I feel that it is both a blessing and a curse that I grew up in the smartphone age.
Having a phone in middle and high school when I was dependent on my parents for transportation was great. I love that I get to FaceTime my boyfriend every night since we go to school in different cities. Sharing funny videos with my friends is basically a love language at this point, and I like to stay up to date on what is happening in the world online. It is nice to know that I can call for emergency services anywhere and at a moment’s notice thanks to my phone.
But despite the benefits of the smartphone, it is plain to see that easy access to the internet is not always beneficial. Even though it’s hard to admit, I am not immune to the effects of smartphones and the internet.
I do have a smartphone addiction. I lose sleep because I just cannot put my phone down every night. Every chance I get I am checking my phone and looking at social media, even during class. I am a terrible procrastinator and it is mostly due to the fact that I am addicted to my screen.
My free time is now equated to phone time. I could be enriching my life with different hobbies, and there are so many things I want to try, but anytime I have time to myself, I just get out my phone. It’s so bad that I feel like watching a TV show instead of TikTok is an accomplishment.
Most people in my generation don’t know a world without smartphones and social media. This has caused online culture to evolve completely away from real life. Public cyberbullying has become normalized. Kids and adults alike hide behind their screen, commenting downright hateful things to other people and claiming “it’s just my opinion.” — and most of these people would never act like that in real life.
It’s no wonder that depression and anxiety is rampant in teens and young adults.
A lot of young people lack social skills because most of their interactions take place on the phone. I don’t do very well in a lot of social situations either, and I believe it is because I default to being on my phone when I’m alone. I’m not comfortable approaching new people or starting conversations because it’s not a social necessity anymore.
Parents also aren’t fully aware of — or don’t fully care about — the dangers of the internet, and they give their kids unlimited access. Access to the internet at very young ages can traumatize children or completely change the way their brain works as they grow up.
I found access to the internet way too early, and I was exposed to things that I should not have been seeing at my age. Lets just say Pinterest was not as heavily moderated in 2014 as it is today.
Luckily, internet filters and parental controls have gotten better, but some parents still don’t limit their internet access and inappropriate content can slip through the cracks. Access to the internet at very young ages can traumatize children or completely change the way their brain works as they grow up.
Smartphones have and will continue to cause irreparable damage to youth whether it has to do with viewing traumatizing content disconnecting from reality. Future generations will never know life without the internet and social media, and I fear that in-person connections and interactions will become obsolete.
