Trends in youth dependency on technology grows

Photo Courtesy of Ellen Hu

As schools become more reliant on technology-based learning and parents provide their children with smartphones and other technology at younger ages, the trends in teenage technology dependency also seem to rise.

Over the past few years, technology-based learning has become more abundant in the U.S.. Companies such as Khan Academy, Udemy and Coursera are only a few of the many technology-based learning companies and organizations that provide this service. As these trends grow, policymakers have worked towards standardizing the use of technological means in teaching.

These changes are being made at different levels, ranging from state to national policies. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, “Digital learning tools have the potential to enable personalized learning, in which students and teachers have access to learning at any point, so students can move on to the next level or get additional help when they’re struggling.”

Online classes for both homeschooled students and college courses have also become more popular. According to the Online Research Consortium, the number of students taking online courses has risen to 5.8 million students in the United States alone. Organizations such as Khan Academy have begun to provide more resources to fit these trends.

A report from Common Sense Media released in 2017 revealed that the amount of time that zero- to eight-year-olds spend using mobile devices has tripled since 2011. In addition, the amount of screen time for this age range has also tripled.

Teenagers are among some of the younger generations who find that they spend more time on their smartphones. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2015 revealed that about 95 percent of current teenagers own a smartphone. According to a study from Common Sense Media, 50 percent of teenagers in 2016 believed that they were addicted to their smartphones while 59 percent believed that their teenage children were addicted.

As these trends continue, more studies have been conducted to find an appropriate amount of screentime. According to Allina Health, “If you’re older than 2, you should get no more than 2 hours TOTAL in a day.”

In an attempt to help support an appropriate amount of screentime, companies such as Microsoft and Google, with Apple recently releasing their version of this system, have installed systems that track screen time and help users cut down on the time spent on the devices. As Tech Crunch states, “Apple is playing catch up a bit to an industry that had already made screen time and age filters a key focus.”