Technological Advancements: Impact on Teenage Life in the U.S.

Technology has advanced tremendously over the past decade to help improve everyday life. It comes in all shapes and sizes, but the most common ones, in this generation, are cell phones, computers, and gaming systems, eighty years ago, however, the most common was the radio. Even though technology is used all around the world, the United States is perhaps the most advanced technological country in the world. According to the painting by Frida Kahlo, it can be interpreted that there are major technological differences between Mexico and the United States, therefore depending on where a teen lived, their education and social life would be different. In the U.S, the social life of teenagers has changed because of the recent changes in technology.

Because technology affects teenagers in school, where most of the time they cannot even use their phones, it most definitely affects their social life outside of school, where they are allowed to use it. In a TedTalk by Sherry Turkle, “our little devices, those little devices in our pockets, are so psychologically powerful that they don't only change what we do, they change who we are”. One of the biggest side effects of technology is that it creates new social challenges, making teenagers less sociable in the world. Teenagers are often confused on reality versus the real world; they think everything that happens on the phones happens in the real world, which makes it harder to adjust to the changes as they grow up. When teenagers are too busy playing on their phone, taking pictures, or texting, they are often time ignoring people around them. That is why adults think that teenagers are stubborn and ignorant because they cannot go twenty minutes without checking their phones. Some of the challenges it creates is the lack of communication, decrease in attention spans and distraction, changes in behavior, and causes addictions. Communication is an important skill to have in the work force. It shows employers that teenagers can easily work with anybody and that they have the ability to communicate both written and verbally. But because teenagers are so attached to their phone and reluctant to putting it

In the United States, teenagers sometimes take for granted what they have and are sometimes not appreciated of the simple things they have. In the painting by Frida, Mexico is interpreted as living in the past, without industrialized technology, which proved why students are struggling to do their work because of the lack of computers. Technology does affect teenagers’ everyday life, through their social and academic life, and it’s only going to get worse. Technology does provide wonder opportunities in the world: it allows long-distance friends to keep in touch and allows kids to learn in school. But when people take advantage of it, their life starts to change. Technology also creates barriers between friends and families because it prevents people from having a “face-to-face communication”. Even though the world cannot eliminate technology from their life, the world can still create baby steps to help combat the negativity. Many programs have been designed to help decrease the amount of technology that is being used. For example, the “Let’s Move” created by Michelle Obama and “No Texting While Driving” created by AT&T, are two campaigns that helped reduce the usage of technology that helps prevent death and create healthy lifestyles. Schools are also helping out to by creating the “Ban Cellphones” rule in classroom because it will help