“Although teens often use the word addiction in passing reference to their online activities, media coverage of teens’ use of social media amplifies the notion that the current generation of youth is uncon- trollably hooked on these new technologies and unable to control their lives.”
Chapter three of “It’s Complicated” talks a lot about our generations online activities and how a certain narrative has been created in which our social media use is seen as addictive. In my opinion, there is some truth to this narrative because there was one point in my life where I was using Facebook uncontrollably and letting it consumer my life while I could have been engaging in real world social activities and/or spending more time on something productive. I had to set up a goal for myself to limit social media time use because to me, it seemed like it was negatively affecting my well being. The image sort of represents what I and others have gone through with social media use in that we can’t disconnect from it and this keeps us from going out and experiencing the world. I also do understand the argument being conveyed in the reading however. Sometimes the narrative of addiction is problematic because it assumes that we all lack control and is based off preconceived anxieties. As the reading shows, there is a long history of these assumptions being made. I also agree with the argument that the older generations are viewing what this generation is into in the wrong context, mainly because they don’t understand/aren’t connected with online activities on the same level as we are.