When it comes to social media and technology, people are often divided on whether it poses more of a danger or more of a benefit to society. Over the years, technology has been innovated and adopted into our everyday lives. For example, we see subways and city buses with technology that allows people to use their phones to pay for transportation. At schools, every class has smart boards and after the pandemic every kid is now assigned a school laptop to complete their assignments. I believe that unlike technology, social media can in fact cause more harm than good to the younger generation. Technology itself has helped make learning and working easier, whereas social media has brought a lot of mental health issues among the younger generation.

The Use of Technology in Schools

As I previously mentioned, almost every school has now switched to using tablets and laptops to better teach their students. Given that COVID forced everyone into a fully remote classroom, schools have adopted ways to now do virtual parent teacher conferences, assign assignments online to their students and conduct virtual classes during poor weather conditions. The use of technology in classrooms motivates students to engage with the class where “they are able to participate in hands-on, experiential learning activities rather than just listening to lectures or reading from a textbook” (Michelle, 2023). Not everyone can automatically pick up on the material from a textbook. Many people learn through visual illustrations and from being hands on. Better yet, these virtual activities make learning fun and so will catch the attention of every student. Overall, technology can be seen promoting collaborative learning and communication within the classroom.

The Harmful Effects of Social Media

The issue lies more in social media than technology when it comes to students. As the younger generation goes through elementary and high school, they are learning about themself and are constantly worried about their image. Going through such a stage makes the youth very vulnerable to the dangers of social media. Young kids begin to compare themselves to others online and “It invites anxiety over the likes and responses that you’re going to get” (Kamenetz, 2019). It can be hard at a young age to not be influenced by the media when you are constantly online and see the media normalizing certain body types, certain outfits, and hairstyles. Such comparisons can lead to health issues like depression. 

On top of the health issues that social media brings, the younger generation are very addicted to the media. Whether at school, at home or even in public you can see teens glued to their phone. At school, students are so attached to their phones that a large number of schools have enforced bans or restrictions on cell phones. Some schools limit phone use during class but allow students to use them during lunch and between classes, however, other schools prohibit phones altogether or even confiscate the phones. I believe that banning phones all together will discourage students from cooperating with any form of cell phone restrictions. According to Rich from Boston Children’s Hospital “Presenting the policy as something that will improve students’ focus and well-being is better than presenting it as a punishment” (Langreo, 2023). Students are more likely to rebel and try to go against a ban because it will feel like they are being punished. With restrictions, it will be less harsh, and the students will have a better understanding as to why/how their phones can be distracting.  

All in all, technology is used in schools every day and has a significant impact on students and teachers. When social media is introduced, everything goes downhill. Students are attached to the media and can lose themself being so focused on what is normalized online rather than being in the moment of reality. In the documentary, “PLUGGED IN: The True Toxicity of Social Media Revealed” director Richard Willett goes through several ways that social media impacts society. What stood out to me was the challenge to fast from the media. Some participants took on the challenge to stay off their phone for a month and just use a dumb phone instead. Everyone reported feeling weird after and finding the process difficult. This just goes to show the chokehold the media has on this generation. Everyone has grown obsessed with their phone and has difficulty being a part of the real world. I think such fasting is needed and as educators, we should try assigning such fasting activities at least once every year to our students.

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References

Kamenetz, A. (2019, August 27). The scientific debate over teens, screens and Mental Health. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754362629/the-scientific-debate-over-teens-screens-and-mental-health?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20190901&utm_campaign=ed&utm_term=nprnews&utm_id=25646263 

Langreo, L. (2023, October 16). Cellphone bans can ease students’ stress and anxiety, educators say. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/cellphone-bans-can-ease-students-stress-and-anxiety-educators-say/2023/10 

Michelle, E. (2023, January 1). Using technology in the classroom: Benefits and top tips. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/using-technology-in-the-classroom-benefits-and-top-tips 

Willett, R. (Director). (2019). Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media Revealed. [YouTube Video]. Brick in the Wall Media.