Benefits Of Technology For Teens

It is easy to deem technology as the enemy, but the other side of the coin is more promising. Teenagers live and breathe technology and it is almost impossible for them to imagine a life without it. So how do parents make peace with it? By keeping in mind the benefits of technology. Here are 5 of them:

1- Increases Well-being When Used in Moderation

It would not be fair to write off technology as something that is inherently bad when research claims that teens who use technological devices for a certain period of time are better off.According to the “Goldilock Effect”, teens who use technology and digital media in moderation are more likely to have an increased well-being compared to those who use too little or too much (Przybylski and Weinstein, 2017).

2- Allows Them To Take Online Classes

Remote learning and online classes have become one of the most significant aspects of the pandemic. Along with schoolwork, kids and teens have gotten the opportunity to learn about extra topics remotely such as coding and robotics here in Hub21!

3- Provides Quick Information

The kids and teens of the 21st century have access to wide range information within seconds thanks to technological advances. This comes in very handy when they have an assignment due on a certain topic or something sparks their interest all of a sudden and they want to know more about it that instant. One of the 14-year-old Pew Research Center participants said that “My mum had to get a ride to the library to get what I have in my hand all the time”.

4- Enables Them to Connect With Friends

The internet and social media can help teens keep in touch with their friends who live far away. This is an important component as teenagers tend to feel lonely without friends. Technology creates a space in which they can interact with their peers.

5- Gives Them an Opportunity to Express Themselves

Every teenager feels the need to express themselves; some prefer to do that using pen and paper while some prefer to talk to an audience. Technology and social media allow them to write blog posts, talk about their interests on a Youtube video or on an instagram post.

Hub21 Team / Zeynep Turasan

Source:

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Przybylski, A. K. and N. Weinstein (2017), “A large-scale test of the Goldilocks hypothesis”, Psychological Science, Vol. 28/2, p. 204-215, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797616678438.