Teens and Technology from the Teen Perspective

              As we are teens, we deal with the daily triumphs and struggles of technology every day. Whether it is using social media, watching videos, or just searching things on the internet, we all have to adapt to what’s new every time we go online. For example, just the other day, the social media app “Instagram” released a new update for their interface. Every user with the app just then had to change the way they used it. “The screen looks different; I don’t like it” says one of our close friends. Even though some did not like it, that is how quick reactions can be garnered using technology. How technology itself affects us can be fascinating.
              When using social media, there is a sense of belonging. You can communicate with a wide perimeter of friends, who can range from any age, even below the required age to start using such applications.  Another thing is, how quickly you can feel left out of something, just as if it is a real-life scenario. For example, you could be left out of a group chat to make plans for a certain day of the week. Just like real life that can feel as if you weren’t invited to the party or to the get-together. It’s much easier to feel alone on social media than it is to feel like you are with others.
              Social Media won’t be going away for a long time and the need to use it won’t go away either. To stay socially relevant, kids and teens have to stay active as much as possible online. So, when parents threaten to take away their devices, they don’t always realize that they could be taking away a child’s social life online and in real life. This is a dilemma parents, kids, and teens face as the “taking away” of electronics seems to be more of an aggressive choice as it was just 5 years ago. This can also form another sense of missing out for the child. Stress and anxiety can be caused by taking away the child’s sense of being there.
              New ideas go into technology, and now a very popular subject has joined, anonymous messaging. The ability to be anonymous on the internet has been prevalent for many years, but recently it has risen and taken off in popularity. Apps like Sarahah and the Snapchat sponsored Yolo have risen in popularity as of late. With the ability for “friends” to give feedback without the person on the receiving end knowing who said it. This can be very dangerous, especially within friend groups. Misleading and hurtful messages can be sent through the service.  
              Technology is evolving every day. If you think you can catch up with, you’d be wrong, nobody can. There is only so much information one person can receive at a time, and with technology it becomes so much more complex than one could imagine. Just be understanding with what kids and teens these days have been introduced to, if you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to ask. Learning is key when it comes to understanding teens and technology.
by
​Benjamin and Matthew Royer