Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Technology on Young People

Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Technology on Young People
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Technology on Young People
Communication technology has brought about major changes in the culture and way of life among young people. The world has become a global village where everyone can communicate with everyone despite the distance and geographical differences. Although communication technology has significant benefits such as facilitation of effective communication, it also has some pitfalls such as loss of independence among young people
Communication technology has facilitated effective communication between parents and their children and also between the children themselves. It has enabled college students to keep in touch with their parents when they join college, easing the transition process for the students (MacVean, 2011). Parents are able to reach their children anytime and offer them assistance when they are in need, regardless of the distance between them. “Professors have figured out that some kids are emailing papers home for parents to edit” (MacVean, 2011), which indicates that parents are assisting their kids who are in college with their assignments. Furthermore, communication technology has enabled kids and their parents to have a close relationship because they are able to keep in touch every now and then. In addition, parents are able to communicate with their kids in the house with limited movement. According to Stone (2009), some parents use texting when they want to communicate with their children who are in a different room. One parent is quoted saying “we use texting as an in-house intercom”(Stone, 2009). This is made effective by the fact that young people always have their phones with them and the response to the texts will, therefore, be immediate. Communication has also facilitated effective communication between young people who are able to learn from each other more than they learn from adults. Young people with similar interests and likes are able to interact and share ideas through social media (Goff, 2009).
Communication technology, however, has a downside. It has resulted in the loss of independence and a sense of responsibility among the young people. Young people are now more prone to the influence of either their parents or their peers. According to Goff(2009), young people value each other’s online presence, and they, therefore, care about the opinion of others especially those with online authority. As a result, young people can be easily influenced negatively by their peers since they are more inclined to learn from their peers as opposed to learning from older people who are wiser. Goff (2009) notes that “they often are more motivated to learn from ane another than to learn from adults”. Additionally, the constant communication between young people and their parents has resulted in lack of independence in making decisions since parents are too involved in their children’s lives. In some cases, parents are the ones that remind their college kids about pending assignments and are even willing to assist with the assignments (MacVean, 2011). By denying young people the chance to make decision...