As a fellow habitual phone user and a member of Generation Z, I know that we have an obsession with our phones. I know this generation would struggle to spend a month without social media and have never lived without the internet. That is the main reason why Gen Z and millenials are two different generations: Gen Z grew up with the internet; millennials adopted it into their daily lives.

I understand the hardships of the other generations and what has allowed us to get to the point we are now, but it’s time to acknowledge the reliance on phones and how this may not be so bad for what Gen Z may accomplish. We are still growing, and so much will change for us and what it means to be a part of this generation.

People often label us as impatient thanks to our dependence on things such as movie streaming, food delivery and services being fast and always ready for us, and we frequently communicate through our phones rather than interacting in person. But our dependence on phones doesn’t mean that we aren’t as social, responsible or emotionally strong. Many teens don’t share the idea that phone usage is negative. According to the Pew Research Center, 76% of teens questioned claim social media and technology does not have had a completely negative impact in their lives, with 31% claiming social media has been predominantly positive.

Every generation has contributed to major developments in technology and communication, including the advancement of computers, cellphones and social media. We have come a long way from the 1973 Motorola cellphone to today’s iPhones.

Phones actually help boost communication, education and labor as well as help people stay informed with world events and connect with faraway friends and family. Although many say that mobile phones are having a negative impact on our generation, people tend to focus on the negative impacts more than the positive ones. Now we are staying at home more, drinking less and being more responsible, therefore, we shouldn’t bear the brunt of criticism for being on our phones, something baby boomers, Gen X and millennials innovated.

Social media, which is often criticized as the root of most of the problems involving Gen Z, is not all bad. “Social media is a new forum that brings people to exchange ideas, connect with, relate to, and mobilize for a cause, seek advice, and offer guidance,” Jacob Amedie writes in the article “The Impact of Social Media on Society.”

Social media has aided entrepreneurships, the growth of small businesses, supported us through the pandemic and has kept us informed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Without social media, we would not know as much about what is going on in the rest of the world, and we would not be able to give as much aid as we are right now. It is a source of rapid communication and innovations that support us as a society.

We do use our phones too much, but it’s not all so bad. Technology and social media will allow further communications and strengthen the economy. We’ll just have to learn and make sure we aren’t taking it too far.

Daniela Dorado is a sophomore creative writing major. Her column appears bi-weekly, and she can be reached at ddorado@syr.edu.

Published on April 17, 2022 at 11:55 pm