Does Technology Promote Loneliness

Today, the world offers numerous ways of connecting with other people. Despite this, people are still very lonely. Whether people admit it or not, technology has resulted in people distancing themselves from others instead of uniting them. Consequently, technology has resulted in people leading sedentary lifestyles, affecting their mental health and social relationships with people around them (Lustgarten and Elhai 12234). While an argument always has two sides, for instance, some argue that technology is not forced on people, it is evident that people have grown dependent on technology, and its use has become a problem. Therefore, it is true that people’s dependence on technology is not healthy, and its use, especially smartphones and computers, has been changing how people interact with others and often leads to loneliness.

The amount of time people use technology is very alarming and is often connected with loneliness. A person can be sucked into using a smartphone or a computer for hours without leaving the house or at a different place. This instance clearly indicates the sedentary lifestyle associated with using technology. As technology changes, so do everyday activities, especially those dependent on technology. Sitting for hours on end looking at phone screens in homes is not healthy, and there is little movement. Being stuck in the house with our phones or computers means we have little time to associate with others. While it may be possible to connect with other people over the computer and phone, a person would still be considered lonely because they would still be alone at the end of the day. Long smartphone and computer use have also been associated with mental health problems among some users.

Technology has also affected relationships and caused more problems than solutions. When young people are on their phones for long, getting lost in translation is easy. This may lead to quarrels and unhappy relationships. Therefore, most teenagers and youth often break up over their phones, propelling loneliness (Orben and Przybylski 176). Technology, especially the internet, has also been an avenue for bullying. Being bullied on the internet may hurt one’s self-esteem, and they may fail to form real-life relationships. As a result, they end up being lonely because of using technology. Bullying would also lead to distancing themselves from others and thus ruining their chances of ever being with friends. Consequently, technology affects our real-world relationships with people around us because we become used to nonverbal communication; talking becomes difficult when faced with one on one conversation. Therefore, with technology, relationships are ruined, and many people end up lonely.

While it is evident that technology leads to loneliness, some people may argue otherwise. Most arguments usually have another side to it, and the issue of technology is no different. Some people argue that technology does not force itself or being forced on someone to use it but is out of one’s choice. We must determine how much we let technology rule our lives. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to give up technology because it has also done us more good than harm. When considering smartphone use, it has helped us connect with people far from us and who we can not meet face to face easily. It has also propelled our connection with people from other nations and continents with just a click of a button. Therefore, one can argue that technology has reduced loneliness because although we may be in a room alone, we would not feel lonely because of the interaction we have with people from other areas who are on the same platform. Technology is even used to check for the safety of loved ones when away. As a result, those at home would not feel lonely because they can you easily. Technology use has become part of our lives, and we only have to adjust our schedule and maintain how we use it.

While withdrawing from technology could be a good fit for a short time because we would have an opportunity to interact with the surrounding environment, it is still challenging to accomplish. The rate at which people, especially the youth, are using technology, it would be hard to convince them to change their behaviors. The rates at which we are using smartphones and computers will currently cause long-lasting effects (Freeman et al. 5711). They would be more reliant on technology that everything else would seem obsolete. If the situation is not taken hold of and established that this is not how people should live. Children at a young age should not be exposed to phone use or long hours of TV. They should be encouraged to associate with other children and be involved in physical activities that would be good for their health. Adolescents should also be encouraged to get together with their peers and build relationships to prevent loneliness.

All in all, technology has been useful for society despite the conflicting arguments towards its use. Nevertheless, both sides of the argument are viable. Technology is not forced on anyone to use and integrate into everyday life. People use technology inappropriately out of their own choices. Although technology has been identified to smoothen people’s lives, it has also been associated with negative consequences such as cyberbullying, which mentally affects individuals. Technology is useful and dangerous, and it is up to us to decide how to use it.

Works Cited

Freeman, Shannon, et al. “Intergenerational Effects on the Impacts of Technology Use in Later Life: Insights from an International, Multi-Site Study.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 16, 2020, p. 5711.

Lustgarten, Samuel D., and Jon D. Elhai. “Technology use in mental health practice and research: Legal and ethical risks.” Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, vol. 25, no. 2, 2018, p. e12234.

Orben, Amy, and Andrew K. Przybylski. “The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use.” Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 3, no. 2, 2019, pp. 173-182.

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Question

Argumentative Essay (Option #1: Does Technology Promote Loneliness?)

Option #1: Does Technology Promote Loneliness?

Does Technology Promote Loneliness

Develop a thesis statement built upon whether or not technology promotes loneliness. You should focus on either one form of hardware or one type of software. For example, you could target cell phones or laptops. If you want to look more into software, you could narrow your discussions to one type of social media or one gaming app. These are just a handful of a vast array of options you could choose.

Develop at least three strong arguments in addition to a counterargument and refutation (this resource can assist you in developing the counterargument and refutation). This organization should yield four body paragraphs. Using argumentative topic sentences that include your opinion for each section can help ensure the majority of your essay is argumentative. The beginning of a sample topic sentence might be, “First, Facebook does not promote loneliness because….” Then, be sure to support that claim with a point or two of researched data, followed by mostly original material that helps to explain how your research supports your claims as well as provides new insights and perspectives. Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that synthesizes the paragraph’s main ideas.

Sample Thesis Statement: Social media, particularly Facebook, does not promote loneliness because (add argument 1), (add argument 2), and (add argument 3), even though (add counterargument focus). *Note that a thorough thesis statement will include the counterargument in addition to your own arguments, but be sure to frame your counterargument as the opposition’s opinion so that readers do not think that you are changing your stance.

See The Top Ten Tips for College-Level Writing (Presentation) for more thesis statement assistance.

Use at least three credible sources (the author should be considered an expert on the topic in which he or she writes; try Google Scholar to search), such as books, articles, and websites, to support your thesis. Include a mix of cited paraphrases, summaries, and quotes in your argumentative research paper. Use MLA format (Tip: You will find useful MLA resources within the course topics, particularly in Topic 9) to create proper parenthetical citations as well as a Works Cited page at the end of your essay. For additional Works Cited assistance visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/ and use the left navigation menu to locate the type of reference you need.

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Visit https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/establishing_arguments/index.html for more argumentative thesis statement assistance and to learn if your thesis is both arguable and narrowed.

A counter-argument section for this paper should explain what the opposition believes, and it is the opposite of the opinion you are arguing in your paper. For example, if you are arguing that anti-plagiarism software should not be used in college classes, then the counterargument would be that anti-plagiarism software should be used. Then in your refutation, try to prove the counterargument false, insignificant, or unimportant with researched information that is new to the essay (avoid recycling facts from a previous argument in the essay).

This resource will help you craft your counter argument and refutation.

The guidelines and requirements for this assignment are as follows: