The Young and the Wired, Essay Example

This paper aims to analyses the case study that is related to technology and Internet and the case is named ‘The Young and the Wired’. We cannot differentiate spontaneously the daily realities of technology and the process of long term changes which are due to the ongoing and spectacular innovations in technology. From history, we can see that the technological processes have driven us on the path of knowledge. This case study will be analyzed by social and cultural contextualization of a contemporary artefact of technology. In this case, the impact of technology on the teenagers and the young people will be discussed and to how the cultural and social trends are changing due to emergence in technology. One of most integral part of the General of Internet life is technology (Bartholet). We can see today’s middle and high school students that they have become smart and have grown up with technology. They can use personal computers expertly in their schools and homes. Most of the youth today was not even born with the first PC that hit the stores (Madden). The Apple Corporation was introduced in the year 1984 and PC has been around for more than 20 years. Today, teenagers and youth can use all kind of technology driven gadgets with ease and without hesitation.  The survey by Bartholet shows that presently every teenager have a cell phone. They use it to enjoy instant messaging, chatting, sending e-mails, newspapers, play games online etc. (Calamaro).  The research shows that the teenagers prefer to communicate with their friends using the internet. Most of the evenings and time spent by these teenagers is utilized in chatting and using cell phones. It can be seen from many instances that how technology has impacted the social and cultural environment specially the young people. So, this paper will analyze the case in more detail with the contextualization of technology (Calamaro).

Science is one of the types of historical and socio-changing cognitive activity of man.  In the form as we know it now, science is a phenomenon of European culture.  Moreover, this phenomenon is unique because it can be found only approximate equivalents in other cultures that had sometimes rather highly developed system of applied knowledge and techniques. Online youth looking for new friends and new subcultures, trying to gain a sense of belonging to one group or another (Bartholet). In the process of finding congenial personality young people engage in a variety of relationships, they are able to communicate with virtually unlimited number of people and interest groups, with various types of personalities, learn a lot of history, have the opportunity to exchange views and discuss their questions (Calamaro).   The relevance of this study is determined by the fact that social networks play an important role in people’s lives.  Every day, millions of people communicate, make an appointment, just looking for information on social networks and the most active users are young people.  In today’s world, the youth began to satisfy his need to communicate through the use of these social networks.  They became neglected to walk on the street, going to public entertainment places and visit friends. They have replaced it all on a virtual life within social networks (Bartholet).

The most active user in technology nowadays is the younger generation because it is very curious and wants to be aware of all the events occurring in the world.  But it is also the most vulnerable (Madden). The youth inexperience, aborted life ideals and objectives, lack of knowledge, mental instability allow the media and the Internet to the maximum exercise its hypnotic effect. According to the results of sociological research media and the Internet are the second largest after the family the strength of educational influence, ahead of schools and other educational institutions.  It should be remembered that the Internet and the media are actively used the warring states in the information war.  Instead of educating and raising awareness of the media and the Internet is oriented to the younger generation entertainment and carelessness, neglect of traditional moral values (Bartholet). Now one of the main parameters of evaluation of people have external appearance and shape. Of course, they can play an important role in the intellectual development of the younger generation, but here is the question, to what extent they are effective information and communication technologies in shaping the character of young people healthy?  We consider separately each of these sources i.e. The Internet.  It’s no secret that the dynamic interface of the Internet is a comfortable and convenient means of entertainment and a means of access to a world of information for the modern child.  Already two years, the kid can play a simple game in 8-12 years, most children have their own personal web pages on social networks (Calamaro).   Some create their own blogs (online diaries), where they write about their thoughts, impressions, feelings.  The absence of prohibitions releases latent complexes stimulate change the style of behavior, behave in a more relaxed and even pass moral boundaries. The negative effects of the Internet are the wide dissemination of questionable content (Madden).  There are websites dedicated to pornography, pyrotechnics, suicide, discussion of the actions of certain drugs.  Hence it may be followed by passion all these things threaten their health.  Unfortunately, children do not see the threat posed by a global network (Bartholet).

The statistics reveal that 9 out of 10 children aged 8 to 15 years experienced pornography online, 17% regularly drop to restricted resources, about 5.5% are willing to put what he saw there in my life (Calamaro).  Accidentally go to the site where he will paint in colors as tasty drugs, which works wonders with the body as alcohol or at home to make explosives.  Even on friendly network resources in the advertising window can show the pictures of the naked body. These details need to know the parents of each child whose computer is connected to the Internet. Secondly, they do not receive accurate or misleading information.  Often, the information provided on the Internet, do not come from reliable sources and for young people it becomes difficult to determine where the truth and fiction.  Therefore, in practice, they are ready to accept any information at face value.  Since the Internet is not only a carrier of information, it is important to note several other global consequences of its use. According to statistics, this is the biggest risk (Lin). The Internet can be a real threat to the child’s meeting with people who have sexually against children. Attackers are encouraged to discuss personal problems, try to cause a child confidence and thereby emotional tie him to her (Bartholet).  It is worth noting that the most vulnerable are children, a sense of alienation parents. Teenagers cannot enter into such desirable for them to society as a radical political organizations, and other satanic sects, groups advocating suicide, network and much more.  These groups exist in the real world, but take part in their gatherings much easier teen sitting at a computer at home. Many young people become dependent on them.  They occupy the bulk of the time, distracting them from their work and relaxing holiday, bringing harm to mental and physical health (Lin).

In today’s world, the family lost its power and importance, since it is usually young people who use the Internet, pay less time to family members, which ultimately leads to a weakening of their close ties and relationships with family members, especially parents (Madden). On the other hand, some of the information from Internet resources is not consistent with the values ??and expectations of the parents, who are considered the older and traditional generation and tend to the spiritual values, focus, respect for order and religious mores (Bartholet). Today, the advent of computers and the Internet in the lives of young people and their attractiveness, especially free environment and free personality, which contributes to this, was the fact that they spend less time among family and friends (Lin). Therefore, young people in the Internet environment next to strangers and unknown people feel imaginary salvation and safety and lives in the virtual world.  A world that is very different from the real world.  In addition, the Internet and communication channels, as well as a variety of distributed values ??and culture in this environment, young people are subjected to helplessness, easy weakening their social identity (Bartholet).

While new technologies have many advantages, but values ??such as individualism, the desire for profit and consumption, as well as atheism distributed through the virtual environment, had a direct impact on the behavior of young people (Lin). Only those young people can resist these influences, which are able to analyze and recognize the numerous and diverse information and entertainment, and instead of wasting time on the Internet will be able to make constructive use of these technologies for research purposes (Bartholet). Official’s cultural sphere failed to properly investigate the advantages and disadvantages of these new products and technologies by local media to find the roots of cultural products drawbacks of new technologies used by local media. In order to properly educate the next generation, it is necessary to promote the best quality of our society and not stick out its shortcomings (Calamaro).  But it would be wrong to speak only about the negative qualities of the media and the Internet.  Each of these resources has its advantages (Madden). Internet, for example, greatly expanded the horizons of contemporary youth. In conclusion, it can be concluded that the responsibility is not just to the media, the Internet and ad hoc bodies that control their negative impact, but also to the parents. Every parent is required to protect your child from threatening him with information for its proper development and healthy future.

Works Cited

Bartholet, Jeffrey. “Young, Angry, and Wired-In the Middle East a generation in waiting can wait no more.” National Geographic 220.1 (2011): 102.

Calamaro, Christina J., et al. “Wired at a young age: the effect of caffeine and technology on sleep duration and body mass index in school-aged children.”Journal of Pediatric Health Care 26.4 (2012): 276-282.

Lin, Wan-Ying, et al. “From the wired to wireless generation? Investigating teens’ Internet use through the mobile phone.” Telecommunications Policy 37.8 (2013): 651-661.

Madden, Mary, et al. Teens and technology 2013. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2013.