Does technology interrupt developing social skills?
Like it or not, digital technology is a part of our daily life. It has changed rapidly, and teenagers have grown up with constant access to TV, phones, the Internet, social media, text messages, email, GPS, online shopping, books, gaming, education, and instant messaging. Teenagers all over the world are growing up in a media dominated environment that has become an essential link to communication, is integral to daily life, and nearly impossible to escape.
Adolescents are avid users of mobile devices, and media consumption is at an all time high. The American Psychological Association reports that teens spend approximately 7.5 hours online each day (George and Odgers, 2014). Close to 80 percent of adolescents in the United States now own a mobile phone, and they are using them to send, on average, 60 text messages per day (Lenhart, 2012). This type of connectivity has raised concerns with parents, teachers and policy makers about the potential risks for teenagers to have unlimited access to technology. Mobile devices provide almost constant connectivity to peers, social networks, and the media. Along with concerns about privacy, research is emerging about how mobile technologies are influencing the developing brains, bodies, and relationships of teens (APA, 2014).
Some apparent influences are on the sedentary lifestyle online access fosters. Teens who have reported considerable media use reveal an increase in weight gain, depression, and frequently describe themselves as less socially comfortable. Teachers are reporting that instant messaging (IM) has increased bad grammar, poor punctuation, and spelling, and improper abbreviations that affect their academic writing.
Identity, Intimacy, Imagination, and Technology
In 2006, two professors, Katie Davis and Howard Gardner, set out to answer the question of whether kids growing up in the digital age are different from others. The short answer they came up with was: Yes. What they found is that this generation has been raised to expect and want to navigate the world via applications. Applications (apps) are shortcuts on mobile devices used for specific tasks. They are everywhere; they are powerful and have a specific and concrete structure. Davis and Gardner who have written a book about their research, The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World (Yale), feel that these apps are changing the way youth think. “Young people growing up in our time are not only immersed in apps,” they write, “they’ve come to think of the world as an ensemble of apps, to see their lives as a string of ordered apps, or perhaps, in many cases, a single, extended, cradle-to-grave app.” (Davis and Garner, 2013). This mindset motivates youth to look for easy, direct answers – like what you would find from an app and avoid asking questions when there’s no app for that.
They also looked at the effect of media use on three stages of psychosocial development: identity, intimacy, and imagination. What they found is that youth today h
ave an external polish with their lives mapped out to perfection – like a super app. Often, behind this sparkle hides a kid who is risk-averse, with a deep-seated anxiety, which is expressed as an outward need for approval. Repeatedly there were signs of greater isolation among the teens they studied. Digital media can enhance friendships and family relationships, yet it can also give an impression of closeness between contacts that supports only shallow connections. Parents report silence in cars on the way home with several teens in the car because they are now texting each other while sitting side by side. Online relationships are at a distance, and lets youth evade deeper emotional investments, vulnerability and the complications that arise from in-person relationships. This distance also makes racist and sexist language possible that would be unacceptable in person (Xue, 2013).
The most surprising results were about the development of imagination. They found that graphic art has become more visual and diverse while writing has trended in the opposite direction. Apps have developed and increased to the point that anyone can use them to create graphic media. However, there is not an extension of imagination beyond the limitations of the app. Gardner argues that apps, by “shortcutting discovery” can decrease engagement in the world. For instance, many teens don’t know how to find their way without a smartphone. The personal rewards that come along with the necessary development of identity and the imagination are to figure something out for yourself. This type of development is not happening at a time when it should be for teens with the complete reliance on apps. These key skills may additionally be affecting motivation in teens.
In 2012, Stanford University professor of communication, Clifford Nass, researched whether technology affects social interactions. He reported that humans are built to notice social cues such as the quavering voice, body posture, perspiration, a slight frown, the raised eyebrow or faint smile. If you are face-to-face with someone you can notice these social cues and after years of study, the ability to interpret them. However, if you are texting, you are deprived of the valuable information of social cues from them.
Kids addicted to technology
South Korea is the most wired country on earth. It’s common for elementary school students to carry smartphones and the cell network is so good there that it’s not a problem for people to live stream TV on the subway. The downside is that the country is grappling with an increasing number of “digital natives” – teens who don’t know how to live an analog life. The Washington Post reported statistics last year from South Korea, which revealed that 1 in 10 children (10% of Korean teenagers) are addicted to Internet technology. The Korean government has instated measures such as the “Cinderella Law,” which denies access after midnight to gamers younger than 16, though many find ways around it. (Fitfield, 2016).
As more evidence comes out that too much screen time is damaging developing brains, Internet addiction centers are being created in South Korea that are dealing with this problem. Kids who measure in the “danger zone” exhibit obsessive behaviors such as cutting class to use the Internet and have trouble interacting with people offline. Many withdraw from friends and family, feel lonely, or show aggressive and impulsive behaviors. Professor Kang from Dankook University has formed the opinion from his research that Internet addiction has the potential to damage critical thinking. He explains that “It affects the frontal lobes which are necessary for critical analysis. Reading a book where one guesses what happens in the story next shows activity in frontal lobes, but playing Internet games shows no activity.” (Carney, 2015). It is a serious problem that has policy makers, teachers, parents, and psychologists scrambling for ways to intervene. South Korea is treating Internet addiction as seriously as if it were alcohol or drug addiction. They realize that unrestrained use of the Internet has more than a few drawbacks, which can alter the development of healthy behaviors and they are learning how to manage their future as technology progresses.
Benefits of Media Access
On the other hand, some research has shown that time spent online has not prevented teens from developing or maintaining close relationships. While time spent online does displace time spent with friends and family, for most adolescents frequent virtual communication has been shown to strengthen the quality of existing relationships (e.g., Davis, 2012). Some of the research has shown substantial overlap between online and offline friends and that most of the online communications are positive or neutral (Underwood, Ehrenreich, More, Solis, & Brinkley, 2014). Although the majority of teens have been exposed to cyber bullying, most adolescents view mobile devices as a tool to use to engage in routine exchanges with friends and to strengthen existing relationships.
What should parents do?
The digital age is here to stay. It’s unrealistic to think that we can retreat from technology. Research has shown that there are benefits and risks to using the Internet. Going forward, it’s all a matter of perspective and management. If used correctly, then the benefits of technology will outweigh the risks. Moderation is a good rule of thumb that can be used effectively. Here are some basic recommendations:
- Move the computer to a common family area and limit technology use at home. Make it a family rule and enforce the limits. It will allow you to maintain more authority over your child’s Internet use
- Don’t allow Internet connection in your teenager’s room.
- Teach them how to maintain personal privacy. One in 5 children is sexually solicited online. Make sure your child’s FB page doesn’t list their contact information. Discuss with your child the importance of protecting personal information online. Explain what is appropriate and inappropriate to post. Help them understand boundaries and set rules such as – no meeting up with people you meet online unless they’re with mom or dad.
- If necessary, disconnect the router at night turn the machine off unless it is actively being used or collect phones and place them in an off limits area. Research shows that 4 out of 5 kids with mobile phones sleep with their phone in their bed or next to it. Most kids text at night after they’ve gone to bed or are online.
- Use technology to restrict web access. Invest in a home Internet provider that offers parental protection, firewalls and spamware or malware filters. Discuss different features for home phones and Internet deals before committing to their service.
- Be a safety sleuth and monitor Internet activity. There is a big gap between what you can see your child doing and what happens in their digital world. Check out uKnowKids.com. It will help you understand your child’s digital life and act if necessary. Research has shown that placing a phone on a table between two adults is distracting. Impulse control with teens is still developing, so it is still important to monitor their digital activity for safety.
- Take the approach of honestly explaining how content gets redistributed. Sexting apps like Snapchat guarantee that they will delete content by the date you request. The catch is that if a user screen shots the content, then they own a copy of it. Socially shared images can have devastating consequences for teens. Use recent news events such as the Steubenville or Maryville rape cases as teachable moments for your child. Once posted online, content is out of their control and can be dangerous.
- Another way to protect your child is to teach them critical thinking skills. Children’s brains are not fully developed until their mid to late twenties. Guide them through critical thinking about web content starting with homework assignments. If your child needs to research a project, explain and show them the differences between user generated content, reliable, authoritative content and spam.
- Join your kids online and become involved – join social media networks your child belongs to and keep a discreet profile. Watch media together and find opportunities to discuss what they are watching. Encourage their opinions and listen.
- Offer alternatives to boredom such as positive outlets through family centered activities. Bring the computer out in the family room, so everyone gets involved.
Younger children will more readily accept These rules, so start early. If older children are accustomed to having privacy and freedom on the Internet, it could become a battle to take it away. When the child is younger, it is easier to make it a policy that the phone belongs to the parent and the parent has full access to it until the child is 18. If you start to limit freedoms with older children, expect resistance from them and be willing to negotiate some alterations. The primary goal is safety.
While there are risks involved with Internet use, there are real benefits too. Two of the many lessons learned from South Korea when allowing your child online access is moderation and setting limits. As a parent, you can best protect your child and your family by using an approach that is honest, informed, and involved.
Patricia Duncan, MA, LPCC
As an Academic Life Coach and Counselor for adolescents and young adults, Patricia’s mission is to motivate teens and twenty-somethings to build academic and life skills, develop self-confidence and navigate an ever-changing world as successful adults.
References
Carney, M. (2015). Internet-addicted South Korean children sent to digital detox boot camp. ABC News, September 2015.
Davis, K. (2012). Friendship 2.0: Adolescents’ experiences of belonging and self-disclosure online. J Adolesc, 35(6), 1527-1536.
Fitfield, A. (2016). In South Korea, a rehab camp for Internet-addicted teenagers. The Washington Post, January 2016.
Lenhart, A. (2012). Teens, Smartphones & Texting. Washington, D.C.: The Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project.
Underwood, M. K., Ehrenreich, S. E., More, D., Solis, J. S., & Brinkley, D. Y. (2014). The BlackBerry Project: The hidden world of adolescents’ text messaging and relations with internalizing symptoms. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 1-17.
Xue, C. (2013). Is There an App for That? Harvard Magazine, Nov-Dec 2013.