Jean M. Twenge has been studying the habits of various generations for 25 years. As Twenge was studying the habits of the most current generation, what she calls iGen, she noticed some interesting patterns. First, she noticed that members of generation iGen were hanging out with their friends less, going on dates less, and even having less sex than previous generations. Twenge determined that this difference in generations was the result of social media. Teens and other members of iGen spend much of their time communicating with their friends via Snapchat and other platforms on their phones as opposed to communicating face-to-face.
Additionally, Twenge found that social media had additional negative psychological effects. The more time members of iGen spent on social media, the more inclined toward depression and suicidal thoughts they were. This makes one wonder how much benefit social media can possibly offer if the side effects can be so drastic. According to Twenge’s research, doing basically anything besides consistently getting on social media is better for your mental health.
Personally, I found this information really shocking, because it makes my generation seem as if we are missing out on the basic aspects of life (hanging out with friends, dating, etc.) to play around on our phones. The attachment to technology that is portrayed in this article is not inaccurate at all, and it makes me somewhat uncomfortable that we accept it as so. I am not suggesting everyone should go off the grid, but I am saying that we may benefit from monitoring our social media usage.
With social media becoming such a huge part of people’s lives today, it is hard to say whether its social domination will ever plateau. If it doesn’t, the consequences could change a generation completely. Being raised as a social media generation has had a huge effect on the members of iGen. This points to the power that technology can have in a society, and how something that seems as harmless and simple as Twitter or Facebook can actually have huge consequences and make a large impact. In this sense, it is the information technology that has completely defined a generation. The infographic containing the data from Twenge’s research can be found below.
Twenge, Jean M. “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” The Altlantic, Sept. 2017, Technology sec. The Atlantic, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/. Accessed 25 Aug. 2017.
Twenge, Jean M. “The Smartphone Generation: A Statistical Portrait.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Group, Sept. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2017. Infographic.
I found this article and the infographic very interesting; specifically, the parts about driving and sleep. Your post connected to mine quite well, I wrote one recently about parents who are taking a pledge to wait to give children smartphones until after 8th grade; this article does a great job of visualizing the data that supports the argument behind my post. I was surprised to see the relative delay in the spike for lack of sleep, as the iPhone was released in 2007, and the percentage of teens not getting enough sleep actually decreased before it increased, and 3 years after the introduction of the iPhone too. Perhaps this is because the iPhone wasn’t yet equipped with all of the applications and features it has today, such as FaceTime, Netflix, and other things that keep teens glued to their phones late into the night. I really enjoyed reading this article and seeing your perspective on the topic, and I agree that social media has created some serious societal changes within our generation.
After reading this article, I agree that social media is having a negative effect on our generation. Your points are backed up by statistics and facts, so its hard to try to justify social media usage in the light of your claims. Depression and suicidal tendencies going up is truly a terrible thing, that is definitely connected to social media usage. However, I’m not sure if these metrics are truly “negative”. Yes, going out more and having less sex may seem bad at first glance, but it’s not like going out of the house more makes you more healthy, nor does having less sex mean you are less healthy somehow. I think that while these trends are interesting, they should not be taken as negatively as you seem to to think in this article.
I hate to see this. I think the internet and all the things it offers can be extremely useful at times. I love the way in which we can you discussion rooms to chat about classes or clubs, or google docs allowing people to connect. There can be a lot of good things to come from phones. However, I also think the internet causes a lot of bad things to happen. With the advancement of the internet everyone can connect from the comfort of their own homes. Which means people no longer have to leave their home to hang out with they’re friends, they can simply Face time or Skype them. In addition, cyberbullying has become a thing. People feel much more comfortable behind their phones because there is no face to face interaction, therefore, they are more likely to say mean things. This has become a huge problem. I can lead do depression or even suicide and the attacker may not even realize the harm they are doing because of the lack of face to face interaction. I could not agree more with this post. It definitely helped me to think more about smartphones and how they can affect us.
I recently wrote a post portraying social media as a great tool for our generation to address issues at a greater scale. http://sites.psu.edu/ist110pursel/2017/08/30/social-media-key-player-in-venezuelan-protests/
Thus, I agree with your argument that social media poses a threat that can strip us from our humanity and from not enjoying the simple things in life. However, I believe there are distinct levels to which social media can become “threatening” to our generation. Everything in excess is bad, no matter what it is. Using social media moderately can lead us to become more knowledgable about things we might not know before and help us connect to other people around the globe. Social media is one of the top news sources, accounting for 78.5% to check for breaking news. People instantly report events on social media before any media outlet such as the Paris attacks in 2015, the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the 2013 Boston marathon bombing; just to name a few. There are definitely positive and negative sides to social media, but the reality is that it is not going anywhere. The best way to approach it is by embracing all the benefits it offers and taking advantage of them.
Michael Barthel, Elisa Shearer, Jeffrey Gottfried, and Amy Mitchell, “The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook,” journalism.org, July 14, 2015
When I first saw the topic, I was on the other side because I think the social media does not really killing us. It kinds of help us to realize what other side of the world is doing or what is going to happen at other place. However, after I finished your article, I was convinced by your thoughts and especially the statistics and data. The graph supports the idea of after having the social media, people start having relationship with others. They would rather chat with each other on phone but not face to face conversation. The most impression part is that the percentage of people having less sex while they keep using cellphone and social media. The whole article convince and encourage me to use less smart phone and go out to find some friend to sport or even having lunch together.
This article had some very valid points and mentioned some things worth taking into consideration. With this said, I don’t necessarily agree with the assumptions made about the entire iGen generation throughout this article. I do understand that technology and the avid use of it by this generation could be viewed as anti-social, etc. but I think the opposite. During pre-snapchat, Facebook, and other social media platforms time, it was hard to get in contact with people far away or people with busy schedules. With these social media platforms you can remain in contact without a huge effort. On the other hand, social media doesn’t necessarily make people antisocial. With all these ways of communication it is easier than ever to make plans to meet up with friends and connect facer to face. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-fuels-a-change-in-generations-with-the-rise-of-gen-z/
This article was definitely informative and backed up by valid evidence but I have a hard time agreeing with it due to all the other positive features that social media provides. Many people, especially of older generations, criticize millennials for their prominent social media presence without really stepping back and thinking about all the good that comes from building those online connections. Although face-to-face communication is trending downwards, online comments via social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter are driving kids and teens to feel more confident about themselves. Comments like “beautiful” or “you’re so pretty” have lead 28% of surveyed 13-17 year olds to feel more outgoing and 29% of the surveyed group to feel less shy. With the increasing frenzy surrounding the importance of mental health in today’s society, these numbers should not be overlooked. In addition to increased self-confidence, 52% of teens claim social media has helped them develop stronger relationships with friends. This is crucial especially with college-aged kids. Now it is easier than ever to stay in touch with friends as their lives take them all over the country. A quick phone call has turned into constant Snapchats throughout the day, viewing up-to-date Instagram photos, and hour-long Facetime sessions that make the distance feel obsolete. While there are countless downsides to fully investing your life into social media, I believe that focusing our energy on how to develop those drawbacks into advantages is key to the success of our society.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/21/living/social-media-positives-teens-parents/index.html
while i read the article, i realized how true the stated facts were. Although social media can be good, it does have its really bad side effects. I read another article similar to the viewpoint of this article and they both tackled the issue of teens undergoing low self esteems issues, feeling excluded and even such things as suffering from mental health issues. I’ve personally seen friend hangout sessions become tainted because of the constant use of cellphone devices. It would go to the length of texting a person who is sitting right next to them rather than just putting their phone down and verbally talking. This is definitely a rising issue that has become worse and worse as the years progress. Technology is improving and is giving social media an even bigger platform. People should enjoy their cellphones and social media, but there’s a time and place to use it. I think if more people would think about it, they would begin to realize to set it aside for a few hours and physically go out and enjoy the company of others.
https://www.dove.com/uk/dove-self-esteem-project/help-for-parents/talking-about-appearance/how-does-social-media-affect-teens.html
I completely agree with your article post about social media causing negative effects in our society. However, I do not think it’s all that bad when you use social media to moderation. Nowadays, everywhere you go, you will see at least one person on their phone and that is concerning! With the increasing usage of social media, it is hard to find people who are not on their phones constantly. And yes, I would be an offender but I do not think I am hooked. When I went on a cruise, I could not use my phone to simply check social media and I got annoyed sometimes. However, that allowed me to converse and engage with all of my family members. I was glad I was not able to really use my phone while on a cruise.
I just wanted to add a statistic that I found that shows how it can be dangerous to be using a phone while walking. The article states that “injuries from falling over or bumping into things while using a mobile phone are on the rise: in the US at least 1,500 pedestrians were reported to have visited hospital in 2010 alone as a result of such accidents.” Now, those are only people who reported visiting the hospital. Imagine the amount of people who did not. It still hurts them just to take a quick peak at a phone and “catch up.” Even on campus, people run into each other all the time due to the lack of attention while using phones when walking.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jun/30/texting-on-a-mobile-phone-makes-you-walk-sillily-study-finds
https://www.lifewire.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-networking-3486020
Your article is very well supported by your research and very well written, although I have a different point of view. I think social media is not killing our generation but the other way around. For a lot of people of this generation, social media is the key for us to know more and learn faster. For me, I see this as a very sufficient way to gather information. For example, I used to be a kid that not care much about any news, so that I learn a lot of things slower than everyone else, after I joined social media, I can read news faster than ever. Ever since a news came out, it would go viral on social media and almost as fast as newspapers. Also social media give a lot of people of our generation hope and the courage to chase their dreams. Another reason is that more and more people starts to accepting all kinds of people through social media no matter their creed or race. I see this as huge achievement.
While I think your article is very well thought out and backed up with statistics, I have a different view point. Ways to communicate have been evolving for years. Early communication involved things such as signals using fire and eventually gave way to more advanced systems like the telegraph and telephone. I do not feel as though we are losing face to face interaction but simply adapting to the new way of communicating. While I do understand the need to limit one’s social media use I also understand the importance it plays in our daily lives. Social media is a way for us to communicate with individuals all over the world. In my opinion, you can not argue about losing face to face interaction when the person you are conversing with lives halfway around the world. And, while statistics show that social media can be a catalyst for depression and suicide, it can also be a beacon of hope for those struggling. In an article written by Laura Armstrong for thestar.com, social media was responsible for saving a man’s life. Andrew Parker took to social media after struggling for years with depression and anxiety. He posted a suicide note on his personal blog. Much to Parker’s surprise, he began receiving messages from family to strangers reaching out to help him. Social media ultimately saved his life. The thing about social media that scares most people is our willingness as humans to post whatever we are thinking about to social media. Parker was not afraid to post his note online, instead, he was more scared to talk through his issues with someone face to face at the time. Social media is our generations new way to communicate. I think we all need to embrace social media for what it is, a way to connect those all around the world.
https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2015/04/09/social-media-saved-my-life-says-man-of-the-caring-responses-to-his-suicide-note.html
After reading this article I could not agree more that social media is not good for our generation. I was actually going to write a post about this but I am more than happy that you did. I agree that social media has killed our generation. I agree with your statistics showing how social media lowered the percentage of hanging out with friends, dating, and even sex. I personally see it everywhere I go that social media is terrible. A perfect example is that I saw a few weeks ago. I had a couple of buddies over and we were all on social media and not even talking to each other. We were all snap chatting and on instagram communication through there. This is an example of less communicating with people like you stated in your post. This also connect to an example I found in an article where the second reason social media is killing our society is decreasing face-to face interaction. Another great example is over the summer I was on a cruise where there was no phone service. The best part about the vacation besides being on vacation was not having a phone because I was able to enjoy myself and not deal with social media. This was a great post written by you and I could not agree more with you I think social media needs to be limited.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/5-reasons-social-media-destroying-our-generation