Essay Draft

Summary

Can you imagine a world without cell phones, computers, social media, and video games? What do you do then? The usage of technology continues to increase every year. The issue of technology has become more prevalent in recent years as people rely more and more on technology for work, communication, and everyday entertainment. Technology has reformed the way we live and work, and it's because of that people become addicted to technology. And it's this excessive use that leads to negative consequences such as mental and physical health problems. Technology is dangerous and addictive and should be seen as a serious health problem.

Technology addiction is a real and a growing problem that affects everyone and should be recognized as such. Technology nowadays can do a lot of things from playing video games, doing homework, jobs, and even reading books, it's no wonder why it's so addicting. Everything you need is on the internet. Why would you want to use anything else? Enough is enough, it's time to properly recognize the seriousness of technology addiction. In an article from CQ Researcher tilted “Technology addiction” it states “we have empirical brain-scan data for all of these. Perhaps not surprisingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has added the following behavioral addictions to the next International Classification of Diseases, due out this year: gambling disorder, gaming disorder and other specified or unspecified disorders “due to addictive behaviors.” There is scientific evidence from brain scans that support the existence of various behavioral addictions to technology. By categorizing technology addiction with gambling disorder the World Health Organization is emphasizing the severity of the issue and how it can be a serious health risk. In the end society needs to come together and recognize technology as a serious addiction.

Therefore The excessive reliance on technology for daily activities and enjoyment causes cognitive function and ability to think critically to deteriorate, making people intellectually "dumb." The reliance on technology for daily activities has led to a lack of critical thinking and memory retention skills. Students for example no longer bother to remember information as they can access it easily through technology. This over-reliance on technology changes the mindset of students. And it's because of this some students don't bother studying at all and just rely solely on technology when they have a problem and due to this some of these student develop addiction which eventually leads to health problems like ADHD, according to the CQ Researcher article titled “Impact of the internet on thinking” it states “In a study involving 216 college students, 32 percent of Internet “addicts” had ADHD, compared to only 8 percent of normal users.” This study provides evidence that college students who are addicted to the internet are more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that can reduce attention span and cognitive abilities, further supporting the argument that excessive reliance on technology can have detrimental effects on intellectual development.

While my arguments on technology are all on how technology is harmful to us. There is strong evidence to suggest that it also has overall positive benefits. For instance, technology has greatly improved our education by improvising online learning for students to learn at their own pace which furthermore makes technology a tool to make students smarter not dumber. In a article from the brooking it states "A 2018 meta-analysis of dozens of rigorous studies of Ed tech, along with the executive summary of a forthcoming update (126 rigorous experiments), indicated that when education technology is used to individualize students’ pace of learning, the results overall show “enormous promise.” In other words, Ed tech can improve learning when used to personalize instruction to each student’s pace." This study proves that technology can be beneficial in some ways to help students learn. However In a article from the daily orange it touches on a study by Syracuse University where it says “The increased screen time of online instruction and the lack of face-to-face interaction have affected many students’ mental and physical health, Lear said. In fact, increased screen time has been linked to anxiety, depression and perceived attention problems.” Yes you can take classes online but what happens after you have to return to in person class what do you do then, the amount of anxiety and ADHD you have developed in this time would all be exposed.

In conclusion, despite all the advantages and conveniences that technology offers. It is crucial to recognize that overusing it can have negative effects on our physical and mental health, lower productivity, social isolation, and other factors. Therefore, we need to use technology carefully and in moderation. By using technology in moderation, people can maintain a healthy environment and ensure that technology continues to benefit our lives positively. It is up to everyone to be mindful of their technology usage especially in this digital age.