Technology is a lot like fire; incredibly useful but extremely dangerous if mishandled or underestimated. Now in this advanced age it seems a new dawn is rising, one of ubiquitous mobile technology, instant communication with global capabilities, and easy accessibility by nearly every potential user with a cheap digital device and a wireless connection. Whereas, mankind has learned to harness the power of fire to enhance and transform life, the same may need to be done with children and technology. Today, adolescents alone spend more time on their electronic devices than they spend in school during their four cumulative years of high school. This young and impressionable demographic is a prime example of how technology can be simultaneously useful, fulfilling, seductive, and dangerous. Internet research, social media, text messages, and email, are words that ten years ago one would have never thought would take over the world today. With the increased use of technology in society today, it is affecting the way that children interact with the world. Devices people may have used even five years ago are not being used anymore because of the increased use of technology. People of all ages rely heavily on technology, but it is seen more commonly with children. Children today are growing up in a society with resources that are much different than with what their parents grew up. Generations today have special skills that their parents did not have because of technology, but they are also missing out on some of the most important skills of daily life. Technology is a relatively new innovation that has yet to be proven successful or unsuccessful for teenagers in society today. Technology mainly affects children in how they experience education, their personal development and creativity, and how they communicate.

Education is the first area in which technology can have a real impact on the lives of adolescents. Technology affects children educationally in many ways such as providing students with an alternative way to learn the information, as a way to help students who are academically challenged, and as a method to engage students in what they are learning. Technology influences children in school by creating more online assignments, but it also reduces the amount of pen to paper work, which is an essential life skill today. When students use technology, “they are in an active role rather than the passive role”(Singh). This is beneficial because students are not just listening to the lecture given by the teacher, but they are finding out information on their own and actually using that information in context. Technology not only offers students an alternative method of learning, but it also “ provides a different set of challenges” (Singh), which allows students to show what they have learned in ways that have never been seen before.  Using technology with education is beneficial not only because it is fascinating for children, but it is also offering challenges that have never been seen before, which offers unique methods to master the material.

For some students who are not as academically advanced, educational technology gives them an additional option for how they want to learn and comprehend the information given in class. Studies have shown that, “digital devices are saving students time” (Lepi), which increases the chance of students to do their homework more efficiently. If a student has an assignment on the Internet, they are more likely to complete it and be captivated with it than if it were out of a textbook. Children today have very busy lives and with technology being a more efficient way to get work done, students are more likely to do the work and really put effort into it. But there are also some adverse effects with technology. The Internet “is like jet skiing, in which the jet skier is swimming along the surface of the water at high speed, surrounded by many distractions.” (Taylor). The Internet does provide ease for many students, but it also has many more distractions than a book. On the other hand, Taylor says book reading, “is like scuba diving in which the diver is submerged in a quiet, visually restricted, slow- paced setting with few distractions.” A book is a very valuable form of learning which forces the student to focus on the limited amount of information given in that book, and prevents them from getting off track. Technology has elements that can be both beneficial and distracting to students in class, but it is a new innovation that more and more students prefer to use.

Although technology offers an alternative method of learning for those who are not as strong academically, it can also create many negative effects at school. Evidence has shown that, “students who were allowed Internet access during class didn’t recall the lecture nor did they perform as well on a test” (Taylor). Although technology is the more appealing option in school for children it can really hurt their performance in the classroom. With instant messages popping up, games that are one click away, and the entire Internet open for exploring it is very hard to stay on task while using a computer. Technology does save students time and they do prefer to use it, but it is also causing them to get off track and distracted in class.

The increasing use of technology raises the engrossment of children in their learning by providing them with an innovative way to learn the concepts. Watching videos of an explanation of a concept instead of reading a book, allows students to “ get a whole story in six minutes” (Richtel). Kids would rather sit in front of a screen for six minutes then have to read a book that takes a lot longer to read. Combining computers and education, “can better engage students and give them technical skills without deep thought” (Richtel). Getting students excited about what they are learning is essential to teachers and the use of technology is an easy way to do that.
Personal development is yet another area where the effects of technology greatly impact the daily lives of children. Technology diminishes the use of face-to-face conversations and leads children to rely on texting as their main form of communication. Children spend too much time focused on a screen when they are supposed to be learning to form relationships in person. A junior, Taylor Strahan said, “whenever I am in a situation, instead of trying to make a conversation I resort to my cell phone” (Stewart). Many children also use their phones to avoid awkward conversations and to always have something to rely on. Children depending so much on technology leads to fear that they will have social awkwardness and social anxiety when having to meet new people. There is worry that “ technology is replacing physical and imaginative play” (Sara). Phone reliance is leading to diminishing the development of social skills. Generations in the past did not have their phones to rely on in an uncomfortable situation, and if they wanted to communicate with someone they would have to speak with him or her directly. If adolescents keep using their cell phones as a form of communication, they will lose vital social skills that are imperative in the world today.

In addition, having all conversations via message makes it difficult for adolescents to read and notice the emotions of the people they are talking to. A necessary skill for adolescents today is being able to handle embarrassment, and children are losing the ability to do this. Instead of friends speaking to each other in person, “they will just text each other” (Stewart). Children in the same room will even text each other instead of just talking to each other in person. With the lesser amount of face-to-face conversations, a large number of teens “are having difficulty identifying emotions in people, and this is causing them to lack the skill of empathy to others” (Ito). This is a major skill that teens need but are often times lacking. Dr. Taylor the author of Raising Generation Tech, believes that the "ability to show and express healthy emotions is a skill that develops with practice." Children today are not practicing this skill, and will not have this skill when they are in an uncomfortable situation. Dr. Taylor also believes that "communicating through technology causes children to miss out on essential information." For example, voice tone, inflection, body language, and facial expressions are all major skills that previous generations had and are all necessary skills that people today will really be missing out on. Dr. Taylor says that the skill of expressing and reading emotions is a quality that is essential for healthy human functioning, and will really affect people in interacting with other generations. Young children today will miss out on these skills, and when they get older they will then realize the importance of these strengths that they are missing out on. Adolescents today, who choose to communicate via text message instead of in person, lose the ability of reading emotions and being able to have a conversation in person.
Having fewer face-to-face conversations will make it hard for children to be prepared for an interview and even harder for them to be able to talk to someone in person. Good communication skills are not only important in being able to contact one’s friends, but they are also important for job interviews and college interviews. Being able to communicate well with all different types of people, “ is important because when we are adults and applying for interviews, we won’t know how to have proper communication” (Stewart), which can lead to one not getting the job. Taylor believes that with the increased use of online communication, "all types of relationships and interactions will be impacted." Not only will friendships be affected, but also family relationships, work relationships, students’ relationships with their teachers, and many others. Not having as many direct conversations will lead to children lacking the ability to succeed in interviews and for children to not be able to communicate what they want to say in person.

Technology ultimately affects the way children communicate and interact with people both near and far. Kids today spend about “ 10,000 hours playing video and online games by 21.” (Taylor). That amount will continue to increase as more and more innovative devices come out. For children, texting is the preferred method of communication, and “ that trend is moving upward towards adults now” (Stewart). Taylor also says that social media is so new that "it is too early to tell how it will impact children. I do hear from teachers often who say that they can’t connect with their students the way they used to."  Teachers do not have the same type of exposure to technology as their students do and it is getting more challenging for them to make a connection with their students. Technology is taking over children’s lives and, “ has created a new set of social types” (Richtel). Instead of stereotypes such as the thespian and the jock, there is now the “texter” and the Facebook addict. Technology has taken over children’s lives today, and because of that it has brought out new stereotypes for children. However technology has also really helped some kids become more social and make new friends. One child, who has difficulties communicating with people face to face, says technology is helping him “come out of his shell and develop social skills that he wasn’t learning because he is so shy” (Richtel). Technology has really helped some children come out of their comfort zone and make new friends, but it is also causing children to not have as many conversations in person.

Seeing who can get more likes on Instagram, or who can tweet the funniest thing on Twitter causes children to spend more time on social media seeing their friends posts than they actually spend with their friends in person. Being able to communicate with anyone has become instantaneous and, “distance also seems to have grown shorter as we are able to connect with people in the far corners of Earth” (Taylor). One can never go months and months without talking to someone because there is always the accessibility of computers and phones. The use of Skype, has allowed one to see his/her friends and family while in a different country. In previous generations, “ we simply knew we could not be reached readily by anyone except in person or by landline telephone”  (Taylor), but that has changed significantly today. Today, there is the Internet, mobile phones, text messaging, Twitter, email, Skype, and many other methods of communication. Not being able to communicate with someone through technology is definitely not an issue that is seen today.

Exploring websites on the Internet, watching movies, or watching live interviews influences a child’s view of the world and makes them want to become more like the celebrities and major figures they see on television. Media is not only a form of entertainment, but “it has helped children care about what is happening on the other side of the world, giving them access to people of different cultures and lifestyles” (Sara). The only worry that people have for this generation is that this generation will be raised in front of screens, causing their brains to be wired differently than previous generations. No other generation has had this much exposure to technology, and researchers are worried that children today will be different than in previous generations. Taylor says, "technology is a wonderful tool for accessing information and connecting with others. But too much of it (which I see with young people today) will likely do some harm as well." The only worry with technology is that kids today will grow up to be too different from those of other generations, and will not have the same basic skills of life due to technology.

Technology is indeed like fire, incredibly useful, but extremely dangerous in its misuse. Technology brings with it both tremendous benefits, and the potential for tremendous disadvantages. Educational technology raises student engagement, but it can also cause many distractions. As seen with personal development, adolescents will rely so much on their phones for communication to the point that they will not be able to handle uncomfortable or spontaneous situations and embarrassment in the future because they are so used to their communication being on their phone. Mobile digital technology allows children to be perpetually connected, but it also leads children to lose their elemental ability to have face-to-face conversations. Technology is a very beneficial tool if the use is not exceeded. Using a little bit of technology at a time will allow students to still be able to use one of the most important skills in society today, which is interacting with someone face to face, in real time. The amount of technology at one’s disposal has greatly increased in the past five years. On a daily basis, people will start to rely more and more on their devices as they move into the future. Thus, people must never forget that technology is a magnificent tool as long as the focus of the user remains on the task, as opposed to on the tool itself. 
 
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