Is Technology Good for Teen Health?

In this article, the author mentions the ways how heavy and light use of technology affects teens and their mental health. According to the article, teens who spend more than average time on screen devices are more likely to be unhappy while those teens who spend less than average time on screens tend to be more happy. Now, this sounds like common sense, but this is an actual statistic from the monitoring the future study. Another interesting statistic from this study is, “Eighth-graders who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 percent more likely to say they’re unhappy than those who devote less time to social media.” These statistics back up my personal belief on technology and social media where I believe that the ultimate way to be healthy both mentally and physically is to put down your smartphone. By doing this you are essentially forgetting and locking yourself away from all the toxic traits found on social media. This then allows you to focus on your physical health by possibly going outside to enjoy a run or a hike in the mountains. This article relates to my Parenting and Technology class because it talks about the affects technology has on a teen’s health. I have also talked about cyberbullying and suicide it some of my other blog posts in which I thought this was a great article to tie all three together. By putting down your smartphone and allowing yourself to get outside and go for a run takes you away from cyberbullying and betters your mental health in which you can get over depression by enjoying the simple things in life. https://www.nais.org/learn/independent-ideas/september-2017/how-does-technology-affect-teen-health-and-well-being/