Technology

Is technology overrated, or should people be taking it more seriously? Humans use technology every day and experience the dopamine that fills the brain when hearing a notification: one immediately becomes happier. However, teens are more likely to become depressed depending on how long they spend on their phones. So it would be beneficial for limitations when it comes to technology. Yes, there should be regulations on technology: but it's nice to be able to make friends or talk to family over vast distances.

Technology takes over lives in many different ways. People use it every day at school, work, and at home. It becomes addictive. One can compare it to alcohol, "In this way, the phone is kind of like alcohol', Lembke says"(Johnson 14). Alcohol is not good for people or their mental health. To say a screen everyone uses daily is like an addictive substance is bold, and should show the importance of breaks from electronics. It can also be said to be like a disorder or problematic behavior, " 'It's a spectrum disorder,' says Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, who studies addiction¨(Johnson 13). Tecnollage is addictive and can be harmful.

Notifications give us dopamine which controls feelings: When one gets an alert from Twitter, the brain produces dopamine, making them feel better. Pavlov experimented on dogs by ringing a bell before feeding them. He started to ring the bell without giving them food. They had the same reaction, drooling and happy even though there was nothing. Dave Greenfield says that happens to humans, "When we hear a ding or little ditty alerting us to a new text, email, or Facebook post, cells in our brains likely release dopamine — one of the chemical transmitters in the brain's reward circuitry. That dopamine makes us feel pleasure, Greenfield says. ´That ping is telling us there is some type of reward there, waiting for us,´ Greenfield says"(Johnson 6). The phone has trained people to be happy when there is a notification.

Phones can make people happy, though teens who spend five or more hours a day online are more likely to have depression or just be sad. Some data says there is a sweet spot, ¨But there may be a sweet spot. According to the survey data, 'the teens who spend a little time — an hour or two hours a day [on their devices] — those are actually the happiest teens,' Twenge says"(Johnson 38). Some school systems have everything on a computer; kids spend more than six hours on electronics with school alone. Already four hours over the sweet spot. Then kids go home and do homework or talk to friends on their phones. That can add 2-3 more hours. That would be about 8 hours on a device over the sweet spot. Also, many people use their phones for friends or family, ¨´The ability to connect with people across the world is one of the great benefits," Odessa believes. She says she's made some of her friends 'purely online' "(Johnson 37). Having technology can be helpful but also harmful to humans.

When it comes to using phones there are beneficial facts and detrimental ones. When someone uses their phone without limitations, that can be a problem and should be helped. There are signs of overusing technology. If technology is getting in the way of friendships or sleep, take a break. Even if there is a lack of creativity, " 'I think that's really what people don't realize with their smartphone usage,' Lembke says. 'It can really deprive you of a kind of seamless flow of creative thought that generates from your own brain' "(Johnson 18). When someone uses technology for school or working for a long time: they may have an hour or two extra on their phone. Whether someone is on their phone for nine hours or three: they should always try to take a break and hang out with friends or just get fresh air.