The advent of technology offers a variety of efficiencies and benefits to users of a number of electronic devices, from computers and the Internet to cell phones and mobile laptop computers. From enabling individuals to communicate internationally regardless of barriers like cost or distance to allowing users to hit up the latest sportÆs score or stock quote, technology plays a major role in our daily lives. According to Johnathan Coleman (2000), America is ôon the move, utterly self-absorbed, multi-tasking, busy, busy, busyö (482). The cost for all this innovation, according to Coleman (2000), is that it makes us into ôintimate strangersö (484).
One particular device the Internet, continues to consume a major portion of our teensÆ lives. It also continues to make teenagers more self-absorbed and less social than ever before. Use of the Internet may enable teens to stay closer together, but they lose the real contact and experiences of living that virtual reality offers. Such lack of real interaction and time lost on other pursuits is robbing teens in U.S. society of opportunities for socialization. Over-reliance on the Internet as a form of education and socializing is limiting the development of American teens.
TodayÆs teens spend an average of 2-4 hours on the Internet daily (Pawlak-Seaman 2003). Such time is often had at the expense of exercise and interaction with parents and peers. TodayÆs teens are more obese than ever before in American history. Technologies from video games to downloadable music Web sites take time from teens that might be better spent exercising and interacting with friends and family. Teens become more isolated and self-absorbed, as they become less physically active and less skilled at interacting with others.
Teens are also suffering a lack of education from overuse of the Internet. More and more teens report spending their leisure time on the Internet. In one study,
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