Awareness of technology

Awareness of ‘TECHNOLOGY’

Technology is everywhere, and it is not going away. Teenagers stare down at their iPhones, or keep their eyes glued to a tablet or laptop, instead of observing the world around them. It is not unusual to see two adolescents seated together on a bus, texting furiously on their mobiles rather than talking to one another. The fact that teens are so dependent on technology seems to make sense in our world, but it may also lead to negative consequences

Technology addiction can be defined as frequent and obsessive technology-related behavior increasingly practiced despite negative consequences to the user of the technology. An over-dependence on tech can significantly impact students’ lives. While we need technology to survive in a modern social world, a severe overreliance on technology—or an addiction to certain facets of its use—can also be socially devastating. Tech dependence can lead to teen consequences that span from mild annoyance when away from technology to feelings of isolation, extreme anxiety, and depression

Technology fulfills our natural human need for stimulation, interaction, and changes in environment with great efficiency. When teenagers experience stress, be it romantic rejection or a poor grade on an exam, technology can become a quick and easy way to fill basic needs, and as such, can become addictive. Technology impacts the pleasure systems of the brain in ways similar to substances. It provides the brain with some of the same dopamine rewards that alcohol, drugs, and other high-risk behaviors might.  It can be a boredom buster, a social lubricant, and an escape from reality. Video and computer games, smart phones and tablets, social media and the Internet provide a variety of access points that can promote dependence on technology and negative consequences.

Misuse of technology could be to access information and download the content from the internet that is neither meant for student community and nor for learning purposes. This may be classified as unproductive or under productive. For example, misuse of technology could be to access information and intellectual property that belongs to someone else without obtaining permission from the concerned owner or author of the content, even if it is for learning purpose. Abuse of technology is improper use of devices such as mobile phones, computers and internet to access illegal or inappropriate content which may be counter-productive to students. An example of abuse of technology could be, trying to use mobile phones where it is not allowed or trying to hack content over the internet. Educating students on the proper use of technology, and on the other hand, the consequences of misusing or abusing technology will create awareness among students and help them in dealing with student safety in this information age.

In this information age, it is important to know that while we have access to almost infinite amount of information, other people also have access to information we expose to others via e-mail, internet and social media. Having a clear understanding of what and how much information can be shared over the public domain is the key to stay safe and secure.  Students need to know and understand the risk of sharing the information over the internet or social media. At a younger age, with the excitement of a new mobile phone at hand, students may go ahead and share some sensitive private information which may lead to a potential risk in future. As an example, one of the students may be in need of blood due to a surgery or any medical emergency. In the spirit of helping him or her, any other student may share information such as name, age, photograph and the blood group of the student in need of blood over internet or social media. In case if this information reaches a hacker, the same could be misused or even be abused by the hacker for selfish benefits.

Hence, the open access to information needs to be evaluated carefully by everyone sharing information and understand the pros and cons of the same, before sharing the information on public domain. Teachers and parents play an important role in educating younger generation about the potential risks of sharing the information on internet and social media by constantly providing inputs, because ‘Ignorance is NOT an Excuse’.