Please read Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” and post a brief (200-300 word) response to her argument. In your response, you might articulate what you perceive as her project in this article and reflect on how it connects to the other texts we’ve read so far in our class. You might also choose to evaluate her argument: do you find her claims to be true? Somewhat true? Problematic? As representatives of “iGen,” your lived experience can be used as evidence supporting/contradicting her claim.
As a reminder, this assignment is fully optional. Your response will be counted as extra credit toward your participation grade. Responses must be submitted by Wednesday, 10/11, to receive credit.
In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean M. Twenge, she focuses on the impact that the smartphone has had on the iGen, especially a large amount of time spent on social media. Also, she explains how the smartphone has led to the decrease of time spent on other activities, such as sleep and interacting with friends.
I fully agree with Twenge’s main claim. Admittedly, we do spend less time on important activities like sleeping. According to Twenge, “Fifty-seven percent more teens were sleep deprived in 2015 than in 1991.” The main reason why this may have occurred is because more teens spend their sleeping time using apps on their phones. Since teens get less sleep, they may become more tired throughout the day and therefore, become less physically active. In addition to getting less sleep, teenagers socialize less with their friends. Twenge states the following: “The number of teens who get together with their friends nearly every day dropped by more than 40 percent from 2000 to 2015; the decline has been especially steep recently.” Twenge is implying that the smartphone is leading to more teens not physically talking to their peers, which may result in a crisis where teens cannot communicate simple ideas towards their friends or other people.
This article relates to Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” because we rely heavily on technology and forget the essence of being human. In his article, Carr refers to how reading online has made him read faster and process information like a machine. This connects back to Twenge’s claim that the smartphone is changing teens in various ways, including not experiencing the same activities that their parents once did, like driving.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” Twenge links the usage of smartphones to the increase in depression, decrease in socialization, and overall decrease in various activities. Besides the fact that my phone does play a role in my lack of sleep, personally, I do not agree with most of her claims. I do, however, understand where she is coming from with the depression and overall lack of socialization.
Social media, while it allows people to peer into the lives of others, really only shows the better aspects. Combining this with how easy it is bully someone online, has made some people feel a sense of worthlessness. In “Ways of Seeing,” Berger claims that happiness comes from other people’s envy. Social media in many cases are like advertisements except that the user is trying to “sell” their lives. Even mentioned in Twenge’s article, there is this concern with not having enough likes or comments. Social media is great place to get validation, but when the user does not get it, it brings down their sense of self-worth, especially when there are so many people to compare to. And this all goes back to the lack of socialization. When a person spends less time having fun, they spend more time comparing themselves. But, there does not seem to be a need for socialization when everything does seem to be on social media.
However, in other aspects, such as driving and reliance on parents. I think it all comes down to how the image of adulthood seems to have shifted, at least in my eyes. Adulthood just seems to be more responsibilities and less pleasure. Especially with how much emphasis there is on higher education and becoming successful with a plan.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” she talked about the difference in generation nowadays compare to the ones who were born before 1995. I was born in 1997 and I totally agree her argument with the technology taking over kids around my age or younger’s social life. However, my parent tried their best to keep me away from the technology as far as possible. They helped me experienced the life as a Gen Xers as Twenge refers. I did experience a life without a phone or smartphone for 15 years of my life. The only technology piece I had in contact with was the computer. Though I could only use it for around an hour every week. Back then, the only entertainment I had beside from technology was my friends. I would put in much more effort to try to hang out with my friends and I would always avoid time alone. Now, things had changed, I became an iGen myself. I don’t mind staying at home all day and just be on my laptop. I could communicate with my friends easily through the internet. I don’t need to make all the efforts to try to see my friends anymore. Not only me had turned into an iGen, people around me had all turned into an iGen. Friends get mad at me if I broke out Snapchat streaks. Not everyone is realizing that their friendship isn’t based on the days of the streak. It doesn’t mean the more streak you have with people, the more popular or closer you are with them. I often hear people say they have a streak with someone that they know nothing about. I totally agree with Twenge that technology is destroying the bonds between people. Though not everyone is happy with being closer to their screen than with actual people, there’s nothing much they can do about it. After all, everyone is in an unbreakable relationship with technology.
In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean M. Twenge, it speaks heavily on a new generation called the iGen generation. I believe she got the idea of “iGen” from the “iPhone”, which makes sense for this situation. The “iGen” is basically a substitute for the term “millennials.” However, this generation is mainly focused on social media, or using the phone instead of human interaction. The smartphones have so much power in today’s society because they affect the younger generation in such a large manner. They have the ability to isolate the new generation and keep them away from human interaction which isn’t good. Human interaction benefits a person because it prepares for the future, for example, a job interview or maybe even at a social event like a career fair. Being isolated from interaction since the start will not only affect you in social aspects, but mental as well. As the article says, “Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011. It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones.” This by itself tells you how smartphones are affecting our society today. I definitely agree with Jean’s argument about smartphones, and parents of the next generations should definitely take note of what is happening to our society.
In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean M. Twenge, she argues that the increased use of technology, specifically the smartphone, has created and characterized the iGen. She states that with her research she saw drastic changes in both teen behaviors and emotional states. Not only do the experiences of this new generation differ from those of millennials’, but they see the world from a different perspective. As a member of what Twenge considers iGen, I feel that while it feels weird to be labeled as this new generation, it is an accurate way to describe the change that has occurred with today’s teenagers. I do not remember a time before the internet. My earliest childhood memories include the basement room where our computer was. That old stationary computer was replaced by my first laptop at the age of 8, and my first smartphone came only a few years later. I feel like we were born into this technological revolution and of course we had no say in whether we wanted to be a part of it. We went to schools where hours were spent in computer labs, and assignments were either typed or done online.
Something that I specifically relate to is the increase of mental health issues amongst our generation. I think this change paired with the fact that previous generations can’t necessarily relate has amplified the distance between some iGen and their parents. Personally, I know it is impossible explain to my parents the concept of depression, because they think it is just one being unreasonable, dramatic. It’s interesting how we have become physically safer but different issues are now harming us from inside. Just as the smartphone has brought different aspects of our lives to us, it has brought other problems directly to us. In addition, Twenge points out in previous generations teenagers were interested in driving, partying, and being independent. She focuses on how today teenagers have replaced face to face interactions with snapchat and texting. I feel that for many teenagers it is still a major point to be independent, go out to parties, and get licenses in more suburban areas. The amount of teenagers participating in rebel activities has decrease probably because those who do not wish to participate have an alternative for socialization. Most importantly I agree with Twenge’s statement that “is not to succumb to nostalgia for the way things used to be; it’s to understand how they are now” because it is unhelpful for people of previous generations to linger on things that cannot be changed.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, Twenge emphasizes the idea of how smartphones have have begun to shape the lives of the younger generation, or iGen from the years 1995-2015. According to Twenge, “the arrival of the smartphone has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health”. Similar to the”Is Google making us Stupid” article, the overuse of the smartphone can not yet be deemed a negative or a positive, however it can be concluded that it has begun to change natural tendencies on our lifestyle. Twenge highlights that in our society today, people have a less intrinsic connection with those around them. Often, it is extremely tempting to check the latest news and speak with a distant friend, during times we should be communicating with those in that are in the same room as us. Many examples of social activity, such as working a part time job or going on a date, has decreased in many studies taken, as a result of children spending more and more time of their phones. The iGen generation isn’t concerned with a lot of the past necessities entering adulthood because most of their life and pleasure revolves around their phones, which is just an immediate access to the internet. In my perspective many people today are so attached to what is happening in the lives of others, that they struggle focusing on what necessary in their own.
In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean M. Twenge, Twenge tries to emphasize the effects that smartphones have by studying the newest generation, the generation that grew up with smartphones from early childhood, which she calls iGen. Twenge makes a lot of interesting observations about how this generation has become less social and responsible, relying on communication over the phone or internet and spending less time going out, therefore developing less independence than previous generations. The quote “Why are today’s teens waiting longer to take on both the responsibilities and the pleasures of adulthood?” shows this point of view.
Though many of Twenge’s points are very convincing and I agree that smartphones may have their effects on the youngest generations, I disagree that iGen is unique as a generation or that it deserves attention or concern. Believing that your generation is unique, or that the youngest generation is unique because of some new product is a phenomena that has been going on since the beginning of humankind. Humans have not evolved for thousands of years, and because we have the same brains as we did two thousand years ago, very similar intra-generational conflicts exist. When the printing press was invented and books became more widespread, older generations tell their kids to spend time outside as they did and not to preoccupy themselves with books. When televisions became a household item, parents told their kids to stop watching tv and to read a book. Today, many parents wish their kids spent more time watching tv then they do on their phones. The same has always been the case with music, with older generations disliking newer music (Elvis Prestly, rock and roll, Beatles, rap) and being convinced that this new music is bad and will never last. Here, I believe that Twenge is making a similar mistake by believing that the newest generation is different or worse (in some aspects) in some way.
In Jeane M. Twenge’s article ” Have SmartPhones Destroyed a Generation”, Twenge tries to show how smart phones and technology are really hindering our ability to study and concentrate leading problems we are not even aware off. Smartphones as we know offer tons of benefits however are the obvious benefits worth the inevitable benefits? The notion of patience seems to be under lying issue she is trying to explain. With the ability to call someone within 5 seconds we want things now, not later. If this is is not accomplished we generally feel less than. Studies have shown that social media is causing depression due to periods of isolation. When we have social media we generally see pictures of parties going on and notice fun. Sometimes almost all of the time we at that present moment are just doing nothing. So we do not feel good. The author discusses the idea of pictures being liked on Instagram. If one posts and gets many likes they will artificially become happier with increased dopamine. However, this is fake. Most people are to concerned about what others think but not focused on bettering themselves. At the end of the day, no is coming to save you except yourself. If we can all internalize and act on this the world would be a much better place. We have to have the desire to have discipline in not becoming obsessed with social media.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, she asserts that the generation of people that were born between 1995 and 2012, called iGen, are tremendously influenced by social media and technology. Children, today, spend more time at home on their phones, checking social media instead of hanging out with friends and family. In addition, they feel more alone and unhappy since, they are not experiencing the world that goes around them. I agree with Twenge’s claim because in my own life, I feel the need to be on my phone whenever possible. Whether I am checking my instagram, snapchat or texting my friends, I find myself using my phone for a long period of time and not noticing how much time has passed. This attachment to my phone is can be problematic, in a sense, since it is a distraction from the actual responsibilities I have in my life. For instance, I would use my phone rather than starting my homework or doing the dishes because the use of my phone creates this getaway from reality and enables me to do other things that I believe are more amusing. Therefore, this relates to Twenge’s claim that today’s teens are procrastinating when taking on the responsibilities that result from adulthood because of the way they were raised by their parents and the economic conditions. Parents allow their children to live with them pass the age of prior generations because today’s society rewards the higher educated individuals hence, parents continue to nourish their children until they finish their education. Furthermore, Twenge claims that the iGen population are safer compared to the past generations because they rather spend time at home than outside with their peers. Personally, I do not agree with this claim because with the increase use of social media, it resulted in a decrease in confidence and self-esteem in teens therefore, making it easier for bullying as well as cyber bullying to occur more frequently.
Based upon my previous response to Carr’s, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” I expected my response to Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” to be negative, however, I believe Twenge presents a pretty sound article that in most ways, I can relate to. The points made throughout the article were points I could see in my own life, such as the lack of necessity to hang out in person when we have our smartphones, but in all honesty, I didn’t feel that until college. Luckily in high school, all my friends drove. I was the one who didn’t have as much of a drive to pursue my license, but that was because I knew there was no way I was getting a car. My friends and I were very social in person back home. We constantly met up to go to parties, dinners, hang out in my basement, etc. We put our phones away and lived in the moment at Christmas parties, birthday parties, etc. We genuinely loved being in each other’s presence. I understand that some students may have not had a similar experience, but my personal high school experience negates the article’s main premise. I do however agree with the article more now that I am in college. I can genuinely see the effects of my phone on my friendships now. It feels almost unnecessary to make friends here when I know I have my best friends forever on my cell phone. The result of this is often upsetting. I have no physical friends here to go to parties with, concerts, dinners, etc. I do understand the feeling of loneliness that can easily develop, especially seeing those same friends at parties and events. It almost feels as if they’re growing and I’m not — but in the back of my mind I know social media isn’t reality. The depression statistics are sad and shocking, and while I do agree that it goes in hand with the social media use, I do think the severe increases in depression levels opens up more conversations about self-care. Depression was more stigmatized before, but it seems that our generation better understands depression and the need to care for yourself mentally as well as physically. I feel that teens today are forced to focus more on mental care than previous generations were. We’re more mentally endangered and that’s scary, but I feel that this can be worked through. I really appreciated that Twenge’s article also focused on a lot of positive behavioral statistics, because the passage felt less like a “blame the phone” article and more like a factually based argument. I was pleasantly surprised, and though I am almost 100% positive I won’t change any behaviors towards my phone, I will continue to attempt to focus on mental health. I can make conscious efforts to meet people, continue my yoga classes, exercise, etc. in order to make me feel better. In my mind, these activities will somewhat counteract the negatives my phone is creating without changing the actual phone behavior itself, which admittedly, I don’t want to change.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” she spoke about the changes in behavior from millennials to older generations. One topic she spoke about that I want to address is how she claims that, “Today’s teens are also less likely to date,” which is true. However she follows this with, “The decline in dating tracks with a decline in sexual activity,” which on the other hand is completely false. Comparing Baby Boomers to GenX shows a stark decrease in dating, which I, a member of GenX completely agree with. The problem lies with how this decrease in dating translates to an increase in age before a teenager loses their virginity. Nowadays, “hooking up” is a term used when two people meet up and make out. It may mean anything from anal and oral sex, to make out sessions, or any freaky things teens do nowadays. Just because they’re not inserting a penis into a vagina, does not mean that teenagers are not having sexual contact. Instead, sexual behaviors are probably (I have no proof except my life experiences) increasing in GenX! The decrease in birth rates that Twenge spoke about was due to the reasons I previously listed, as well as an increase in the use of birth control. Condoms are available everywhere, and in schools and most public institutions they are free. In addition, there has been an increase in the use of birth control pills by females as well to control hormonal shifts because doctors love handing out drugs to teens just to make money. I’m not bashing the health care sector, I just believe they care too much about money than the wellbeing of their patients. In conclusion, Twenge needs to understand all these other factors and loopholes to her research. A basic but simple fact she seems to have overlooked is are the teens that she is interviewing telling the truth? Many may lie out of shame that they did not yet have sex just to avoid feeling awkward.
In Jean M Twenge’s article ” Have smartphones destroyed a generation?” she talked about the difference in people’s attention and attitudes because of the new technology of smartphones. She argues that people of the iGen are influenced heavily by their smartphones and social media. I agree with this claim. It is rare to see people engaging with strangers in person anymore. People are too busy staring at their facebook timeline or instagram. This has become consuming for many people, and it is much more prevalent in younger people of the iGen as Twenge defined it. I know personally myself and many friends will lie down in bed and scroll through social media before falling asleep instead of reading or even watching TV. I also know that this is bad for my sleeping habits as it causes me to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Therefore, I agree with Twenge that people are suffering from the causes of social media reliance.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, she talks about how the introduction of smartphones into society and its impact on the generation that she dubs “iGen.” iGen encompasses people who’re born between 1995 and 2012, and references Apple products like iPhones and iPads as some major name products that everyone has heard about. Most kids today have gone through lives with the internet and other technologies at their side at every moment. Through these new technologies, people have started looking more towards things like social media and interacting with screens rather than interacting with each other in person. Even while when people of “iGen” interact with people directly, people still are distracted by screens and therefore can’t have the same level of intimacy as the previous generation.
I agree with her claims that technology has warped the sense of what is important to the people growing up in this generation. Things like sleep and socialization have drastically changed and as a result, the human psyche has degenerated which may have led to a high rate of depression. Due to screens and technology, people have started to sleep less on average. According to the article, “Many now sleep less than seven hours most nights.” Generally, the recommended amount of sleep ranges between eight and ten hours. This may lead to people becoming less physically active which leads to less dopamine to the brain which can cause depression. I believe that due to technology, people have become more prone to procrastinating their work, which in turn is the reason for mass sleep deprivation between students. Many look towards technology as a source of entertainment and distraction because work is viewed as a negative reinforcement to many people. By having such an easy go-to source of distractions, it is negatively impacting people because many people don’t manage their own time properly and end up losing sleep over little things like this. Social media, which links with distractions can be viewed as another spawn of this generation. Many people enjoy posting about themselves and only a subsection of those many people get the attention of others either directly, in the form of likes or indirectly, in the form of envy. Those who become envious may tend to start thinking more negatively about their own life due to seeing only the positive sides of other people’s lives.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, she references many ideas that I can relate to and many that I don’t agree with. Based on her classification I would classify as iGen. However, I don’t think I would be part of this generation because my generation has seen a world without social media and smartphones, while those born later than us have not seen such a world. I remember when we would have to use dial-up internet as opposed to Wi-Fi and how the only games you could play on your phone was snake. It wasn’t until I was 11 or 12 that the smartphone became common and I didn’t get my first smartphone until I was 13 like many others. Also, some of her ideas do not seem right from the point of view of someone the age group she is referencing. For example, people are going out less, but that doesn’t mean that social interactions are ending. In fact I can say sometimes it’s easier to express yourself behind a screen. Instead of hanging out with friends people can talk in group chats or group video calls on social media. As a result, when people do hang out it is much more cherished, because it isn’t something that is common. Also, her ideas on iGen generation not going on dates seems once again to not be 100% correct. People now are going on less dates, but we are meeting more new people than ever. Apps like Tinder are helping people meet others without the hassle of leaving your house. Overall, I think that smartphones have both positives and negatives and the author seems to be focused more on the negatives. Sure I am part of this generation so I would be quick to defend it but, the truth is not everything is as it seems.
Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” focuses on the impact of smartphones on society, specifically younger generations. She weighs the pros and cons smartphones have on the iGen. Physically, iGen kids are safe physically than those who came before them, however psychologically, smartphones have taken a greater toll. Twenge states that mental health issues present in many teens is as a result of phone usage. She also links smartphones to a decrease in independence. She claims that previous generations had a greater desire for independence, wanting to get their driver’s license as soon as possible, dating, working etc. To an extent, I find this argument to be contradicting to my own experiences, in highschool I found that majority of my peers did have a desire for independence. Many received their permits, licenses and jobs as soon as they legally could. The needs for independence shifts from person to person, so i am unsure whether it is truly a generational issue. She continues to argue that teens who spend more time on smartphones to sleep depravity. Admittedly, this holds some truth as I notice before I go to bed I usually use for my phone, many times for longer than anticipated, resulting in less sleep. Technology, specifically smartphones, can cause a level of disconnect between its user and the world, however it can also allow for connections and communication to be made more easily.
In Jean M. Twenge’s article, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” Twenge argues that the use of smartphones have inhibited “iGen” socially and psychologically. She reports that increase in depression, decrease in socialization, and an overall decrease in various other activities. And in a way, I see Twenge’s point. I always see young children prefer to be on their iPads and other gaming devices rather than socializing. It is not a rare sight. However, what I disagree with is the fact that she is grouping all of Generation Z or “iGen” into the same category. Being born in 1999, I fall into this category of young adults and teens, but I am not nearly as addicted as younger kids are. There are people my age who still socialize a good amount and are not obsessed with their phones. When it comes to sleep, the blue light that emits off devices do cause sleep deprivation, which is very unhealthy, but we do not just use our electronics before bed for recreational purposes. Sometimes we do homework on our computers right before bed, so our eyes are still affected by the blue light emitted from that. Our phones and other electronics have become a part of our daily lives that even if we want to we cannot live without.
A part of me think that some of Twenge’s argument comes from the nostalgia from when she was younger. Throughout her article she mentions how she is reminiscing being a child. Nostalgia is a cloaking device sometimes because people tend to think that because a part of the past is better that things should not change. Twenge grew up during a drastically different time than we did so it is not fair to the current generation to compare what she did growing up to what children are doing now. I think Nicholas Carr’s article took a similar stance to this where technology is not helping us, but in reality it is. Our society is more advanced and more efficient than ever and that is thanks to technology.
I couldn’t have agreed more with Twenge’s argument and reflection on the use of technology today. It was an emotional reading for me because I connected very intimately with somethings, I think the one area where she makes a mistake is she says at one point that igen is 1995 to 2010 and that they never remembered a time without internet. That idea was actually incorrect. I was born in 1996 and remember never having used the internet until I was in middle school and even then it was nothing fancy only used for homework and games. This is not a big issue but what it does mean is that I do have a recollection of before having internet and a smartphone, of a time when ten-year-old Connor would sit on the floor of his room surrounded by a million toy soldiers and create massive battlefields. That memory in and of itself after having read this piece is almost saddening because I realize that I haven’t been that happy just doing me possible since I was ten. I have been fortunate enough to have lived in eleven countries worldwide and for a handful of those places I was not using any phone or internet and it was absolutely amazing, however, take my time in Bermuda and I was completely addicted to my phone and the experience was literally self destructive, rampant with social issues and negative reflection. There is something to be said for the horror of the psychological crisis we are facing and as a psychologist, I think that we are only touching the very edge of the problem now.