Technology
Technology has become a major issue in the society. People have different views about technology. Some think technology has a lot of benefits while others think technology has a lot of advantages. Technology has a lot of benefits in the society. For instance, technology has improved communication in the society by encouraging development of new devices. It has also improved transport in the society. Most industries have used technology to develop alternative means of transport.
In addition, technology has helped improve advertisement and leisure in the society as it offers a wide range of advertisement and leisure opportunities. Though technology has a lot of advantages, it has some disadvantages. For instance, technology has affected youth in the society in different ways. For instance, it has affected culture in the society. This is because technology has led to loose of cultural values and norms in the society. It has also led to poor perception about beauty. This has led to negative impact on the youth. This paper analyzes how technology has affected youth.
Discussion
Most people argue that technology is shaping the young generation in a harmful manner. For instance, technology has affected the American culture in various ways. Technology and culture are interrelated and affect each other. For instance, technology leads to growth of culture by providing the necessary tools. For example it helps eliminate social problems in the society by enabling countries to develop various innovations. Countries that have advanced technology have found it easy to enhance their culture unlike countries that do not have enough technology. Most of the countries that do not have technology face various issues that result from lack of technology.
For instance, they find it hard to improve communication and transport in the country. The friction between technology and preservation of cultural values has become a major problem in many countries like America. Technology has affected the American culture negatively. For instance, it has led to loose of cultural values and norms in the American society. Most people have adopted various values, beliefs and norms that are against the American culture. Cultural values refer to ideas that shape the objectives and ideals of a society.
Different societies have different values and beliefs which members of the society are supposed to keep (Kirsh 2009).Most of the societies like the American society have found it hard to maintain their moral standards, cultural values due to technology. The advances in technology have enabled young children to adopt cultural values, norms and morals that are not inline with the society. This has in turn led to increase in social problems in the society. For instance, it has led to high rate of crime and other sexual irresponsibility.
The cultural values developed by a society are crucial as they help instill moral standards in the society and hence eliminate social problems. Most of the societies have found it hard to prevent the social problems because they do not have the right values and beliefs.A large percentage of American children spend time watching television and using other technologies like internet and mobile phones. The technologies help children acquire different values. Some of the values are good and enhance the moral standards of the child while others are bad as they harm the child.
The society should prevent the negative impact of technology on American culture so as to be able to preserve the American culture and benefit from the technology. Thus, technology demoralizes American culture (Kirsh 2006).Additionally, technology has affected how youth perceive beauty. The television airs various types of beauty shows that have impacted the children negatively. The television shows display women who are young, tall and thin. The television shows do not see women who are fat, short and old to be attractive. This has forced most of the young girls to try and become young, tall and thin.
Most girls in the world have tried to loose weight so aw to be able to look like the models. Others have decided to starve so as to loose weight and become attractive. A large percentage of the young girls are not aware of the effects caused by starving and loosing excessive weight. Studies have shown that starving and loose of excessive weight can led to anorexia and other disorders among young children. It can also lead to death in some cases (Kirsh 2006). Most of the women including young girls have been sold to the diet industry through the magazines and television shows. Most of the news papers and television shows have over advertised excessive exercise and dieting and this has caused young girls to be more conscious about their bodies.
Most of the models used in the various beauty shows are underweight and also have undergone other processes to make them appear ideal. For instance, the women have undergone plastic surgery to improve their looks and appearance. Many youngsters are not aware if the models have undergone plastic surgery to improve their looks and hence try to be skinny like the models. Though many girls try to achieve the right beauty, only a small percentage of the women succeed. The process causes harm to a large percentage of the women (Willett 2006).
The televisions shows have led to stigimization in the society as most people do not appreciate fat people. The social stigmization has food young girls to indulge in excessive exercise, starving and anorexia. It has also led to loose of self esteem among youngsters as they are not satisfied with their appearance. This has in turn led to low performance and social problems like drug abuse (Willett 2006).Apart from affecting how youngsters perceive beauty, technology has led to increase in chronic diseases among the youth.
For instance, it has led to increase in the rate of obesity among young children. Most children spend time watching television and also playing computer games or using the internet. This makes it hard for the children to get enough time to exercise. Most of the advertisements on televisions, internet and print media target ion young children. For instance, food advertisements target youngsters and this makes the group prone to health problems. Young children watch television most of the time and are tempted to eat the unhealthy foods being advertised.
Technology has changed lifestyle in the society as most of the people have adopted unhealthy lifestyle. For example, most of the people eat unhealthily and do not exercise regularly. This has led to high rate of diseases among the youngsters (Willett 2006).Various technologies like the media have provided misleading information and propaganda to the public including the youth. Youth are subject to different kinds of communication via the media and are greatly influenced by the media. The media has played an important role in defining the way in which youngsters behave and how they live their lives.
For instance, it has helped define what is acceptable and what is not. Moreover, the media has affected the think patterns of the youngsters and also the opinion they have towards various topics. Though the media has a lot of benefits to the youth, it has led to propaganda and aired misleading information which has influenced the youth negatively. Media violence has affected the youth.
Studies have shown that media violence increase the chances of aggressive behaviors and violent behaviors in youngsters. For example, the characteristics of the viewer like the social environment and the media content can influence the degree to which the media violence leads to aggression. This in turn makes the youngsters adopt violent behaviors and aggression which might affect their lives negatively. Thus, the media affects youngster’s negatively (Willett 2006).
Conclusion
In conclusion, technology has adverse effect on the youth. For instance, it affects their perception about beauty and eating habits. This in turn leads to health problems. It also affects the cultural values, norms and beliefs in the society by enabling youngsters acquire new values. The values can affect moral values and standards in the society and hence increase in social problems. The media affects how the youth behave and think and hence their live. The government and parents should control how the youngsters use technology so as to prevent it from affecting the youngsters. For instance, they can reduce watching time and also prohibiting airing of unhealthy content.
Reference
Kirsh,S.J. Children, adolescents, and media violence: a critical look at the research.SAGE,2006
Kirsh,S.J .Media and youth: a developmental perspective.John Wiley and Sons, 2009
Willett,R .Digital generations: children, young people, and new media. Routledge,2006
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