There are many advantages of the technology that we use today. Technology improves every minute of every single day. Just about ten years ago cell phones were a lot larger, not able to browse the Internet and not capable of doing the things they can do today. Today our cell phones are used like computers, people can now browse the Internet while they are on the phone with someone and they also have GPS systems built into them. How great is that? Now people don’t even need GPS systems in their car! There are so many productive technology tools that we can use today in our society. There are some disadvantages to the strong technologies we have today and Social networking is a big one. Yes, you can meet new people, but you can pretty much find out everything about some one by using the Internet. L. Robert Kohl’s states that change is an indisputably good condition, for the most part I agree but in this case of technology and its effects on relationships change have not always been a good thing (Kohls).


In my opinion, people today take advantage of the technology that has been made for us. Such examples of this are Cyber bullying on the Internet, verbal abuse over texting; stalking and video games are even a problem in some cases. Video games are a big part of young children’s life. The violence in some of the games they make today is seriously not good for young kids to be playing. These games involve guns, killing, and dangerous acts and scenes that we do not want people or children doing in the world today. Communication technology provides many educational, recreational, and developmental benefits, but they also prevent risks for young people. Electronic forms of communication are increasingly used to perpetrate aggression against acquaintances, friends, or romantic partners (Ferdon & Hertz). Dating violence is an extremely big problem in our society today. Cell phones are used as a leash in some relationships. Always knowing where some one is located is sort of creepy in my opinion. Electronically a leash is just a way of always getting a hold of someone. For parents, knowing their child has a cell phone provides a sense of security, but for a substantial number of teens that are dating, communications on cell phones and computers are taking a turn toward obsession and abuse (Teicher). Teenagers that are in controlling relationships might find have more problems with this. In a survey, conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited, 20 to 30 percent of teens who had been in relationships said their partner had constantly checked in on them, had harassed or insulted them, or had made unwanted requests for sexual activity, all via cell phones or text messages.


Relationships are supposed to be fun, but not always when technology gets involved. Young teens that think they are in love and in a controlling relationship will pretty much do what ever their partner tells them to do. In some cases this involves exchanging web page passwords. This is never a safe thing to do. What happens if the young teens break up? If someone gets mad they may get on that web page and abuse this advantage. In a survey of kids ages 11 to 18, one in 20 boys admits to having uploaded or shared a humiliating or harassing photo of their romantic partner online. But it gets far worse than that. Roughly 10 percent of both boys and girls claim to have received a threatening cell-phone message from a romantic partner. Teens are using their ever-present technology for such maliciousness that a new term had to be coined for it: "electronic dating violence." (Chatham) It is never safe to give away any personal information. The danger of sending nudes to your boyfriend or girlfriend is another problem we have today. This problem may be known as “sexting”. Who ever has sent the picture could be used against easily by posting them on the Internet, or even sending the picture through a mass text to everyone in their phone. This is dangerous and hurtful because pictures like that can’t be taken back.
There are many other problems today that are some what caused by the new technologies we have and Social networking has definitely been taken over by everyone. Schools are really strict about bullying, especially Cyber bullying. Many schools have anti bullying policies. When students are found harassing other students online, over texting, through phone calls, and any other activated service, they are immediately suspended. Cyber bullying takes many forms and multiplies every day. Educators must stay on top of what is out there so that they know where to look when investigating a bullying incident (LeBlanc). Another extremely scary thing that is brought on by cell phones and this Internet is harassment. Lies, rumors, and gossip contribute to what we can do on the Internet. Emails, and web page threats are extremely big. There are many cases today that are extremely scary. A good amount of teenagers kill themselves because of the way they have been treated. Harassment and verbally abusing someone is an easy way to get into their head. Personal information on the Internet can destroy a person’s reputation and a reputation goes along way. Reputations stay with you for the rest of your life. Colleges look at your reputation and also potential employers that you could possibly work for.


Although there are many advantages to the technologies that we have today, there are some major downfalls. Web pages and twitter pages can locate where you are by seeing where your cell phone is. That can cause serious problems for anyone. If anyone wanted to kidnap a teenager, all they have to do is look up their location, and address online. It is a scary thing to think about, but it happens all over the world everyday. Dating violence is defined as physical, sexual, or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship. Approximately 10% of students experience physical dating violence and 25% report verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual dating violence each year in the United States (Draucker & Martsolf). Violence and cruelty are extremely big on the Internet and on cell phones also. Threats can be made and abuse can be done to anyone, sometimes for no reason. Teens don’t think too much of what they’re doing while they are young but someday they will realize what an impact all these technologies have on us children today. Honestly, parents should be more aware of the privileges that they give their children, for safety reasons of course. There are ways to protect your profiles on Face-book, Twitter, and other Blogs, but you never know what kind of people can get access that information. If security for these websites and online chat rooms could do a better job at keeping people safe it would be great, but its hard because so many people know how to hack into securities online.


So therefore, today in our society many technologies are used properly but I do not completely agree with L. Robert Kohl’s. I do not believe that technology is such a bad thing, because it helps so many people get done what they have to, but the downfalls of the new technology we have today creates problems that I think are fixable, but will take time. I think that there needs to be more security online. The harassment and verbal abuse continues every single day in our society because teenagers for sure do use technology the way we should not be using it. As I said before, the abuse that is said on the Internet and over cell phones is completely unnecessary and hurtful. Many people don’t realize what damage they cause someone by just saying cruel things over text messaging. These technologies are just taken for granted and can cause people so much trouble. When technology brings us to the point where we're used to sharing our thoughts and feelings instantaneously, it can lead to a new dependence, sometimes to the extent that we need others in order to feel our feelings in the first place (Else).



























Works Cited
Chatham. “The Scary Reality of Electronic Dating Violence Relatioships.” Proquest Online. Proquest, 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
Draucker, Claire, and Donna Martsolf. “The Role of Electronic Communication Technology in Adolescent Dating Violence.” Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing 23.3 (2010): 133-42. Proquest Online. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Else, Liz. “’I’Ll have to Ask My Friends.’” New Scientist 2006: 48-9. ProQuest Online. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Kohls, Robert L. “Values Americans Live By.” Claremont McKenna College. Claremont, 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.
LeBlanc, Dawn. “Curbing Bullying among Teenage Girls.” Techniques 85.7 (2010): 8-9. Proquest Online. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
Teicher, Stacy A. “For Teen Daters, a Cellphone can be an Abusive Leash: A New Study Raises Concerns about how Communication Technology can Facilitate Teen Dating Abuse.” The Christian Science Monitor 12 Feb. 2007: n. pag. Proquest Online. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.