Holden+K’s+Final+AmEx+2015+Speech

Topic: Too Much Technology

Go to a soccer game, a doctor’s office, a store, or any american home, and you’ll see kids begging to use their parents’ phones. Surprisingly, you’ll see parents roll their eyes, sigh, and give in, just so their kid will be quiet. Instead of raising their children, parents simply sit their kids in front of a screen. This reflects lazy parenting, and it creates lazy kids who rely on technology to be entertained. I want to live in an America where people are not absorbed by their phones, an America which is active, not passive. I’m tired of seeing kids who say that they would rather watch Netflix, play video games, or go on iFunny than do their homework or go outside. How will these student adjust to real life when they grow up and are forced to put the phone down? Studies show that children ages 8-18 spend about 7 ½ hours a day using technology. That’s 52 hours a week. While we many of us may say this is ridiculous, how could that be us, think about an average day. Waking up, checking your phone, eating breakfast while reading something online, listing to music on the way to school, watching a powerpoint in class, the list goes on. Technology is a part of our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not. As much as I would want to say that I’m not like these kids, I am. Why do I still play crossy road? Why does flappy bird even exist? Why are we constantly checking our phones? We are oversaturated by the internet. We use it to learn, for entertainment, to pass the time, and to socialize. Most of the time, what we do on it is useless. The majority of our lives is dictated by how much battery we have left, and this creates an inactive, unhealthy lifestyle. I want to live in an America where technology is used as a tool to make our lives better, not something we center our lives around. Just like anything else, technology is best used in moderation. The average child spends less than 30 minutes a week outside. This lack of exercise, coupled with poor diets, creates an unhealthy America, which is obese, lazy, and unmotivated. When parents use Youtube as a babysitter, and their phones as pacifiers, children don’t receive the necessary attention they need, and who knows how this will affect them later. Parents need to make sure they are helping their kids, not potentially hurting them. Enrolling kids in sports, or taking family vacations can help expose kids to the world, and get them out of the house. Giving a 3rd grader a phone is not always a good thing. In school, we’re constantly using technology. Remember Eulau’s class and all of the ipad assignments, or all of the videos and powerpoints we watch? Most of the time, trying to use new devices in school only creates more problems than it solves. How many times have we waited for a teacher to fix their computer, only to realize the projector was off? At home, we watch movies on our phones, play games, text, check snapchat, go on instagram, facebook, and then twitter, all the while watching tv in the background. And we’re still bored! We say that we’re multitasking, but we’re really just wasting time. As america’s desire for entertainment grows, its dissatisfaction grows, and its attention span dwindles. As kids once used to explore outside, they now watch 6 ½ second vines over and over. When we’re in an awkward situation, out comes the phone. Kids who grow up glued to the tv lack adequate social skills, simply because they don’t have the experience. I want to live in an America where we talk face to face, not text someone when we’re outside their house. Instead of walking to the door, it's normal to text “I’m here.” Why? We’ve been conditioned to hide behind technology, whether we realize it or not. While we may think we’re being more social than we otherwise would be without the internet, we’re actually more isolated than ever before. Social media creates a desire to be approved of, and many people who heavily use it are more likely to be lonely and depressed. Self worth becomes measured in likes, and many people become discouraged when nobody comments on their photos. Kids need to be taught that they shouldn’t seek self-validation through the internet, because, often times, they will be met with disappointment. In the America I want to be a part of, people will use technology responsibly, not obsessively. We will control technology, it won’t control us. Parents will teach their kids to enjoy the real world, and Americans will look up from their screens once in a while.


 * Sources: NY Times **