This article was published in print in The Prowler in 2015. A couple weeks ago, I sat on a plush, suede couch, and watched as my seven year old neighbors embarked on their first game of Super Smash Brothers. I saw the excitement on their faces as they chose their characters; Yoshi and Princess Peach, and wondered what it would be like to be seven again. Now, the boys anticipate my arrival every week because the only time they can join the world of Peach and Yoshi is when I babysit them. As it became much more difficult to pry their hands away from their controllers I realized that these boys are addicted to a game. We have all heard about addiction: everything from gambling addictions to drug and alcohol addictions. Yet, as our society has evolved, our addictions have become more complex: now, instead of becoming dependent on substances, we have become dependent on technology. If you look it up on Google, you will find that the definition of addiction is “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.” Thanks Google, but what does it really mean to be addicted to something? Psychology Today defines addiction as a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health. When researchers from Telegraph United Kingdom compared the brains of young people with technology addictions to those addicted to substances, they discovered that both brains have damage to the white matter that connects emotional processing. This discovery ultimately concluding that technology addiction and substance addiction are very much related. Often, people don’t know if they have an addictive personality until it is too late. People tell stories of addictions that start from drinking a glass of champagne on a cruise with their grandparents or being peer pressured into doing drugs. Little did these people know of the impact that drinking the champagne or doing drugs could have on their lives. Remember your first phone? The flip phone that probably took you a million years to text on? Did you ever think that that flip phone would cause an addiction? I sure didn’t. Now you probably have an iPhone with the latest updates and an opportunity to communicate without looking into the eyes of another person. Then, there is Instagram and Snapchat, and the occasional Facebook message, and you have completely immersed yourself in a world where direct contact is unnecessary. Now you may be addicted, and the phone you knew and loved may have found a way to prevent face to face communication. To investigate the topic of technology further, The Prowler has conducted a survey to see which students truly believe they are addicted to technology. We asked three questions that all have to do with technology on a daily basis. 99 people responded. The majority of you said that you spend 5-7 hours in front of a screen everyday. Additionally, more than half of the 99 respondents said they need technology to get through an average school day, and that they would call themselves addicted to technology. Now that we have conducted this survey and concluded that many of the students at our school are indeed addicted to technology, we must consider the effects of this addiction. Some may argue that our addiction to technology will only help us become more prepared for the advanced technology emerging in our society. Others argue that technology is ruining communication worldwide. Although direct contact is a valuable skill in creating meaningful relationships, it is important to be prepared for the future. Albert Einstein believed that technology would surpass human interaction. Was he right? The Prowler wants to know what you think! Comment below if you think that technology is helpful or harmful.
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I know that Halloween can be really stressful for parents of teens - it can be stressful for us too! It seems like the rules are completely different than every other day, from what to wear to what to expect. There are so many ways to have fun on Halloween while still being safe.
Here are five tips to help your daughter have a safe and fun Halloween. 1. Keep a Cell Phone Close: This tip goes for both you and your daughter. Make sure that your daughter leaves the house with a cell phone because you never know when she will need you. Keeping contact with her throughout the night will not only help your anxiety, but it will help her feel more secure. Knowing that someone is always there for you if something goes wrong is one of the most comforting feelings for a teenage girl--even though she might not admit it. I will never forget being stranded at a gas station after the first Halloween party I ever went to got shut down and being so thankful that my mom responded immediately to my text and picked me up. The chances of situations like mine happening on Halloween are very high, since it is one of the biggest party days of the year, so make sure that you and your daughter keep in touch throughout the night. 2. The Buddy System: I have heard that the buddy system is a mom’s best friend throughout her child’s life. Never let your daughter go to a Halloween party alone. Like I mentioned before, Halloween is one of the biggest party days of the year and as fun as it is, it can definitely be dangerous. Having a friend or 5 to go to a party with makes the night so much more fun and also keeps your daughter safe. Going with a big group is great, but your daughter should have one person who agrees to stay with her no matter what. Otherwise, it’s easy for a group to assume that someone is staying behind and allow one person to end up alone. I’m sure that all of the moms of the daughters at that party are feeling the same way as you so why don’t you invite them over and relieve your stress together! 3. Don’t Let Her Leave the House in That!: Along with all of the Halloween parties and gatherings usually comes a lack of clothing. Halloween is a time to express yourself and wear what you want to wear, but you still have to be careful. Wearing little amounts of clothing does not mean that you are slutty; however, there are always going to be some nasty people - usually other girls - who will do whatever they can to bring your daughter down, so she needs to be careful with the way she portrays herself. Halloween is the perfect time to create a balance between classy and risky with outfits so you still look respectable while still fitting in with the rest of the party. If she’s going to a party, she’s going to want to look good, so maybe you can look together for costume ideas that are cute without being overkill. Using fun makeup and hairstyles she doesn’t normally use are good ways to look pretty and have fun with a costume without needing to be too revealing. 4. Keep the Car Keys: Driving on Halloween is usually a bad idea. So you, as the mom, have two great options: You can be their personal chauffeur for the night, or you can let them use services like Uber or Lyft. However, if you decide to let her use Uber or Lyft, she should not be in that car alone. Also, as long as your daughter isn’t driving herself or driving with another teen to a party, you are assuring a safe night for your daughter. Even if your daughter doesn’t drink, there are lots of drunk drivers on Halloween, as well as other obstacles like people walking around late, little kids walking on sidewalks who may not be using their best judgment, and people staying up late and driving to new places. It’s not a good night for new drivers (who are also excited and may be going somewhere new) to navigate the roads! You can really help by being willing to drive her where she wants to go. 5. Be the Host: In order to ensure a safe ending to the night, open your house for a sleepover! Suggest to your daughter that at the agreed upon curfew, she and her friends can return to your house after the party. There can be a lot of drama revolving around who is invited to each party, but by having the party yourself or inviting people over after, there is no way for your daughter to be left out! This also helps your anxiety as the mom by giving you some time to relax since you know that your daughter is home safe. Do you have any questions about how to help your teenage daughter navigate any issues that she or you may be dealing with, from school to social life? I’m not an expert, but I can certainly offer a teen’s perspective and maybe give you some idea what she’s going through! Please contact me with your questions and I may answer them in my next post! |
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