game addiction, console gaming addiction, or even excessive play on portable systems) has received increased attention not only from the media, but also from psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health organizations, and gamers themselves" ("Gaming" par. 1). From a psychiatric research journal, "Regions of the brain associated with cravings in substance abuse also appear to be activated in gaming addicts when they view images of video games ("Brain" Ko, Liu, Hsiao, Yen, yang, Lin, Yen, Chen. 2009). Gaming addiction is a serious disorder, not only do gamers struggle to keep their urges and gaming under control but they also have their futures and accomplishments such as academic achievement, relationships, and their health at risk("Gaming" par.2).
Using technology as a gamer, they tend to think about technology in game formats, but so do most parents and researchers who are trying to develop theories and prove that gaming addiction is truly a mental disorder. One way that most people (including myself) do not think about technology in a way is educational. Limiting me from these thoughts left me blindsided when I found articles that promoted technology as a positive to the youth. Technology has its benefits to the young students by helping them engage in learning while making it more fun. One way that technology can be of use to younger children is through electronic devices. Electronic devices have played a key role to"... encourage cognitive learning and development of analytical skills. This may help in build-up innovative thinking, investigative skills, strategic thinking and foster the creativity potential of kids" ("Positive" Lee). For example, some ways that technology can be used in the educational system is through science. Within science, teachers often discuss in their lectures how erosion works, biology and the study of particles, and finally space. Without technology, children of this generation would not be able to see how water sculpted the Grand Canyon, millions of light years away to see what a star looks like, or what exactly makes up the air that we breathe or the water that we drink. Having technology to show how these things work are a big benefit to have in the school systems.
Arguably, technology is giving the students more access to what older generations had in regards to research and the World Wide Web. But with more access comes with more responsibilities and opportunities for children and students to stumble across information that may provoke curiosity or have a "stranger" try and gain information from them. From an online newspaper called The Telegraph Williams argues that "...internet firms have a responsibility to ensure that children are unable to access inappropriate content online, including websites promoting self-harm and extreme violence..."("Virtual," 2012). Is it only the online firms' duty to make sure children cannot access certain information online or are the parent's ones to take part of the blame as well? Because online firms can only do so many things to keep children from accessing information, parents should also be monitoring what their children view online; after all they are in the same home as the child daily and have the most control over the child. It is still debated whether the internet firms are going to be held responsible or if it is ultimately under the parents to take responsibility of their child's actions. Although the internet provides children with key materials they need and necessities to complete their work, it also exposes them to risks that they may not come across in the "real world" ("Keeping," Dombrowski & Gischalar, par.1, 2004).
The World Wide Web has a great amount of information, because of that information children sometimes stumble upon pornography by accident. As children learn more about "adult content" some children act differently. According to Dr. Margolies, "...a small percentage of kids seek out pornography on purpose, and most respond appropriately by quickly leaving the site..."("Teens," 2010, par.1). When some children find pornography online they often question what they just found is, and sometimes ask their parents what it is, although some children often hide the fact that they found porn and do not tell their parents at all. In a study to see how pornography effected development, "...2,343 Dutch 13-20 year olds found frequent exposure to SEM (pornography) via the Internet was related to greater sexual uncertainty (i.e., clarity of one's sexual beliefs or values) and more positive attitudes toward uncommitted sexual exploration (i.e., sexual relations with casual partners)" ("Facts," Peter & Valekenburg, 2008). The easily accessible pornography online is becoming one of the major controversies that people are trying to find ways to further protect the youth and helps them have healthy development. With overexposure to pornography during adolescent years, "...many teens can become depressed and anxious as a result of overexposure to pornography" ("Pornography," 2012, par.5). With the dangers and effects from pornography, it is clear that parents should do their best to keep track of how their children are using the internet.
After carefully doing research to support my thesis, I then began to observe my own siblings to see how technology affected their lives. I have a younger brother who is twelve and a younger sister who is fourteen. While I observed them I looked for different things such as what they did while they ate, when they got bored in a conversation, or what they decided to do within their spare time. First I observed my younger brother; he is very big on technology. In his room alone he has a game cube, and a big screen TV, and several portable gaming gadgets such as a Nintendo DS and a tablet that he uses the most. From the time he wakes up to the time he is told to go to sleep, if he could get away with it, he chose to play "Minecraft" or "Call of Duty" and sometimes the new game he was bought, "Halo 4." Because he does get hungry, like all little boys do, he will put his game on pause, switched the input channel to television, and watched any show that he found entertaining, while switching between shows when the other one is on commercial. I noticed he was very dependent on technology and when asked "What would you do with your spare time if our family did not have any of these things like Xbox, Netflix, or any of the fancy technology, only basic cable in the house?" He simply answered "I would probably go outside and find something to do."
Secondly I observed my sister, her time was spent differently, when she woke up she started to find something for breakfast, whether it was to make something or just simply look through the food we had in the cabinets, she took her time. Once she found something she then brought it to the table and watched whatever her younger brother was doing with the TV, although she did not seem to be engaged as much as he was. Whenever she was done she then went into the living room where there was an open TV and she then turned it on and laid there for hours till she became hungry again or got bored. After the television was watched, she would then go find a mirror or into her room and practice her routine or take a nap. Later on she then got something else to eat and continued to watch TV or use her tablet to access Facebook with the TV on in the background. Her daily routine showed that she was not gadget dependent but excessively relied on the television to keep her entertained. I then asked her the same question as my brother, which was asked "What would you do with your spare time if our family did not have any of these things like Xbox, Netflix, or any of the fancy technology, only basic cable in the house?" Her reply was "I would spend my time flipping through channels, take a nap, maybe read or find something to entertain myself with." After observing my siblings I started to notice how technology dependent they are, before they got to the age where all they wanted to do was watch TV or play on the game consoles they played outside. Sometimes even as a family we would get out the board games and make family memories. Now as we are getting older it is hard to get the family together to play games that are not dependent upon technology.
In conclusion, technology is becoming a part of the younger generations more and more as they get older. Constantly being surrounded by things transistor, the children of this new millennium are in danger of the many side effects that are being discovered. Technology is replacing many things like books and magazines and in turn making them e-books and e-magazines that get downloaded from different apps. Schools are taking advantage of these changes and cutting costs towards printed books. Having technology in classrooms is making the learning process fun for students and engaging them in learning new things, but having all technology around students is also helping bring out the negative side effects that are already in progress. Side effects like disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, addiction and new symptoms that are leading towards similarities from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These disorders are keeping children from achieving their academic excellence, or obtaining stable relationships with peers and friends. Not only are these disorders developing but an excess amount of internet and social networking is being noticed thus effecting current grades. Parents, schools, and the government are not seeing these effects, but they are slowly taking over children's lives. If people act now we can get ahold of these addictions and help those who are currently addicted and keep children from gaining new addictions. Technologic advancement is a necessity for our country to keep up with the other countries, but it has to be controlled before it starts to take over everything. With that being said I leave you with this question, can our technology obsessed ways be changed or is it already too late to make the first step and start controlling our gadget use?