Literature Review

Whether we choose to believe it or not, technology has become in a sense a form of addiction.  Social networking has become very popular over this past decade, more so in the last five years.  A lot of people, today's generation especially, seem to fill a void when going online and texting.  People have gotten so caught up with what's going on in the social world rather than face reality and experience the real world. Nowadays you go out to eat at a restaurant and you begin to wonder *What's the point really?*  I look around and see everyone hooked on their phones rather than carry on conversations with the company they are with.  I've caught myself even out to dinner with family/friends and not being able to put my phone down for that short amount of time out of the day that should be spent with one another.  People, teens especially are having trouble carrying conversations because they don't have that time to come up with something witty to where as during text or online, they would.  During face to face conversations, it is completely opposite though.  Once you say something, you can't erase it and start over.  You no longer have that ability.  Sources for this topic fell into the category; extreme rise in technology, overuse, pros and cons, and lastly the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on our phones.  Many sources fell into the extreme rise in the technology category.  For instance Shawn Ghuman’s "Is Technology Destroying Social Bonds?" in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, which goes onto tell the drastic change over the past decade regarding technology.  Social media has its own new meaning now.  It was once something fun and has now become an addiction.  The excessive use of technology has created many issues in today's society.  You can't seem to go out to dinner without seeing people glued to their phone.  Conversations become awkward because people just aren't use to having a face to face discussion with someone.  Technology as we know it, is taking over.  Another article in this category is Larry Rosen’s iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology And Overcoming Its Hold On Us.  Larry Rosen is an expert specifically in the field of Psychology of Technology.  He goes onto say how technology is too much for the human mind to handle.  This book will be useful to my paper because almost every chapter links up and clicks with what I hope to gain from my research.  In the Elite Daily the Voice of Generation-Y “How Technology Continues to Destroy A Social Generation,” Yasmin Hassan, listed the destruction in today’s society due to technology and what the social world is allowing.  In Hassan's article, I at first thought I would gain a lot from her thoughts and what she had to say.  Although I agree with some of the things mentioned, I feel it won't contribute a whole lot towards my paper.  Richard Alleyne’s article, The Telegraph “Mobile Phone Addiction Ruining Relationships” hits another point on how technology is rising more and more every day.  Alleyne's article will be useful towards my paper because his thoughts are aligned a lot with mine.  All sorts of relationships are slowly being destroyed due to the addiction people have started to have with their cell phones.  Today’s world is completely different from how it was once a decade ago.  Nowadays we have to worry about what kids’ today are doing on their phones.  Kelly Wallace’s article Digital Life "How to Cut Your Kids' Cell Phone Addiction" is a prime example of what today’s generation revolves around.  At first, I was a little skeptical of this article.  After reading it though I came across a few different types of cell phone addictions.  One was on a five year old who doesn't even have one, but would live on it if she could.  The constant looking over her friends shoulders as they played games or checked their Instagram.  My ten year old brother can't seem to get off his iPad wherever we go.  He has been begging for a phone (iPhone more so), for over a year now.  Is that what this world has come to?  Society is being taken over and people are failing to realize it.  I plan to get my point across when writing my paper.  My last topic really fits this category statistic wise.  Honor Whiteman’s article "Is Cell Phone Addiction On The Horizon?” does a great job with pertaining to my topic.  Whiteman goes onto say studies show that 60% of high school students admit to being addicted to their cell phones and become frustrated when it is not nearby.  This source will be helpful towards my paper because I can use calculations provided on the addictions of cell phone use and how addiction is no longer just a term used for drugs and alcohol.   

            Secondly, technology has become overused more as time goes on.  For starters, Ashton Kutcher’s "Has Texting Killed Romance?" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, lists the overuse and a from then to now on how the social world has become today. Actor, producer, and co-founder of Katalyst Media, Ashton Kutcher shares his thoughts on how cell phones and texting have become at an all-time high.  Kutcher goes onto say that it used to be a boy and a girl met, exchanged numbers, anticipation built, call was made, had hours upon hours of conversation over the phone, then a date was arranged and went from there.  Now instead of calling, we text because silence over the phone is eliminated.  Instead of going over and comforting the person you care for, you send a sweet touching text or write on their Facebook wall, etc.  Society has become so caught up in technology and the overuse of cell phones and I plan to prove that.  Another article that fits this category is Mark Glasser’s MediaShift Your Guide to the Digital Media Revolution “How Cell Phones Are Killing Face-to-Face Conversations” which has now become a problem in society today.  Mark Glasser's article will contribute a lot of useful information towards my paper with his thoughts on how are conversations are slowly being killed with one another due to the use of technology.  Iydiaborah’s blog “Is Technology Taking Over?” in Digital Media fits this category fairly well because technology as we know it, is taking over in a since.  We are beginning to get so caught up in the social world that we shut everyone else out.  In Iydiaborah's blog, a few points hit on my topic, but for the most part I didn't feel overly confident about using this source towards my paper.  If I were to use this source, it would be one of my last options.  The social media world is slowly growing upon us more and more every day.  Cristian Lupsa’s "A Campus Fad Becomes A Fact...” goes onto give reasons as to why Facebook is no longer growing.  The famous social networking site; Facebook, doesn't seem to be having a rapid growth like how it once was because everyone seems to already be on it.  Links right up with one of the main social networking sites I plan on including in my paper.  In Anna Almendrala’s article “Our Creepy Attachment to Cell Phone Could Be an Addiction” on Huffpost, provided me with just how addicted people are becoming with their phone and how they can’t even put it down for a couple hours.  Almendrala made some good points on the excessive use of cell phones.  One of her examples given was about students paying all this money for classes, and spending all their time on their phones rather than listen to their professor.  I can use this towards my paper when explaining the disrespect that goes along with being on your phone 24/7.  One of the last articles for the overuse category, Ellen Augenbraun’s “How Real A Risk Is Social Media Addiction” on CBS news talks about the symptoms of social media addiction, especially leading towards Facebook.  Some things mentioned in the article, the symptoms for example can be useful towards my paper.  The rest of the information didn't seem like it would be that helpful when it comes down to arguing my point.  Tonya Mosley’s post “4 Signs You’re Addicted to Your Cell Phone” gives a great description on what the overuse now has led up to.   I like how the article in Seattle Refined, gave four signs of being addicted to your cell phone because, well I was guilty in this matter.  Each sign described exactly what I do and although I laughed, it isn't funny when it comes down to it.  This source will be effective towards my paper because I will be able to bring the signs of addiction in with my arg’ument as well as ways listed to help the addiction. 

            When social networking first came about, it was supposed to be something you checked every now and then like your Facebook for example.  Social networking sites were there to allow you to connect with family and friends and still be able to connect with one another.  This next category consists of the pros and cons of technology and how different today’s world is because of it.  Christine Rosen’s “Electronic Intimacy” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, shares her feelings on the pros and cons of social networking and what an addiction it has become.  I am beginning to catch myself getting caught up in what seems to be so little of a problem, but in reality is escalating into an issue that can destroy us.  I plan to use Rosen's piece and tie it into my thoughts.  I had came across a couple more sources relating to this category and recently discovered cell phones and social networking are more of a con than a pro more so today.  For instance, Robert Piper’s article "Your Cell Phone Is Not A Part Of Your Body-You Can Let It Go” on Huffpost, hit me as to just how obsessed we have become with something that was supposed to be made out in something so simple, yet we find ourselves struggling to be away from it.  A lot of today's society has become glued to their cell phones.  I have slowly become part of that society.  I am constantly checking my phone.  Even when I am doing my homework and hear my phone go off, I'll check it.  Another article I discovered from Huffpost was Emma Stein’s “Is Social Media Dependence A Mental Issue?"  Emma Stein began her article with a matter I wasn't aware of.  A 19 year old boy in the UK went and committed suicide after being obsessed with taking too many "selfies."  Emma began to give her reasons as to why she feels technology and the social world were once a good thing, but now turning out to be bad.  This article will be helpful when writing my paper because it puts a twist and adds the medial/psychological effects of social media addiction.

            Lastly, this next category includes the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on cell phones.  We have begun to hear it all.  Texting while driving, cyber bullying, unsafe sites, and more.  I came across quite a few articles that consisted of accidents occurred while texting and driving and surveys done with students admitting to being on their phone while they drive.  Stephanie Hanes’ "Texting Caused Total 'Distracted Driving' Deaths To Rise, Study Finds" goes onto give the dangers of texting while driving and how it has now become the most cause for accidents here in the U.S.  Another texting while driving article “U.S. Teens Frightening Levels of Texting While Driving" done by Ashley Halsey, goes onto provide me with more of a survey type aspect.  Studies show it's the new "drunk driving."  A quarter of teens say they text while driving and about half ages 12 to 17, say they've been in cars with someone texting behind the wheel.  I hope to figure a way to tie the dangers of texting and driving in with my research paper.  More and more dangers sites are starting to come about and some teens are finding themselves in trouble because of it.  Julia Angwin’s “Parental Guidance: How Safe Are Social Networking Sites For Teens?”says majority of the sites weren't safe to go on, especially for young teens and could find themselves in danger on certain ones.  The world is becoming a dangerous place, to include the social media world.  To wrap up the dangers of social networking, I discovered an article on The Washington Post.  Donna St. George’s “The Silent Weapon In Dating Violence: Texting" was a danger I never really expected to come out of texting.  It goes onto talk about the harassment that some couples face with their significant other and their reactions when they don't receive a text back.  It had put a twist but still related to my topic and what an addiction the social world has become. 

            In conclusion, I want to get across the reasoning why I chose this topic in the first place.  A lot of people complain about what technology has begun to do to society but in reality, it is the people that have led society to become this way.  We have all somehow contributed to how the world is today.  There are many problems that have arose because how people, myself included have let technology take over.  I have mentioned before, I don’t feel we should cut technology completely, but just not allow it to take up so much of our time.  These four categories help show the rapid growth and technology and the takeover that has begun.