Technology: Changing The Way Of Technology By Morgan Hampton

Technology in the 21st century has altered the way people live on this planet. Not only does it take people’s life more convenient, it also changes people’s way of communicating. As social media has slowly dominated every aspect of our life, some argue that technology generates many problems that we had never encountered before. One particular issue is that technology is making the rising generation anti-social. In the article “Technology, is it making kids anti-social” by Morgan Hampton, published in Universe by Design, the author discusses the disadvantages of technology in discouraging adolescents’ personal relationships, increasing risk for obesity and lowering self-esteem. However, the author ignores some factors that have positively

However, a study by Gajadhar and Green (2005) shows that there are non-verbal elements in text-based virtual interaction which allows participants to have some of the richness of real-time face-to-face communication. In the study, a chat group was set up for a group of students to chat for seventeen weeks. By analyzing students’ online messages, the researchers could determine whether or not the students were using textual elements to express their feelings. The results showed that the students constantly used emoticons and onomatopoeia to assist their communication skills. The use of onomatopoeia such as whizz, ekk, eh suggest emotions of relief, frustration, annoyance. Moreover, Shao-kang Lo in his research “The Nonverbal Communication Function of Emoticons in Computer-Mediated Communication” points out that the use of emoticons in a context could help receivers understand the level and direction of emotion, attitude, and attention expression. By setting up two groups with one group of Internet users facing with pure text and another group facing a text with emoticons, he found out that the receiver’s perception of the messages changed when emoticons were added to the context. Therefore, he concludes that the use of emoticons in online communication functions as a nonverbal

As the development of technology, people start using technology for healthy weight management to prevent adolescents’ obesity. In the study by Chen and Wilkosz (2014) from Sonoma State University nursing department, they reviewed research articles from different health organizations databases from 1990 to 2014 about the outcomes of using technology in affecting adolescents’ health. The results indicated that technology-based interventions including web-based weight management tools and active video games have the potential to decrease obesity in adolescence. Apps for smartphones that provide online health information promote people to have a healthier lifestyle. Also, the online counseling sessions that are relevant to dietary and physical activity issues teach nutrition and behavior education. More importantly, the emerging technologies of active video games allow people to do physical activity in their houses. For example, Wii Fit, the home video game released by Nintendo incorporate yoga, strength training and aerobics which creates a health lifestyle for people who don’t spend much time outdoors. As David Dzewaltowski, professor and head of the department of kinesiology at K-State and director of the university’s community health Institute mentions, people can maintain their health by solely using Wii Fit for exercise if they are meeting the