The Need for a Balanced Use of Technology
American society is facing a serious dilemma. Americans are steadily creating, accessing, and utilizing technology in every aspect of life. If this trend continues, the dependency on technology to complete even simple tasks is inevitable. This dependency will stifle creativity, learning, and diminish the value of personal relationships. While the types and access of technology increases, so does the average time the typical American spends utilizing technology. Eventually technology will consume an individual’s day. Simply avoiding technology is not an option for preventing dependency, as technology does provide indisputable benefits for career opportunities and communication. In order to develop …show more content…
Games and social media can be a form of relaxation; however, when boundaries and limitations are not set the use of technology as a form of pleasure can become addicting. This is a common theme seen in both adults and youth today. It is important to remember that many behaviors exhibited by children are learned through the observation of parents. A study conducted in 2010 by the Henry J. Kaise Foundation reported that on average children ages eight to eighteen spend an alarming 7.38 hours a day utilizing technology (qtd. in Cusumano 7). The American people need to understand the weight of this statistic and actively pursue a better balance in the use of technology as a form of leisure and relaxation. One way to ensure that children demonstrate an equal balance in the use of technology is simply for the parents to demonstrate the restraint and behaviors they expect their children to exhibit. This includes set times where technology is restricted and unavailable. If parents fail to address these realities and set examples and boundaries the notion t that technology is not simply a tool, but a way of life will soon be the reoccurring theme of the next generation. This dependence on technology will diminish creative thinking and problem solving skills for minds of all …show more content…
When individuals create a dependency on technology they often lose some of the ability to create, think, and reason. Without continued intellectual development and innovative thinking society could be looking at a future that is quite bleak. Changing the mindset of society to view technology as a tool versus a necessity could continually challenge and advance technology for the future. Steve Jobs, the iconic Apple CEO was quoted as saying, “I would trade all my technology for an afternoon with Socrates,” (qtd. in Cusumano 2). It is evident from this quote that Jobs valued the importance of intellectual abilities over that of rote technology. In order to create an effective balance and prevent dependency on technology society must also develop the same mindset. Americans must become independent thinkers and problem solvers. The crisis is simple; the dependence on technology is killing creativity. Society should be actively seeking ways to spur creative thinking by teaching young minds to build, create, and problem solve. One way to address the issue is through creating opportunities for learning that are free of technology. This could be as simple as learning how to play a new game, or as extensive as taking a trip to learn about a different culture. The reality is that through intentional actions it is possible to develop an
American society is facing a serious dilemma. Americans are steadily creating, accessing, and utilizing technology in every aspect of life. If this trend continues, the dependency on technology to complete even simple tasks is inevitable. This dependency will stifle creativity, learning, and diminish the value of personal relationships. While the types and access of technology increases, so does the average time the typical American spends utilizing technology. Eventually technology will consume an individual’s day. Simply avoiding technology is not an option for preventing dependency, as technology does provide indisputable benefits for career opportunities and communication. In order to develop …show more content…
Games and social media can be a form of relaxation; however, when boundaries and limitations are not set the use of technology as a form of pleasure can become addicting. This is a common theme seen in both adults and youth today. It is important to remember that many behaviors exhibited by children are learned through the observation of parents. A study conducted in 2010 by the Henry J. Kaise Foundation reported that on average children ages eight to eighteen spend an alarming 7.38 hours a day utilizing technology (qtd. in Cusumano 7). The American people need to understand the weight of this statistic and actively pursue a better balance in the use of technology as a form of leisure and relaxation. One way to ensure that children demonstrate an equal balance in the use of technology is simply for the parents to demonstrate the restraint and behaviors they expect their children to exhibit. This includes set times where technology is restricted and unavailable. If parents fail to address these realities and set examples and boundaries the notion t that technology is not simply a tool, but a way of life will soon be the reoccurring theme of the next generation. This dependence on technology will diminish creative thinking and problem solving skills for minds of all …show more content…
When individuals create a dependency on technology they often lose some of the ability to create, think, and reason. Without continued intellectual development and innovative thinking society could be looking at a future that is quite bleak. Changing the mindset of society to view technology as a tool versus a necessity could continually challenge and advance technology for the future. Steve Jobs, the iconic Apple CEO was quoted as saying, “I would trade all my technology for an afternoon with Socrates,” (qtd. in Cusumano 2). It is evident from this quote that Jobs valued the importance of intellectual abilities over that of rote technology. In order to create an effective balance and prevent dependency on technology society must also develop the same mindset. Americans must become independent thinkers and problem solvers. The crisis is simple; the dependence on technology is killing creativity. Society should be actively seeking ways to spur creative thinking by teaching young minds to build, create, and problem solve. One way to address the issue is through creating opportunities for learning that are free of technology. This could be as simple as learning how to play a new game, or as extensive as taking a trip to learn about a different culture. The reality is that through intentional actions it is possible to develop an