It is safe to say that we all have a love/hate relationship with technology. Many would agree that the internet is the best thing invented while other could simply do without. Because of the internet and technology we can do things such as ordering our Starbucks before we arrive and getting groceries delivered. But is all this technology affecting our brain in a negative way? (INSERT QUOTE FROM CARR) Studies have shown that our brains do not truly develop until age 25. According to the research by the Pew Research Center 93% of teens ages 12-17 go online (Lenhart et al 4). So my question to you is, can adolescents age 12-15 take in all the ever-changing technology and does it affect their development: specifically academics.
Whether at home, school or the library it is assumed that most teenagers have access to the internet. Some may argue that such easy access helps students academically. We now have a tool that gives us instant information and answers, whether correct or incorrect. Are the days of tutoring and asking parents for homework help gone because the internet? Why wait for help when you can simply google it. Some parents and children see this in a good light-a goodbye to unanswered questions, a hurrah to technology. However the internet itself has no regulations. Children may get online to do homework, play games, or just surf the web. I personally think it is the parent’s job to regulate and monitor their children’s internet use. Although they will go to school and have free-range so to speak, the values at home should transfer. On any given day, teens in the United States spend about nine hours using media for their enjoyment (Wallace 1.) That is 9 hours per day, more time than an average child spends learning in school. Isn’t it up to the parents to take control and make sure these adolescents are focusing on more important things? More so, nine hours on the internet per day is an alarming piece of data. This shows that students are on the internet whilst doing homework, when they should be sleeping or most importantly while they should be learning in school. They think they can and are mufti-tasking, but can their brain really function to its highest level. As we have learned, on average our brain is not fully developed until age 25, and even then are we fully using our brain if we are multitasking with social media.