Dani Birky
Student Intern
The technology of today has played a major role in the lives of the teenagers of this era. Not only is it used for organization and communication, it is used for sheer enjoyment.
To find out how “up” in the electronic world teenagers are, I conducted a survey. I gave 20 surveys out to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Although some students did not take the time to fill out the survey or turn it in, I used 15 from each class.
In the beginning part of the survey I made a list of the following items: laptop, digital camera, X Box/ PS2/ Game Cube, Blackberry, Palm Pilot, and MP3 Player/ IPOD.
With those items listed, I had instructed the students to check off the items on the list that they had that belonged to them.
With a total of 60 surveys given out I came up with these results: 12 of the students had lap tops, 35 had digital cameras, 38 had an X Box/PS2/ or Game Cube. One person had a Blackberry out of all 60, eight owned a Palm Pilot, and 17 possessed MP3 Players/ IPODs.
From these results I came to the conclusion that Blackberries are the least popular electronic tools out of the list. Many of the students I gave the surveys to didn’t even know what they are.
Although there are different kinds, Blackberries are generally a handheld unit that contain unlimited email, web browsing, access to Yahoo messenger and more. While Blackberries are very useful devices, they run a can be expensive for a high school student, hovering in the $400-$500 range. (Depending on the model.)
Out of the other electronics on the list, the most popular items were digital cameras and the video game systems.
In the second part of the survey, I asked the teenagers why they thought students may not have some of the items on the provided list. The most common response I received was the fact that many of the electronics were fairly expensive, and that teenagers do not have that kind of money.
The second question I asked, was how they heard about the modern technology. Students responded by saying they found out by friends, commercials, Internet, TV, family, and magazines. Evidently word-of-mouth and advertising does make a strong impact on the youth of this generation.
The third and final question on the survey was why the students think modern technology is so common and popular with teenagers.
Most replied by saying that it is the “in” thing for teenagers to be up on the latest in electronics. Others said that the technology makes life easier and refreshing.
It’s easy to see that electronics do strongly influence teens. How many times have you seen a teenager with a cell phone? How many times have you seen one with a CD player, or stereo?
To get a more personal view on electronics, I interviewed two teenagers and a teacher.
The first student I interviewed was Brett Miller.
Q: How do you use the latest technology?
A: “I use my MP3 player (IPOD) when I go on long trips. Itís useful to not have to buy batteries every time.”
Q: What are the good points about it?
A: “My IPOD can hold tons of songs and it’s useful to not have to carry all of my CDís all the time.”
Q: What are the bad points?
A: “An IPOD is really expensive and if you don’t use it much, it’s not worth how much it costs.”
For Brett, his IPOD is very convenient for road trips and easy to pack around.
The next teen I interviewed was Josh Coward.
Q: Do you think it’s necessary for teens to be updated on the latest technology? If so, why?
A: “It isn’t necessary, but it certainly helps. It is like how some people have to have really nice cars; some people just like technology.”
Q: Does technology make our lives easier? Explain.
A: “It really does, because it allows us to do things so much quicker.”
Q: What are some of the good and bad things about technology?
A: “The technology is quick and easy, you can be creative, and it makes it easier to make changes. However, it is expensive, always changing, and you need new knowledge for the new technology.”
Its obvious to see that teenagers do appreciate the expedience of electronics. Now, I wanted to get a teacher’s view of it. The next interview I had was with Mrs. Davis, an English teacher of Sweet Home High School.
Q: How do you view teen technology?
A: “I feel like teenagers are surrounded by it. They understand technology a lot better than adults seem to.”
Q: Where do you see it headed?
A: “The future for technology is huge as I see it. It seems to me that teenagers could take their skills and turn them into a career.”
Q: What would you like to see teens doing to improve their technological skills?
A: “I’d like to see them take summer or night classes to improve their skills and expand their education.”
From the adult view, teens are more up to date with electronics than adults. She feels technology surrounds teens but could be useful to them, and their education.
With the technology we have today, it is more convenient for us to accomplish our objectives in our busy lifestyles.