Imagine not having a phone, or a way to communicate through the internet. For many this would be impossible, considering the amount of time people spend using technology. Every day, people are communicating, traveling, or working using technology. Technology has been progressing and with it, people have had an increase in use and dependence on it. A new debate has emerged on whether society is too dependent on technology. Today's society is negatively dependant on technology because it causes a lack of development in needed communication skills, acts as a negative distraction, and the world relies on it too heavily.    

To begin, technology is causing negative impacts on society. Part of the reason is because it is a negative distraction. First, according to the New York Times, “70% of students are distracted by technology in the classroom” Students are paying more attention to their computers, compared to the teacher. This can make learning much harder, adding distractions prohibiting focus. Moreover, according to Penn State Univeristy, tablets and computers entrap people's minds. People will be too focused on the screens of their devices, rather than what is going on around them. Also, according to Chanie Kirschner from the Mother Nature Network, MNN, there are too many ways someone can get side tracked while on a device.   People will not be able to focus on their main task, leaving them acting irrational, and having their mind in the clouds. Some may say that technology provides a way for people to safely use the internet and stay productive. This is not always the case, as people can be easily side tracked with a number of distractions on their device such as easy access to apps like youtube. Clearly, technology acts as a distraction, negatively changing and impacting society.

Secondly, technology is causing negative impacts on society, part of the reason is because society relies on it heavily. Firstly, in a study conducted by Penn State University in 2015, 77% of people used an electronic device or cellphone for at least five hours a day.  People have too much of a reliance on technology, using it for most of their day. Likewise, with the amount of time people spend on technology, they would be in “depression” without it. (Kirschner). Technology acts as almost a drug, luring people in always using it. Also, according to the New York Times, technology has taken over many jobs. (New York Times). This means that many jobs will not be needed, having society use technology more. It might seem that technology benefits society, making it easier to complete tasks but this is always not true.  With an increase on dependence, without it people cannot function. If there was less of a reliance, people would not be using it as much. Overall, society has had an increase on dependence for technology. This has lead to negative impacts, such as a loss in jobs.

Lastly, technology is causing negative impacts on society, part of the reason is because it prohibits communication skills. In the first place, according to Chanie Kirschner from the Mother Nature Network, MNN, kids and teens will be less social in school after using technology for periods of time (Kirschner).  With more and more people using technology, people will not talk as much to others leaving them alone. Similarly, according to Penn State University, teens will be less likely to interact with their peers considering the amount of time they spend on technology. People will be less likely to try and make friends, or interact. This has  negative impacts on society overall.  Moreover, conversations among people will be shorter and awkward since most people do not talk face to face.(New York Times).  It will be hard to make eye contact, and use social skills in person. It is true that technology allows people to connect with each other easily.  According to Laura Salesa a senior graphic designer, people will be able to communicate from a distance, enabling more conversations. This is not entirely true, since people will be more isolated and will not be able to talk to each other in person. In conclusion, technology leads to a lack in communication skills, and it makes developing these skills harder. 

As proven, today's society is negatively dependant and relies on technology for everyday uses, which overall is harmful. With society relying heavily on technology, there would be a downfall without it. WIth an increase in use, people would become more and more distracted while using it, and  would lose valuable communication skills.  In other words, if there is an increase use in technology, the future will be solely based around it, leaving society overly dependant. Many believe that the benefits of technology outweighs the negatives but, in truth, it has more harmful downsides that in the long run will only hurt society as people know it.