Are Teens Affected By Technology And Depression?

With the limited time for socializing due to the pressures to succeed academically, teens are often found stressed or depressed due to the lack of peers as well as close relationships with family and friends. Teens have a hard enough time trying to fit into social groups with raging hormones and figuring out who they are as an individual, and adding the high expectations of society on top of that adds additional stress. Keith Allison, a teen from Nampa High School wrote “Layers of makeup, pools of mascara or pounds of plastic won’t change who you are on the inside, but who cares what’s under skin-deep? Society expects a Barbie doll out of a Cabbage Patch Kid, and our schools are Build-a-Bear workshop that transform an innocent little kindergartner

Although some studies show that increased time on social media and technology may increase symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts, there is no evidence to prove that depression is caused by the use of technology. According to Patti Neighmond, a NPR's health policy correspondent who argues that there is a relationship between technology and depression, still states in her article, “Increased Hours Online Correlate With An Uptick In Teen Depression, Suicidal Thoughts” that “though San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge, who led the study, agrees this sort of research can only establish a correlation between long hours of daily screen time and symptoms of alienation — it can't prove one causes the other..” This puts into perspective that there is an underlying cause in technology use and that social media is not the source of teen depression. Alfonzo Porter, who is a contributor to The Washington Post, a former teacher and school administrator states “A Pew Research Center survey found that nearly 90 percent of teachers believe that digital technologies were creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans. About 60 percent said it hindered students’ ability to write and communicate face to face, and almost half said it hurt critical thinking and their ability to do homework. Also, 76 percent of teachers believed students are being conditioned by the internet to find quick answers, leading to a loss of concentration.” This is an important aspect on the technology accusation for teen depression because it shows that technology in schools is limiting critical thinking and face to face communication, bringing back the pressures of being academically and socially successful. The technology that is being used for academic purposes is also limiting the abilities of teens to socialize with peers, causing more stress and depression in their lives that