“The Addictive Narrative”, on the surface, seems like an unhealthy relationship some people, teens in particular, can develop with their technology, such as laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, etc. However, this does not reflect what is actually happening in our society. Parents try to control their kids’ interactions with technology by prioritizing their life and filling it with other activities that will minimize their involvement with technology because they believe that their technology is running and ruining their lives.
This artifact, however, shows the positive side of the “addictive narrative.” It is a myth that technology is disrupting kids’ social life because they are too enveloped to actually socialize with people, when in reality teens prefer meeting in person. Because parents are constantly filling up their kids’ time doing different things, it gives them less time to relax and be a kid. This is where technology steps in because it allows the kids to relax and unwind. Social media also allows the brain to refocus so it does not constantly have to focus on studied information, rather fun information.
This topic is important to the study of new media and society because it is a part of being human that causes us to have the addiction to information because it will allow us to be better equipped to connect to our surroundings and society. Since technology is constantly progressing, our brains need to as well, so technology gives us a way to allow our brains to progress, thus keeping us smart. Although too much technology can hinder our social lives, just the right amount can actually improve our brains and give us an out from stressful situations. Another concept from day one that could fit with this topic is interactivity because it shows just how much interactivity between a human and a machine can affect their social interactions with other people because they become dependent on technology.