Ashamedly, I can say that the first thing that happens when I roll out of bed in the morning is reach for my phone. One thing we can all agree on is that phones are a dominant component in our lives. But have you ever wondered what life would be like without your digital friend in your pocket?
Phones in College
“I have had to download so many apps this week!” was a frequent student remark around the college campus on the first week back. What surprised me the most when I joined college was the significant integration of mobile Teams, OneNote, Microsoft Authenticator, and that’s just naming a few! Honestly, why don’t we just jump into our screens? You can’t seem to get through a day at college without your phone! (Trust me, I have tested it when my phone died on Monday!). We are even signing into tutor with our devices! It looks to me like we are subservient to our phones, even for handing in our homework. I mean, don’t you think that is a little bit bizarre?
Mobile phones are completely embedded into modern society, with the way that we both function and operate. Whether it is simple Google searches for intricate facts, or Teams video calls, we rely so much on our devices to get through a basic day at college.
According to the Education Business newspaper (2022), sixty-four percent of schools in the UK use technology every day, incorporated into the learning system. This proves the exceeding presence of technology in our lives, perhaps for the better, as we can utilise technology to our educational advantage.
Despite this, our constant use of technology in education does pose some interesting questions. Perhaps we are dangerously reliant on our technology? How would we adapt to the potential loss of mobile devices? Would the education system be ready to rethink the current way of learning?
Social media
Yes, we all love our phones.
Posting our lives away, chatting with our friends - we just can’t seem to get enough. Whilst it may seem light-hearted on the surface, when scrolling through people’s perfect photos online, there is a hidden, darker layer. We’ve been brainwashed into comparing ourselves to the flawless standards that we constantly see online. Whether its beauty, wealth or social status, there’s always going to be something online that will provoke insecurities in young people. We’re brewing up a generation of self-obsessed, vain and unhappy young people, victimised by the phones in their hands.
According to research by the Education Policy Institute and The Prince’s Trust, one in three young girls were unhappy with their appearance by the age of fourteen, compared with one in seven by the end of primary school. These worrying statistics reveal the profound impact of social media upon young people, breeding insecurities and damaging mental health. These young people’s self-images are being distorted by access to social media.
I guarantee that some of you will be surprised to find out that even college has Instagram pages! Social media has infiltrated its way into every corner of society, and we just can’t seem to escape its grasp.
Digital consumerism has reached a new peak, yet perhaps we need to take a step away, so that we can see the bigger image. Don’t you think we’re lacking basic human interaction skills? Sucked into our screens, we’re drowning in our digital world.
Maybe it’s time to resurface and take a look at our lives.
Eleanor Gillett
Year 12
Links for stats:
https://educationbusinessuk.net/news/24032022/sixty-four-cent-schools-use-tech-everyday
Social media 'damages teens' mental health' https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55826238