Juvenoia: the fear of the effects of technology on youth and society. It has been present in every generation, whether it was debating the effects of automobiles or rock ‘n roll on the morality of society or the impact of books on the youth’s ability to socialize. They all seem like unfounded fears of overprotective parents, but the modern equivalent of those debates can be found in the massive concern over smartphones.
In the past, all the technological advances left children more or less unharmed. Automobiles and books were eventually incorporated into society, yet other trends faded away. Now these trends act as either a source of nostalgia for the older generations or a vintage accessory for the younger ones. However, are smartphones an exception to the trend?
The strongest evidence are smartphones’ proven addictive properties. According to Forbes, when participants were required to give up their phones, they suffered from withdrawal symptoms, which included physical symptoms, such as an increased blood pressure and heart rate, along with mental consequences, such as a sense of loss. The study also found that the participants also performed worse on cognitive tasks, such as word searches.
Children and adolescents are more vulnerable to the lures of smartphones due to their developing brains. Smartphones are often blamed for the increased instances of severe teenage depression and suicides in the past five years for their exposure of teenagers to social media. For this reason, smartphones may be deadly.
However, this argument can also demonstrate that smartphones are not the true cause of the problems: social media is. There smartphones are more than Instagram and Snapchat containers. The versatility of smartphones suggest that the abuse of them, rather than the phone itself, is the problem.
In an interview with the New York Times, Steve Jobs, the late inventor of the iPhone, the first modern smartphone, strictly limited the amount of screentime his children are exposed to. He also mentioned his children have not even used the iPad after it was recently released. Most tech CEOs and innovators have similar rules with their children.
The actions of these experts suggest that they know the dark side of technology, that the general public may not be aware of or fully understand. To keep their children safe, parents should emulate their decisions.
However, the abuses of some should not affect everyone. Moderation is the key to avoiding the detrimental effects of smartphones. A study found that reducing one’s phone usage from three hours to one hour per day reduces one’s risk of suicidal thoughts by almost half.
Smartphones can be used as an asset rather than a detriment. They provide a nearly infinite amount of knowledge at your fingertips and can serve many functions beyond contacting loved ones. The capabilities of a smartphone include acting as a GPS, calendar, watch, camera, music player, and so much more.
Back to juvenoia: people have always been worried about the next generation. However, almost all their fears prove to be unfounded. Though smartphones can have adverse side effects, they are outweighed by the sheer number of benefits and can be curbed through moderation.
Government corruption is at an all time high and over a billion children live in poverty; the crisis over smartphones is a generational concern. Maybe we should refrain from worrying about the youth and focus on the more prominent problems. The kids will be alright.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Ashley Ye of Richard Montgomery High School