Electronics

Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Electronics

Electronics

Do you think they are making the world a better place?

There are lots of pros and cons about this subject. Our family does not use electronics that much, and if we do, we have limits. My siblings and I find better uses of our time, like reading or playing outside.

Too much electronics can be unhealthy. Some people have to get glasses because of too much time staring at the screens. It disrupts your vision, and you can have headaches after spending hours on electronics. My friends use their phones, iPods, and/or iPads mainly to text, watch videos, send emails, or play games, and I find them with an electronic in their hands everywhere. Right after school, they take out their electronics and text away.

The Good Uses of Electronics: You can find info easily, watch vidos wherever you are, make calls if you have a phone, and send info in a snap through text messages. There are probably more good uses, but these are the ones I came up with.

The Bad Uses of Electronics: Headaches or glasses because of overuse, spending time on a screen instead of with your family or friends, distraction, and most importantly, you can lose your safety. People can find out who you are and where you live in different ways. It's scary, but unfortunately it happens, especially when using the Internet! I really care about you guys, so be careful!

I don't have any electronics myself. I'm not against electronics, but not totally into them either. There are good things about electronics, but lots of bad stuff too.

What are your thoughts about electronics? 

submitted by Nina, age 12, Florida
(July 16, 2014 - 12:40 pm)

You basically summed everything up for me, Nina. I like electronics, and they do make life easier, but some people just go too far. They're on electronics all the time!

submitted by Bookbug
(July 16, 2014 - 2:10 pm)

Top!

submitted by Top
(July 16, 2014 - 2:53 pm)

Top!

submitted by Top
(July 16, 2014 - 2:54 pm)

Top!

submitted by Top
(July 16, 2014 - 2:57 pm)

I like screens. They connect you to the world and all the various cultures and ideas that many people have. The internet has even spawned new cultures and greatly promoted freedom of speech. And cyberspace is calming.

I don't care how many people are stalking me. They'll never find out my home address, for sure, and they'll never know any of my personal details, and I don't really think they'd want to anyways. What makes me worth finding? Nothing really. And then you consider there are a million other people they could be hunting, and... the odds are super super slim.

I'm not super rich, I don't know valuable secrets... really there's no reason to stalk me unless you like me. And if you like me then surely you had the nessecary association to get to like me, and I'm not a fool. I know who I can trust, even on the WWW. I've got enough common sense to tell the difference between a nice person, a bad person, and a fake person (you know, automated spammers that demand info and whatnot). Blocking people is accessible and easy on every social media site I'm on. I'm fine.

And I am actually trying, to an extent, to find some people myself. For friendly purposes. And also because, like Augustus W., I like beautiful people. 

submitted by Joe the Stickfiddler, age 15, Stalk Vortex
(July 16, 2014 - 3:55 pm)

I can't believe the Admin hasn't read The Fault in Our Stars!!! Augustus Waters is a fictional character. No name shortening needed.

submitted by Joe the Stickfiddler, age 15, TFIOS Vortex
(July 16, 2014 - 6:43 pm)

People spend too much time on their phones. Watch the I Forgot My Phone video or Teens React to Smartphones.

submitted by Ellie, age 11, Place of #
(July 16, 2014 - 5:12 pm)

@JtSf: I haven't read The Fault in Our Stars either.  

Ugh, as a general whole, technology drives me freaking nuts. There are too many issues that come with advancing technology.

Kids as a whole spend far too much time on electronics. Honestly, they can't function do basic things anymore because they're too reliant on technology. They would rather be inside on their phones or computers instead of experiencing the world around them, or learning to do essential life skills. 

Phones. It seems most kids today have phones, and they can't live without them. Doing anything or going anywhere, they have their phones with them and are usually on them. I hate it when your in a group of people and all they do is stand in a circle and text, often each other! They're standing right there next to each other, and yet they're texting each other instead of talking. It makes it really awkward. Plus, schools have become more relaxed on the issue of phones, so I happen to know a lot of kids have been sneaking them into class and using them instead of paying attention. 

I really hate how they're constantly coming out with new models of something. You buy the latest playstation, or computer, or ipad, and six months later, there's a new version out! And half the time, a lot of the new things they make that you may want is for the new version. Like I really want to play Kingdom Heart III, but I can't cause it'll be for PS4! *headdesk*  They don't want to fix what was wrong with the previous model, they just want to bring out new ones. 

Something else that annoys me about technology is how it divides people. Like, you hardly see families getting together in the evenings because they're all to busy with their individual tasks. Kids hole themselves away in their bedrooms, parents are on the computer. It's taking away from real quality time. 

Over all, I don't care for technology. I'm deeply grateful for it for medical and other advances, but for general day to day convenience or entertainment, I think it can tone back.

submitted by Blonde Heroines Rule, age unknown, Hundred Acre Woods
(July 16, 2014 - 8:23 pm)

You know what I hate? SIX YEAR OLDS WITH IPHONES!!!! WHO ARE THEY GOING TO CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS?!?!?!?!? Plus, they will be glued to it when playing games and stuff. I mean, really, I think folks should have a phone when they get a driver.s license. They they can call if they get in an accident or something.

submitted by Puff the MagicDragon, age AAAUGGHHH!, RantLand
(July 16, 2014 - 11:07 pm)

I agree!

submitted by R, age 13, U. s.
(July 21, 2014 - 1:32 pm)

I agree with everything that's been said. But I also don't.

I'm going to say something right now. I woun't be alive right now without computers. The peope I've met, you guys and others, have kept me alive over the past year or so. I would still be  . . . ah nevermind. I would be a lot worse off without you guys. 

So the internet is precious to me. When I have problems, even if it's in the middle of the night when any sane person would be asleep, I can count on logging on to NaNo or other sites and having someone from a different time zone there, ready to provide comfort and reasons for things. And that's a sustinence I need. So badly.

So yes, I argee with the problems things have today. Phones are used too much for texting. Social media sites take away a family's bonding time. For many things, electronics can be dangerous for heath and relationships. But just to be the contrary one here, I'm going to take the stance on the good side.

Because in my house, my sibings and I play board games together all the time. We spend time together, laughing and playing and just being silly. If they spend time on their phones, we'll tackle each other and hide them. The younger kids don't have them even. Only the older, college kids. And I've found some pretty good hiding places for phones while my sisters hold various siblings down and I dash off with it. We also spend more time together because of electronics. Take Terraria and Minecraft for example. All freaking seven of my siblings will play these games together for hours. We'll all find a computer and set up a network of skypes so we can all commuicate and we spend hours building, fighting, you name it together.

But that's enough about my family. As I said before, I have so many precious friends that I've never seen in real life. Some of the people I'm closest to -- the people who know my secrets and the real, real me without a shell and a terrified reclusive force-field -- the people who I trust are on the internet. Are people I've never seen the face of or heard the voice of. 

And I'm more comfortable that way. For me, social interaction is awkward. I can't express myself in spoken words. I stutter and I stop and finally, I give up. I hide away. But on the internet, oh yes, I can express myself. I can express myself in ways I'd never even imagined before I discovered NaNo and here. 

And phones. I'm just going to say something about them. I absolutely loath them. I hate talking over phones because the one thing that makes my interaction of spoken words bearable is being able to read people's expression and eyebrows and even wrinkles. But over phones, I'm stuck just hearing their voice. I hate it.

Yet, when i was about seven, the girl I'd known since I was two moved from NY to PA. Suddenly, we were miles apart. At this time, the internet was a mysterious thing. Terrifying. So the only way we could keep in touch was over phone. And we did. I visited her house, she visited mine, but in between we occasionally emailed each other, but mostly it was phone calls. I know her voice so well I can read her emotions by the slightest change in tone or pitch now.

Video game consoles. My family owns a heck of a lot of them. WIIs, PSPs, PS3s, DSs, game boys you name it, we have it. A bit of gaming freaks. The changing versions do annoy me. A lot. We're going to have to get a WII U because the new Zelda game is only for that. Poohy. Besides, I've lost interest in video games all together. Oh well. :P

Also, computers allow me to write. When I was displaced, moving from hote to hotel, stranger's house to stranger's house to hotel and back again, I really couldn't keep that much on me. I had three bags. Two were clothes and essentials. The last was books, notebooks, sketchbooks and little knickknacks. Many times, I traveled through subway and had to carry this bags. It was hard keeping track of stuff. So I kept it on a laptop. My writing was safe there and I was able to access it.

In my life electronics have made the difference between life and death. Between lying awake crying my eyes out and shaking and not having anyone to go to and venting to someone who can give me a virtual hug and 'I understand and I'm so sorry'. As a girl who frequently suffers from triggers and panic/axienty attacks and doesn't want her family to know for several reasons, having people there is inexpensible. 

Plus, meeting with kindred spirits and fangirling and hugging and laughing and throwing glitter everywhere and plotting to take over the world -- I mean, I love all the friends  I've gotten. I love them all so, so much I could squeeze them until they pop.

And I'm a person who wears glasses. Not from computers. From books. The doctor said it. When I was younger, i simply read too much. My eyes couldn't take it. Now I have to wear glasses.*shrugs*

So electronics have their cons. But they also have their pros. Major pros for me. I've gained the will to live and the people I want to live with. I've gained quaity time with those people and my family. I'm gained so much and only lost a little. And holy noodles, this post is long. And probably rambly.

submitted by Corina
(July 16, 2014 - 10:47 pm)

*claps* That was beautiful! I almost cried!

submitted by Ellie, age 11, Places of prettiness
(July 17, 2014 - 4:42 pm)

*grins and bows* Danke. It's all true.

submitted by Corina
(July 17, 2014 - 7:11 pm)

Hate them and love them. I mean, I am trying to remain as secret as possible on FB, but I accidentally posted something outside a group I am in. Now I am freaked.

submitted by Rrrrrr, age rrrr, Hating Facebook
(July 16, 2014 - 11:01 pm)

 

I don't yet have a phone and I don't do FB, I don't have any really fancy gadgets, an OLD ipod that just plays music and I play some videogames. I'm not that great at being social not to mention I go to a really small place for education.

submitted by Forrest
(July 17, 2014 - 8:56 am)