With today’s modern technology and extremely popular social networking sites, our generation has been exposed to a whole new way of life. While the advancement of technology is quite remarkable and social networks are a clever way to stay in touch with friends and family, they sometimes cross certain boundaries and affect our lives in negative ways: social skills are lacking and bullying statistics have skyrocketed. The question arises, have we created an unstoppable negative force?

No doubt, you have noticed that it is extremely difficult for many teens to carry out a full-length, face-to-face conversation without seeking refuge in their electronic devices. Too often, there is no longer any sense of intimacy or eye contact when speaking to someone. In fact, there is actually a disorder called “nomophobia,” or the fear of being away from your electronic device. Nomophobes tend to experience difficulty when it comes to turning their phones off, frequently worry about losing them, and constantly check them for new messages. This condition is so serious, people are actually seeking treatment for it. A TIME magazine poll found that 84 percent of people could not go a day without using their phones. Because this need disrupts daily life, it is considered a disorder.

Another unfortunate issue that has arisen from today’s technology is cyberbullying. Teens, tweens, even adults now possess the opportunity to anonymously harass others via the web, whether it be through Facebook, Twitter, text, or similar electronic means. This ability to communicate behind a screen has given some people a false confidence to do and say what they please without fear of getting caught. This problem has become so wide spread that it is nearly impossible to control. Bullying rates are the highest they have ever been largely due to cyberbullying. According to statistics courtesy of Dosomething.org, 81 percent of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person. Cyberbullyhotline.com reveals that 20 percent of kids who are cyberbullied think about committing suicide and one in ten people attempt it. This certainly contributes to the fact that suicide is the number three cause of death amongst teenagers.

While technology and social media are the future, and we have no choice but to embrace it, it is our job to protect ourselves and make others knowledgeable of the harsh reality that can come with using these devices. This is clearly not the direction our generation, and generations to come should be heading.