How Technology Affects Relationships

Human touch is the first and foremost the most important step in human development as we continue to grow and develop. The brain is specifically wired to faces because a experience in early development is that of a loving face. No machine, no matter how sophisticated, can replace this. Media use by young children and even younger as 2 years old continue to increase. Many parents and professionals believe media, including digital devices, enhances cognitive and overall development.

There is a misconception that technology promotes healthy minds and bodies. Our brain development is the foundation for our abilities, including cognitive, physical, social, emotional and language. More children, even in economically challenged households, are using newer digital technologies, such as interactive and mobile media app. If this type of relationship continues the development of a child will derailed and children may go into a struggle with face recognition. This is very vital for communication and relationship skill building.

This type of activities may also interfere with difficulties with emotional regulation, attention, concentration and with school readiness. Not only does this affects their mental development but also health concerns too. Heavy media use during prekindergarten years is associated with small significant increase in body mass. This may explain a great difference in obesity risk in African American, Mexican American and Native American exceeds that of other ethnic groups. Not only does media affect our health and mental development but sleep too. Increased duration of social media or any media exposure and the presence of video games, television, tables in the bedroom in early childhood have been associated with fewer minutes of sleep.

Infants that are exposed to screen time in the late afternoon hour shows significantly shorter night-time sleep duration than those with no exposure time in the evening. Research study done by the International journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity showed that short sleep duration and poor sleep quality have been demonstrated to be associated with childhood obesity. They sent out 4957 questionnaires to parents in the Alberta, Canada region to participate. They received 2334 back grade 5th in the raising healthy eating and active living kids survey. This study showed that electronic entertainment and communication devices of tv, tables and video games interfere with sleep in children and youth.

Parents reported their child’s bedtime and wake-up time along with how often their child felt sleepy during the day, woke-up at night and woke up in the morning feeling unenergized. The end state of this study concluded that good sleep quality was hindered by bedroom access to and use of electronics and devices before sleep, specifically among users of cell phones 95% computers 95%. Very good sleep was decreased by access to and frequent use of a tv (54%), cell phone (52%), tablet (51%) and video games (51%). Obesity were doubled by bedroom access to and use of device hour before sleep. Kids who rarely read a book in the bedroom during the hour of sleep had shorter sleep time and poorer sleep quality compared to their peers.

As you can see having access to mobile devices like television cell phones etc. can increase obesity. This specific finding of sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep efficiency and weight status are better among children who do not have access to electronic devices in the bedroom compared to reading a book during the hour before sleep as against to those who use devices in the bedroom. Dube, N., Khan, K., Loehr, S., Chu, Y. and Veugelers, P. (2019). The use of entertainment and communication technologies before sleep could affect sleep and weight status: a population-based study among children. It is a sad reality that we all are guilty of not paying attention to our children, friends, and spouses due to the usage of our mobile devices. There was a research conducted and confirm a strong association between parent’s screen time and that of their children. That increasing media presence is displacing quality face to face interaction.

I find this very true in my behalf, ever since mobile devices like cell phones, tables and other mobile devices has been over taking human interactions. We all see this at a Mc Donald’s restaurant or in a Walmart. We are so quick to react when a child starts crying and the parents are so fast to give them their cell phone to stop crying. We also see parents using cell phone and totally ignoring their children. It has come to the point when the child must act up and receive attention from their parents but in return, they give their devices to them as a reward or distract them.

This is becoming a psychological risk for everyone not only kids are affected but adult and youth all around. Furthermore, the youth of this generation has become more self-centered. People across the world are becoming individualistic over time. Individualism, opposed to collectivism, relates to how independent and self-reliant and self-centered people are. Social media, while it connects us to others all around the world, may lead to greater self-centeredness as people strive to make their presence known ‘hey look at me give me a like’.

Much of social media is ‘all about me’ and self -gratification. Social media, cell phone, tables and everything else has become an addiction and a major problem in our society. The term addiction has not been clearly defined across disciplines (Vaghefi & Lapointe, 2014). In psychology, addiction usually refers to ingestion of and dependence on a substance (Charlton & Danforth, 2007), and is preceded by dependence (American Psychological Association, 2014). This has a major effect on person’s health and social life and destroys social and family bonds. Among other mental problems caused by social media app is a new type of stress called (The chronic Smartphone Stress). It is caused by notifications or their absence, constant anticipation of a message or e-mail. If a person doesn’t get enough attention, this can make you feel stressed or even depressed. Excessive online reality, internet overuse, and social comparison are all factors potentially provoking depressive behavior.

As we know, we all tend to emphasize the cons much more than the pros, therefore, it’s no surprise that the disadvantages of technology are discussed far more. The access kids have to technology at such a young age and with very little to zero supervision has developed some serious problems. Perhaps, the most unfavorably is the dependence that technology brings, kids rely on their devices and apps for almost everything, sometimes becoming unable to solve situations on their own. Technology has also affected our kids’ social skills. They have become so used to having these devices and being in front of a screen that they never learn how to interact in real life. Addiction have a negative impact on those that are addicted.

This can include an impact on social relationships, work or school performance, or bodily harm due to texting and driving (Vaghefi & Lapointe,2014). The youth today called “age of technology” or “Screeners” are so expose to number of risks especially small kids. One in three teenagers reported being victims of cyberbullying. The offenders use text messages, social media or forums to reach out the target. The internet is now also where online sex crimes take place. Sexting is another risky behavior teen’s might be exposed to. With huge population using the Internet, it gives rise to cybercrime.

My main concern about youth and technology is the increase of suicide rate in American. If a teen doesn’t get the instant gratification on social media or any other app he/or she self -esteem get low, leading to depressing then suicide. An article that I read and reviewed mention that in just the five years between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. teens who felt useless and joyless - classic symptoms of depression - surged 33 percent in large national surveys. Teen suicide attempts increased 23 percent. Even more troubling, the number of 13- to 18-year-olds who committed suicide jumped 31 percent. (sacbee, 2019).

I think one of the ways to combat this widespread occurrence is to build a healthy social media habits and is also vital to avoid potential mental health risks. Usage should be moderate and balanced with real social time with family and friends. Instead of using social media for the kind of public broadcasting and passive browsing that may lead them to compare ‘likes’, (Facebook), (Instagram) it may be more beneficial to use it to reinforce relationships by having more one on one interactions with close friends through comments and messaging. While parents worry about the dangers of excessive social media use, adolescents have a right to have their voices heard in matters that concern them. They are rarely consulted in these debates.

After all, young people often have more expertise with these technologies and grew up with them as their major form of communication, entertainment and information. Put your mental health first. Check in with yourself and if you’re feeling down, maybe go outside for a walk or grab coffee with a friend rather than spending time online. If getting notifications throughout the day makes you feel stressed or anxious then it would be a good idea to delete the social media apps from your phone or disable push notifications, so you only see alerts when you sign in manually. Seeing other people broadcast their successes and post magazine perfect moments of their lives might make your daily life pale in comparison.

But remember that these moments aren’t representative of someone’s whole life, and the person posting them is probably struggling with a lot of the same things you are. Besides that, do other activities that are positive and encouraging like going to the gym, doing yoga with a friend or go for a hike. Exploring your surrounding is the best thing you can to do if you have never left your city or room. Stimulate your mind by actively engaging with other people you don’t know around your city. It is time to look up rather than down there is so much that this world has to offer.

Moving along with our next topic not only technology, social media is affecting our children and youth it is affect and ruining our relationships with our romantic couples and spouses. If you wake up and you check your phone before you say good morning to your girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse, you have an addiction. And like all addictions, in time, it will destroy relationships, it will cost time, it will cost money and it will make your life worse. Media use has been a vehicle for communication between partners ,it can also detract partners from relationship processes. Over 25% of romantic couples owning cell phone devices report their partner was distracted by the device during their together time(Lenhart & Duggan,2004).

Eight percent of internet user reported having arguments with partner about internet use, and some (4%) reported being upset about something their partner was doing online (Lenhart & Duggan,2014). One of the worse website that I think should be shut down is Ashely Madison The site, which encourages married users to cheat on their spouses. Ashley Madison is a type of platform where it built on the back of broken hearts, ruined marriages, and damaged families. This is a negative platform to advertise and promote. We cant control what he/or she can do on social media.

If your spouse want to cheat he or she is going to do it, technology is just adding more fuel to the fire. Eventually this specific website was hacked, On July 15, 2015, the site was hacked by a group known as The Impact Team. Claiming that its security had always been weak, the hackers claimed to have stolen personal information. This alleged hack cause so many marriage to fall apart. Divorce, shame and even suicide was the result of Impact’s cyber attack.Technology is the new entertainment for our eyes forget television. This really impacts relationship. This impact can be in the relationship state of affairs of time spent together, judgment of family or relationships, and communication. The following are statements from different relationship partners.

These statement give an indication of subthemes to this theme. Some common subthemes among the responses included that their partner was not “having the interaction with each other any more”. Technology shouldn’t affect our relationship with our loved ones, that is why we should find a solution in eliminating the tech-problem. Assess the extent of the problem. Once you and your partner become more mindful of the issue you will be able to assess together whether and to what extent screen usage is actually disruptive to your interactions and your time together (as opposed to when it is non-conflictual, not disruptive, essential, or mutual). Agree on fair expectations. Discuss with your partner ways you can find a better balance between being responsive to obligations and demands and minimizing intrusions into your relationship or your family life. Another thing to discuss with your partner or spouse is try to agree on places (like the bedroom) and times (mealtimes or after 9:30 PM) that you can both set your phones or tablets aside to spend time together without having to worry about tech-problem.

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