Lara Manchharam shares what she thinks about the effects of technology on children within her age group
As an 11-year-old, I experience a lot of trouble between the good of technology versus the bad of technology. The group chats that I am in are getting much more useless in a way. Now, look, everyone makes mistakes and so have I. I’ve gotten in trouble more times than I can count. Therefore, this means I have been banned from using my iPad many times. And honestly, when I do get banned, I really don’t care about the group chats that I am in. Really, all they are doing in those chats are spamming and wasting time or continuously repeating the same words and phrases which can get annoying. I am not kidding.
But then again, I really want to look at other messages from my friends that are more meaningful and care to have decent conversations with me while being socially interactive. And again, that is the terrible part of getting banned from tech when I can’t keep in touch.
While I have an iPad, I am kind of getting annoyed because my friends and classmates all have mobile phones. You have probably all been in that stage when you feel left out. I know I have many times. But if you let me be honest here, I kind of want a phone and kind of don’t—which brings us back to the main topic on the benefits or downsides of tech use.
If you’re constantly on your phone, you’re definitely not going to enjoy nature and things around you! Even while I am writing this, it is raining and the sound of the rain is music to my ears. Looking at the water droplets just brings all the negativity down. I wish I was rain. And when I do get banned from using my devices, it really is upsetting but I use my creativity to paint, draw, bake and more. Doing those things pushes me out of my comfort zone.
Plus, when I turn 12, I want a phone but then again, I don’t want to be obsessed with it.
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How friends deal with technology
I have many tech-free friends too. My friends who have phones and don’t use them much are my closest friends. My tech-free friends are so much more lively, fun, less emotional and more easygoing. I have noticed that my friends who use technology a lot more are very emotional and lonely. And if I am being honest, they are also less social and self-centred.
Here are a few examples of my friends who are obsessed with their phones: I had a friend, who was on my school bus, and would be on her phone constantly. Even while walking to the bus, she would not say goodbye to her mother or brother because she was looking down at her phone. In school, she even sneaks her phone into the restrooms and skips some lessons. Seeing that just shocks me.
And another friend, after the summer break, was obsessed with a YouTuber and all she would do during breaks in school was watch this YouTuber. And when I and my friends ask her if she wanted to play with us, she would say: “Stop, I am trying to watch this video!”.
And we would just walk away as if nothing happened. I even have another friend who was obsessed with anime, and when she got a smartphone, she started to hide the phone from her mother and would sneakily download inappropriate apps on it.
Those are just some friends that are experiencing a hard time when using their devices. Even though I argue with my mother, she enforces screen time limits on certain apps I use, and that helps me control and not “fry” my brain.
So if there was one thing I would change in the world it would not be that everyone stops using their tech devices, but to decrease the amount of technology that is used on a daily basis. So please, be mindful of the amount of tech that has been given to us and use it wisely!
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