Whether you like it or not, technology is an incredible help to our society. Medical, locomotive, aircraft, cooking, production, science, math, communication, and so many other industries were all revolutionized by certain technologies.

But what about the recreational use of technology? What about social media, video games, and cellular devices? These are all good things, are they not? 

Of course they are good, however, they do have downsides. These things can affect your physical health, your mental health, and your social health.

Electronics and Screens

There are many electronics that are useful to our everyday lives. One example is the toaster. The toaster is a piece of machinery that is truly brilliant. You put bread in it and push down on the toaster. You wait a few minutes, and boom, toasted. This is an example of how electronics can be used helpfully with no detriment to people.

An example of electronics used in a poor way is the television. The television is awesome, truthfully. However, the blue light from a television screen could potentially cause damage to your eyes. According to the University of California, Davis, “Constant exposure to blue light over time could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration.”

Student Morgan Trout said that they use their screen “quite often. When I am at school, I’m using my computer.” Since most schools have their students work on computers now, that significantly increases the amount of screen exposure they have.

Although televisions are bad for your eyes, they are truly a crucial part of our lives. They serve as a source of entertainment, communication, and even in some cases, employment. Because of this, it is unfortunate that something so great can be responsible for so much damage.

Devices and Posture

Cellular devices are devices that use connections to connect to other cellular devices. This allows you to make calls, texts, voicemails, and so much more. Of course, this is mainly in reference to the piece of technology many of us have in our pockets or are using to read this article.

The cell phone might as well be the peak of human ingenuity. It is a portable computer that can pretty much do anything. American society pretty much revolves around the cell phone. It is where most people get their news, see the time and date, and enjoy their entertainment.

But everything has a cost. Most people will look down at their phones in order to see the screen more clearly. This bad posture can strain your neck and cause severe pain. In the worst cases, it can cause irreparable damage to the spine. 

Even though technology is the main issue, sometimes it is the seats people are sitting in that could be a problem. Many students can definitely agree with this statement. At Pentucket, the science rooms have stools that make it really uncomfortable to sit and use a laptop.

A student who wishes to remain anonymous says, “Yeah, I have terrible posture when looking at my phone, especially when I am watching things. It’s just really annoying that it’s instinctive to look down at a phone.”

Social Media

To some people, social media is the root of all evil. To others, it is fine. One thing is clear. Social media has made a huge impact on the social and mental health of those who use it, especially those who use it a lot.

It is pretty common knowledge that social media apps like TikTok and Instagram lower your attention span, but why is that? Well, it is because social media splits your attention. According to “Neuroscience: What Social Media Does to Your Brain” an article on the website Nivati, by Liadan Gunter, social media competes for your attention, diverting it from cognitive tasks in the moment.

Social media is also known to cause jealousy between others. When a person sees others having fun while the person is doing nothing but scrolling online, it makes a person feel jealous and wish they were fulfilling their lives instead of scrolling. However, that person’s attention is grabbed so they will continue to scroll.

There are so many other things that social media does that are considered bad. Some examples include addiction, doom scrolling (scrolling through lots of negative things, giving a feeling of loss of self-worth), blackmailing, actual crime, bullying, and many worse things.

Conclusion

Technological improvements in the 21st century have done a great deal to our lives, whether it be for our benefit. This includes things like communication and transportation. Or, technology could be for the worse of us. This includes things like exposing a person to blue light screens, promoting bad posture, and lowering attention span.

You may love it, or you may hate it, but technology is here to stay and will only improve with time. Our only choice is to decide what technology we use, how we use it, and when we use it.