Analysis Of Jean TwengeHave Smartphones Destroyed A Generation

In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,” Twenge discusses the negative effects of smartphones and social media on today’s teenagers. She delves into a case study citing examples from a girl she refers to as Athena, who gives Twenge insight into this generation of teens. Twenge suggests that smartphones have become the main cause of increased depression and suicide rates for teenagers. Ever since 2012, with a majority of Americans owning smartphones has led to both the levels of happiness and independence to decrease.

The author states a very clear thesis; she believes iPhones are destroying my generation. I agree with the author in some ways because the facts are stated clearly through the article. Smartphones are changing the attitude of today’s teens. We are becoming more depressed, more sleep deprived, and less social than the generations before us. But I believe smartphones can have some positive uses as well.

One of my main concerns about phones is that it is generating a whole generation of millennial and teens to suffer mentally. According to the The Atlantic: Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation,“The more time teens spend looking at screens, the more likely they are to report symptoms of depression.”Just disappointing to see how the smartphones that people are buying to be happy is making them depressed. This means that if you spend a lot of time on your supposed to make you happy device it will make you heavy-hearted. According to the The Atlantic: Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation,“Teens who visit social-networking sites every day…most likely to

The popularity of smartphones is unparalleled in modern society. Not only are children receiving smartphones sooner in life, but many adults and teenagers are unable to remember a time in which the internet did not exist. Thus, daily activities focus heavily on electronics: teenagers no longer meet with their friends unchaperoned and are more likely to use Snapchat than go on a date. This asocial epidemic primarily affecting Generation Z—people born between the mid-1990s to the early 2000s—is examined by Jean Twenge, a generational analyst and psychologist, in the article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” As she outlines the unsuspected effects of cellphone obsession, one thing becomes clear: cellphones, particularly social media, are destroying a generation.

Smartphones, the internet, and media in general, have been known to create division and controversy among different age groups. Some older generations look down on these newer innovations, finding that their negative aspects outweigh their positive ones. Researchers continue to study media, searching for definitive proof as to whether media is good or bad for young people. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor who studies generational differences, wrote an article in September of 2017 titled, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” (citation). In it she claimed that members of iGen, born between 1995 and 2012, spend more time hanging out with friends on screen than in person (citation). While I do agree with some aspects of her article, I find that overall, it is much too simplified. I would argue that young adults my age are not a part of iGen as Twenge states in her article, because instead of using media to replace our in-person connections, we use it to foster interpersonal relationships both in-person and online.

The teens of today branded as iGen, the generation born in between 1995 to 2012 have grown with smartphones at their complete disposal. According to Jean Twenge, writer of “Have Smartphones Destroyed A Generation,” the rise and sway of smartphones and social media has had negative contributions over the emotions and behaviors of iGen, and they are, “On the brink of a mental crisis.” “There is compelling evidence that the devices we’ve placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives—and making them seriously unhappy.”

The author presents a myriad of information and reasoning in support of the main idea of the article. He reasons that the use of the smart phone and specifically of social media caused an increase in depression, suicide, in-person social interaction, lack of sleep, lessening of the mental capacity, and the feeling of loneliness, all of which lead to an unhealthy mental state; a sad mental state. In one instance, Twenge refers to sleep deprivation which originates from the use of the smart phone before bed:

Although cell phones unify the online world, they cause teens to be distracted and unable to focus on what’s going on around them. Teens are attached to their phones, they never leave their sides and are constantly being checked for new notifications. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat keeps teens involved in the online world. Teens are interested in what’s going on around them and want to stay informed. Cell phone have a way of connecting today’s youth but have become extremely distracting. This attachment is causing teens to suffer without knowing. The daily lives of today’s youth are being interfered due to the constant use of cell phones.

iPhones are having complete dominance over every aspects of IGeners. In her research she has found that not only is the internet affecting teenagers socially, but it is also affecting their mental health. She says “they are at the forefront of the worst mental health crisis in decades, with rates of teen depression and suicide skyrocketing since 2011.” Twenge claims that mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are becoming more popular due to the effect of teenagers using their phones on a regular basis. In her book she tells a story of a young teenage girl Athena who was hanging out with one of her fiends. Athena was talking about some family things that were going on and how she was having a hard day. Her friends did not even look

“Seventy-eight percent of teens have a cell phone, 47 % of which are smartphones” (Cyr, B). Today in society, cell phones have become a part of children and teens everyday lives. Parents are not able to supervise their children’s cell phone. Technology has changed each year, and children want to have the newest smartphone so that they can fit in. Now in days, adolescents can no longer live without their phone because it has become a necessity for them to be up to date with everything. Most parents allow this because they want the child to feel like they fit in. It has become a habit for children to spend a lot of their time on technology rather than spending their time outside. The positive side of technology is that it can help improve a

In today’s society, smartphones dominate as one of the top accessories, but there might be a problem lurking beneath that shiny exterior. Cell phones have made a dramatic advancement from the bricks with antennas to the sleek touch screen that seems to occupy the hands of every teen and working adult. These smartphones act as a status symbol for what’s in style as well as who’s on top of the social pyramid regarding the large variety of social media that can be accessed through such a small device. The younger generations might argue that cell phones are absolutely necessary in today’s society, yet youths display behaviors that create a block between their person and the rest of the people around them. While smartphones are a popular accessory, there are issues of overuse that can lead to detrimental behaviors regarding face-to-face communication and healthy behavior.

In “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation” published in the Atlantic Magazine, Jean M. Twenge states that teenagers rely mostly on smartphones in this generation. She has noticed shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states. This generation is shaped around the smartphone and the rise of social media. Teens spend more time on their phones than they do talking to each other face to face. In an interview held by Twenge and a 13 year old girl. Twenge discovers that teens seem to like their phones more than they do one another. Teenagers behaviors are changing daily. They grow up using a smartphone and having social media accounts before they even begin high school. Depression and suicide rates are higher since 2011. Twenge believes that smartphones have something to do with that. “Where there are cell towers, there are teens living their lives on their smartphone,” Twenge states. She believes that teens are much safer now because they would rather stay at home on their phones. Teens are more comfortable at home in their beds than they would be at a party.

88 percent of teenagers, ages 13 to 17 have a smartphone, or have access to a smartphone. (www.growingwireless.com) Due to the fact that people are exposed to technology at a young age, they become very reliant on technology for the remainder of their lives. Throughout the years technology has evolved to make people’s lives easier, possibly too easy. As the generations evolve, people are forgetting how to live their lives without a cell phone, iPad, or laptop, which is causing people’s social skills and independence to become much worse than those of people’s just a decade ago. Millennials have the reputation of constantly being glued to their cell phones and are seen as being addicted to their devices twenty four seven. Technology is detrimental to today’s society and has negative long-term effects, because it causes people to become lazy, it is a distraction, and people are being cyberbullied.

Progress continues to take shape in the form of technological advancement as a means to improve our lives. We consider these advances as modern conveniences and in many respects they do improve our lives, hence, the consideration is how to integrate these advancements effectively. Consider the evolution of the Smartphone and it’s unknown long-term effects on society. For example, people born after 1995 grew up with the Smartphone technology and this device is affecting an entire generation often referred to as the “iGeneration.” Today’s teenagers do not understand a world without smartphones and their effects on their socialization, mental health, and physical health.

Harris writes about how could we be so connected yet feel so alone to others? Today, most americans live miles away from relatives therefore; their only set of communication with them is through cell phones. There is no physical interaction. A study by Pew Research Center states “The Project first began surveying teenagers about their mobile phones in its 2004 Teens and Parents project when a survey showed that 45% of teens had a cell phone. Since that time, mobile phone use has climbed steadily among teens ages 12 to 17 – to 63% in fall of 2006 and then to 71% in early 2008.” Teenagers now are more connected now than ever. They are constantly texting, calling friends, when the cell phone should solely be used for safety purposes at that age rather than a social aspect. Overall cell phones should be limited to certain ages rather than given to young teens for a social aspect.