Technically Speaking

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Rusa Barusa

Are you hooked on your phone?

Rusa Berisa, Pirateer Staff

Students at Englewood High school say they are addicted to technology and it has changed them. “I don’t play many sports and don’t do much activity,” says Jordy Reyes. Computers, iPads, smart phones, video game devices all take our attention and a lot of it. Technology has improved in many ways over the years, but many think it has affected teens so much they are staying away from after school activities or anything physical because they are glued to the internet.
Teens are now filling all of their time with a phone instead of a book. Instant gratification has become the norm. Teachers complain when students constantly check for messages or a photo.

One teen who did not want to be identified said, “How devastating it is to hear that”. Some think as technology grows, so will the urge of wanting to see that extra message, or that photo. “I start slacking in my school work” Skurta Berisa.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now says, “Technology overuse is implicated as a casual factor in rising rates of child depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and problematic child behavior.”

This means technology isn’t just affecting our social life, but our health too. It is at such a critical level, many doctors talk about screen time during health check ups for teens. “Technology has ruined my social life by becoming addictive, not getting off it, and not paying attention to the world” says Jonah Martinez. “I don’t get to see my friends as often and I don’t have enough time to do my homework,” says Lilly Johnson.
Some are really asking the tough questions about technology. Is it slowly over-powering us?

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