More On Social Technology Dependence

The effects of this social technological dependence, however, are much more numerous and diverse than the causes, and most are negative. The first major effect is that people are becoming "addicted" to some of this technology, such as networking sites and texting. People are becoming involved in much less personal communication as well. Lastly, sending text messages by those driving vehicles, has proven very problematic and lethal in many cases.

First, dependency has led to addiction to this social media, according to an article written by Walden Siew. Students who are "addicted" to this technology show symptoms close to those of other addictions, such as alcohol and drugs (Siew). The students involved in a study explained how they hated losing their electronic connections (Siew). Today's students are developing unhealthy addictions to this technology, which may prove problematic for the future, and the fact that they experience "withdrawal symptoms" seems especially troubling. Now that this problematic effect is identified, more should be done to combat this "technological addiction."

Also, more and more people are becoming involved with less personal communication with one another, which can be seen as a deficiency of character. Many people (especially youth) would rather send a text message or a Facebook message than make an actual phone call or talk to someone in person. They will not develop the necessary communication skills that they will need for the future, such as interviewing for a job, interacting with superiors, etc.

Lastly, with so many people being hooked on texting, many have started to carry that habit over to when they are driving a vehicle. This practice is known to be very dangerous, and there are number studies that have proven this. Texting while driving is considered by some to be considered more hazardous than driving while intoxicated. This practice has led to many deaths and injuries across the country. In Wyoming and Georgia, laws were passed to stop drivers from texting, where violators would be fined $75 dollars for the offense (Two States Ban). Governments are beginning to recognize the troublesome situation and are taking measures to counter it.

Works Cited

Siew, Walden. "Students suffer withdrawal when they can't text or surf, study shows."  The Gazette 26 April 2010. Web. 7 March 2011.

"Two States Ban Texting while Driving." Transport Topics.3907 (2010): A12. ProQuest. Web. 9 Mar. 2011.