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Thinking about my life in Darien it wouldn't be the same without a major thing. My mom and grandma immigrated to the US from Poland. They had to overcome many things for example, learning a new language while trying to find a good job. My mom always made it so I had the most opportunities possible. The neighborhood I live in now and the neighborhood my mom lived in are very different.

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This is the house i have lived in for 7 years. The neighborhood we live in is generally middle class. Most of the houses on the block are older created around the 1950s/ old starter homes

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Another reason my mom decided to move here from Chicago is because of Hinsdale South. 96 percent of freshmen are on track to graduate, the participation rates are in the high 90s and the SAT scores are above state average.

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The opportunities I have in this town are great compared to other places in IL like aurora. Opportunities help people thrive and reach their goals and dreams.

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Power comes from education, money, or great skill. I think in my life I want to have a career that takes a lot of education and some skill. I really would like to be in the medical field. Power means something different to everyone. Power could mean being the president of the United States. Or, it could be owning a lot of money or simply making important decisions that not only impact you but the people close to you. After highschool I hope to go to college and med school

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As a teenager I don't have very much freedom or power. At home my mom has power and at school teachers have power.

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As I continue to get older I can start to have jobs and a drivers license gaining power and freedom. Going to college is a very big thing for me and I hope to have a good career.

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Power is the ability to make others do what you would have them do.
Some points talked about in the video,

There are 6 main sources of civic power
1-Physical force
2-Wealth
3- State Action/Government
4-Social Norms
5-Ideas
6-Numbers (vocal mass of people)

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In my life beliefs come mostly from my family. I grew up catholic and so did many generations before me. My family is from Poland where almost everyone is catholic, when my family came here they brought that belief with them. Certain choices I make involve their opinions. Some of my friends have the same beliefs, some don't. Its important that everyone has different beliefs so that they can learn from each other. If everyone in the world was the same, life would be boring.

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A picture of my confirmation last year. This shows how important my religion is to me although my family influenced me to become a catholic, at the end of the day it was my decision to move forward, and I did.

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For the past 9 years I have been going to polish school every saturday for 4 hours. I met great people there and we have the same beliefs and values. We practice reading, writing, and speaking.

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This year I attended a muslim funeral, which was very different then the ones I normally go too. I think it was very important for me to go and learn about something very different because I was able to understand it more.

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Technology impacts my life in many ways. I use a computer in most of my classes instead of paper. My phone is constantly on me and I can contact someone in an instant. Although not technology is good. I notice myself on my phone more than I should sometimes. My generation has people addicted to technology. For example when was the last time someone held a physical book or even looked at a map.

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Positives; Enhances Learning, Improves problem solving skills
Negatives: Diminishes relationships as well as social skills, many people become addicted

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Children these days aren't referred to as "digital natives" without reason. In fact, a report from Common Sense Media revealed that, in 2017, 42% of young children had their very own tablet-up from 7% in 2013 and less than 1% in 2011. At the same time, the average amount of time children spend with these handheld devices each day is skyrocketing, from 5 minutes a day in 2011, to 15 minutes a day in 2013, to 48 minutes a day in 2017.

It's no secret that technology has become an integral component of daily life. In particular, it's become rare to see children and teens without a digital device in hand wherever we go: restaurants, waiting rooms, parks and more.

However, the rapid pace by which toddlers, children, and teens are adopting technology into their daily lives has many questioning the effects it can have on their development. Although the negative impacts of technology frequently hit the news and are popular topics of conversation, technology is also being used more and more in educational settings, like the classroom. This leaves many of us wondering: is technology all bad?

Here are a few positive and negative effects technology can have on children to consider:

Positive:

Enhances Learning

Over the past few years, technology has become integrated into the classroom to enhance the learning experience for children. Technologies such as Smartboards, document cameras, Apple TVs, and even 3D printers are now incorporated into educational lessons to boost collaboration and engage students in the learning process. With increased collaboration in the classroom, teachers and students have increased creativity and project-based learning opportunities that make academic instruction more meaningful.

In addition, at-home educational technologies have assisted toddler-aged children in learning numbers, letters, colors, and other foundational skills before they enter formal schooling. Mobile device apps like Avokiddo ABC Ride, Moose Math, and Metamorphabet have been recommended by parents to introduce math, the alphabet, and even the arts before kids enter school!

Fosters Problem-Solving Skills

Have you ever heard of the term "survival mode?" It's a gameplay function in many kids' video games where the player is tasked with staying alive as long as possible to outlast opponents. For example, in the popular video game Minecraft, players are dropped into new and different environments and must immediately build shelter and collect items like food, in order to survive and outlive their opponents. Not to mention, an entire day in Minecraft lasts just 10 minutes, so players must make good decisions quickly.

With these types of technologies, kids must work independently to achieve a specific goal. In the process, they're posed with different types of roadblocks and challenges, which they must learn to navigate and overcome. In turn, they'll be encouraged to come up with their own problem-solving solutions when facing real-life issues such as homework trouble, disagreements with friends, or personal hardship, as well as technology-based obstacles.

Develops Future Technological Leaders

It's common knowledge that our future lies in many of today's emerging technologies. In the years to come, technical skills will be more important in the workplace, as well as the growing impact it'll have on day-to-day life. One of the greatest benefits of exposing kids to technology is the fact that they'll be well-prepared to jump into a pool of available, high-paying tech jobs.

With large tech companies like Amazon consistently adding hundreds of new jobs around the country, introducing technology skills to children at an early age can prepare them for a career with a positive outlook. Tech jobs are here today. Tech jobs will be here tomorrow. Some of today's tech will be tomorrow's tech, and some of tomorrow's tech will be completely brand new and something our world has never seen before. Who's going to be best equipped to fill those positions? The ones who start learning now.

Negative:

Diminishes Relationships and Social Skills

As children use mobile devices more and more, they're more apt to be virtually connected with family and friends, rather than spending time together physically; they're more likely to text, chat on social media, or connect through online gaming than actually meeting them in person.

As Lisa Rai Mabry-Price, the associate director of school services from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Social communication skills are also in jeopardy due to tech overuse. These skills are developed and honed through daily interaction and include knowing how to take turns during a conversation, using facial expressions, changing the way you speak based on the listener-such as how you talk to a baby versus an adult-and making appropriate eye contact. Such personal interactions are limited as children passively view a screen."

Stimulates Health Issues

The overuse of mobile devices can be harmful to children's health, as the more they use mobile devices, the less physical activities they do. In addition, when children choose to play on their devices over physical activity, they often couple their activity with mindless snacking and other unhealthy habits.

As children spend more time in front of those screens-most of the time on the couch-the less time they spend outside playing, running, and burning off calories. Over time, those habits can lead to significant weight gain and other associated health problems.

Reduces Sleep Quality

A study from JAMA Pediatrics found that children and adolescents who use media before bed were two times more likely to not get enough sleep at night. Even further, having access to a media device in their sleeping environment, even if the device was not being actively used near bedtime, was also associated with an inadequate amount of sleep.

Children under the age of 13 typically require 11-14 hours of sleep, depending on their age. Sleep is immensely important for children, as it promotes growth, helps heart health, affects weight, increases attention span, and even boosts learning. However, when children don't get the proper amount of sleep each night, these ever-important qualities can suffer.

Like many of the things children love, like pizza or candy, technology can be great-but only in moderation. The problems associated with technology come with misuse and lack of attention around how much technology is "too much." Be sure to regulate and limit your children's technology use, and they'll be able to reap its positive effects!

Author Bio: Marie Johnson is a contributor to Enlightened Digital, UX Designer and technology writer from New York City. If she's not writing her latest blog post in her kitchen, you'll likely find her strolling through Central Park, cappuccino in hand.

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The positive and negative effects of technology on children

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Children these days aren't referred to as "digital natives" without reason. In fact, a report from Common Sense Media revealed that, in 2017, 42% of young children had their very own tablet-up from 7% in 2013 and less than 1% in 2011.

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Teens lack social skills, worry more about things such as snap streaks or followers. Teens screen time goes up

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Technology is rapidly evolving and regardless of how you feel about it, the changes are here to stay as a part of our daily lives. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, "95% of teens now report they have a smartphone or access to one. These mobile connections are in turn fueling more-persistent online activities: 45% of teens now say they are online on a near-constant basis."

Dr. Joshua Essery discusses the effects that technology has on our youth during our weekly Parents Chats. As the Director of Outpatient Clinical Services at Clarity Child Guidance Center, Dr. Essery has significant insight into how technology impacts our kids' mental wellness.

identity, self-esteem, and body image

The use of social media can impact a teenager's identity, self-esteem, and body image. It cannot be stated enough that people only show the best version of themselves on social media. Genuinely expressing who you are and how you feel might not create something post-worthy. Even mundane topics are given an angle to highlight a point or make a joke. Even when you try to be authentic, social media cannot possibly fit the entire context of a situation.

No matter your age, there is constant pressure for people to compare themselves to their peers. We ask questions like: "who am I?", "how many followers do I have?", "how many likes did my last post get?", "how long are my snap streaks?" Teenagers especially feel pressure to portray themselves in a socially acceptable way to make people like them. Unfortunately, adding marketing metrics to interpersonal relationships can have the unintended effect of damaging kids' mental health.

relationship development

Relationship development and attachment is now being mediated through a screen. Society is shifting more towards online engagement rather than in person activities. During COVID-19, this has been an incredible boon, helping fight off isolation during a pandemic. FaceTime allows us to speak face-to-face in real time with a relative halfway across the world. However, Dr. Essery says that he has had clinical experiences where kids with parents living in another country start to identify their devices as their parent rather than understanding that their parents are speaking to them through the device. For good or bad, we are social creatures who require physical stimulation and social interactions. The lack of in-person connectivity leaves kids missing those important components.

Dr. Jean M. Twenge, author of "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy-and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood-and What That Means for the Rest of Us", stated in her presentation at ClarityCon Reimagined, "the number of teens who get together with their friends nearly every day dropped by over 40%. More teens are spending their free time alone in their room and on their phones, computers or games."

According to Dr. Twenge:

"All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all off screen activities are linked to more happiness. Eighth graders who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 percent more likely to say they are unhappy than those who devote less time to social media. Admittedly, 10 hours a week is a lot. But those who spend six to nine hours a week on social media are still 47 percent more likely to say they are unhappy than those who use social media even less. The opposite is true of in-person interactions. Those who spend an above-average amount of time with their friends in person are 20 percent less likely to say they're unhappy than those who hang out for a below-average amount of time."

Kate Fagan, former ESPN reporter and author, said during her Claritycon Reimagined presentation that one of the possible contributing factors to mental health is the lack of free play. Free play is described as any play that is unregulated by adults. Sociologist Peter Gray noticed that there was a decline in free play while inversely an incline in anxiety in kids. With the decline in free play, kids are not able to experience the minor setbacks. Experiences such as being picked last during a pickup game or falling allows them the opportunity to self soothe and learn how to cope with their emotions. Their micro experiences of "failing" allow kids to build up their self-esteem and independence.

lack of empathy

Another problem with technology is that it desensitizes people. Dr. Essery says that this poses a challenge for perspective taking and developing empathy for others. Studies show that 36.5 percent of kids feel like they have been cyberbullied in their lifetime. The price for making derogatory comments to another person does not seem as steep when it is through a screen. Oftentimes kids will not understand that there is a real person with real feelings behind that screen. It is hard for them to understand the magnitude of comments such as "you're better off killing yourself" during a gaming session.

emotion development

How often do you see your group of friends or family sitting around in the living room with their phones in their hands instead of socializing with each other? It may feel uncomfortable to say we have an emotional attachment to our devices, but it is hard for us to put down our screens. Adults and kids alike have a fear of missing out and want the instant gratification of staying constantly entertained. This makes it difficult for kids to learn how to deal with boredom, be patient, and reflect inwardly.

what can we do?

While technology can be great for society and allows us to connect to our loved ones, too much of anything is a bad thing. Over-reliance on technology can damage our children's self-esteem, slow their relationship development, create a lack of empathy, and hinder their emotional development.

We should put the devices down and enjoy spending time quality time each other! We should encourage kids to spend less time on their devices and more time making memories with their family and friends. Less screen time could result in more happiness in our youths.

For more of this conversation, please check out our recorded Parents Chats on this topic Youth & Technology: Is It Time for a Reset?

works cited

51 critical Cyberbullying statistics in 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cyber-bullying-statistics

Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2020, August 14). Teens, social media & Technology 2018. Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Twenge, J. M. (2018, March 19). Have smartphones destroyed a generation? Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

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The Impact of Technology on Teens' Mental Wellness | Clarity CGC

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Technology is rapidly evolving and regardless of how you feel about it, the changes are here to stay as a part of our daily lives. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, "95% of teens now report they have a smartphone or access to one.

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Some positives of Teens having access to much technology: can easily access information to inform and educate themselves and maintain and develop relationships

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It can often seem like teenagers are using technology and the internet for a large part of the day. It's hard to know where the line falls between safe, rewarding use and overuse of technology. This page can help you to find out more about how your child uses technology, whether they are using it responsibly, and when there might be a problem with how they are spending their time online.

why teenagers use technology so much and what they're using it for

about the risks and effects of technology on teenagers

what problems to look out for

how to help your child use technology safely.

How and why teenagers use technology

Understanding teenagers and technology can seem a little overwhelming. It sometimes seems like teenagers' lives revolve around their phones and technology. From the internet and social media, to phones, apps, games, television and other types of technology, technology is increasingly becoming an essential part of our lives. Many young people - often referred to as 'digital natives' - haven't known it any other way.

Young people use the internet and social media to:

connect with, comment on and discuss things with others, through social networking, emailing and online messaging

find, create or share interesting photos, videos and articles

join or follow interest groups

play online games

learn more about topics that interest them

as a study tool for school.

Potential benefits of technology for teens

Young people love going online, for very good reason. By using the internet, they can:

Research shows that the things that help young people have a positive experience online are:

having a good understanding of the internet and how online media work (including things like privacy settings)

having the skills to critically understand, analyse and create content that adds value for themselves and others.

If young people understand what it means to be a good 'digital citizen', you have every reason to trust them with managing their own internet use, just as you trust them to act responsibly when they're at school and out with friends.

Potential risks for teenagers

It's important to remember that, just as teenagers need to have good boundaries and rules for offline behaviour, and the guidance and morals to make good decisions, they also need these things to protect them when online.

Some risks associated with being online are:

Cyberbullying: This is when people use technology to embarrass, harass or bully someone. Cyberbullying can include posting mean or untrue statements, making fake online profiles intended to embarrass people, sharing embarrassing photos, and more.

Trolling: This is when people deliberately try to start arguments or to upset people on the internet, often causing considerable distress.

Isolation: Too much time spent online and using technology is time not spent face-to-face with family and friends, which can create barriers and contribute to a sense of isolation.

Inappropriate material: Teenagers posting inappropriate pictures or content online, or sharing such material with friends, may humiliate themselves or others.

Inappropriate relationships: Strangers or others may try to form inappropriate relationships with young people.

Being aware of these risks is the first step in helping your teenager to manage them.

How much time are young people spending on screen-based activity?

A 2017 study by The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne found that young people aged 13 to 18 spend on average, 43.6 hours a week on screen-based activity at home (6.2 hours a day). The vast majority of Australian teenagers aged 13 to 18 were reported to own a smartphone and/or tablet.

A strong relationship was found between parental screen time and that of their children - parents who reported high levels of screen-based use themselves were more likely to report having children with high levels of screen-based use. Undertaking a screen audit for the whole family can be a useful way to figure out everyone's technology use.

What is a healthy limit to set for my teenager?

Two hours used to be the golden rule for the amount of screen time young people should be allowed per day. That's now being revised because it just isn't realistic in the modern world where technology is used for education and social networking, as well as for entertainment. It's more important to set limits on recreational screen time, and to focus on the quality of what your children are doing on their devices.

Ask questions like:

Where is my child looking for information? How do they know it's good quality?

What kind of games and apps is my child using?

Are they using their screen time for distraction or procrastination?

These sorts of questions will help you find the line between healthy and unhealthy use of technology for your family.

It's all about balance

All of us, especially young people, need to learn how to exercise moderation in the things we spend time on. Technology for teens is fun and allows them to stay connected to their friends and family, which is important. Some teenagers will do this by spending a lot of time connecting with their friends on social media, or by hanging out with other 'gamers' when playing multi-player games online. That's okay!

But it's important to support them to balance that with physical exercise, learning, and other types of play, and to make sure they leave enough time in their week for face-to-face time with people...Your teen is never too old to go for a screen-free walk with you, or have screen-free dinners around a table!

Find things to try to help your child with technology.

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Technology and teenagers - ReachOut Parents

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It can often seem like teenagers are using technology and the internet for a large part of the day. It's hard to know where the line falls between safe, rewarding use and overuse of technology.

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The elements of culture that are most important in my life are family, language, and education. My family is important to me because their opinions matter to me, they constantly support me and are there for me. As of now i'm bilingual, my first language was Polish and I learned English in kindergarten. Education is key in my life it leads to success and learning can be fun.

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My polish friend and I at a polish parade showing polish pride.

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Education leads to happiness and for me, that is very important.

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One of my ceramic projects this year. I haven't taken an art class in awhile and forgot how fun it could be.