THE ISSUE:
For my culminating project, I wanted to focus on the negative effects of technology, specifically regarding physical communication and the barriers that it creates. As time has gone by in the semester, I have found this topic increasingly more interesting, as unfortunately, it does pertain to me. As we have seen throughout our studies and coursework, technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate, which doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. As I previously mentioned, I am a culprit of the problem and a byproduct of the issue. Being so, I know first hand (mostly because my parents tell me) that I am “addicted” to my phone and social media, along with many of my peers and I know that the effects can’t be good. As we have read recently, face-to-face interactions with people are becoming minimized and are regarded with much less importance than technological communication. Additionally, means of technology seem to effect people in all realms and may not be all beneficial. Specifically, this issue seems to have a very large effect on the age group of children and teenagers, and there seem to be unfortunate implications regarding their future…
THE RESEARCH:
When I first started my research, I searched by broad standards, looking at studies and articles with effects of technology on the general population, and then I furthered my search. I wanted to look at effects of technology on children and adolescents, primarily because I grew up in the generation when this issue started and where it is probably most prominent in regards to implications for the future. One of my articles that I found, titled, “Media and Technology Predicts ill-being Among Children, Preteens and Teenagers Independent of the Negative Health Impacts of Exercise and Eating Habits” looked at the impact of technology in four main areas of ill-being for children: psychological issues, behavioral problems, attention problems, and physical health. The subjects of the study were among children (aged 4-8), preteens (9-12), and teenagers (13-18) and was conducted through an online survey completed by their parents. The results of the study suggested that while age is a variant in regards to the population of children/adolescents analyzed, technology appears to have a harmful effect on health. It was found that screen time allotted to children by their parents should be minimized so that the children can obtain optimum health, specifically in regards to physical health. Screen time has been shown to reduce physical activity in all of the populations of the subjects’, which can lead to a multitude of diseases. In addition, screen time has been shown to induce poor eating habits, which also gives rise to diseases such as obesity, diabetes and different types of cancer.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

WORKS CITED:
Ahn, J. (2011). The effect of social network sites on adolescents social and academic development: Current theories and controversies. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,62(8), 1435-1445. doi:10.1002/asi.21540
The Impacts of Technology. (2013, April 15). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=790hLh9KCb8
The Nation. (2018, March 28). Excessive use of technology in children. Retrieved from https://nation.com.pk/28-Mar-2018/excessive-use-of-technology-in-children
The Negative Effects Social Media Can Have On Relationships. (2018, April 24). Retrieved from https://studybreaks.com/culture/negative-effects-social-media-can-relationships/
Rosen, L., Lim, A., Felt, J., Carrier, L., Cheever, N., Lara-Ruiz, J., . . . Rokkum, J. (2014). Media and technology use predicts ill-being among children, preteens and teenagers independent of the negative health impacts of exercise and eating habits. Computers in Human Behavior,35, 364-375. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.036
T. (2014, November 10). How social media makes us unsocial | Allison Graham | TEDxSMU. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5GecYjy9-Q