Post #3 - SIERRA

 I will be examining how anxiety about the interactivity of new digital media is evidenced in the STATSCAN report showing Canadians’ assessments of social media in their lives from a technologically deterministic perspective. Technological determinism views technology as an agent of change that is constantly shaping our individual lives and society as a whole. Social media usage can have both positive and negative effects on one’s life. The STATSCAN report examines 6 possible outcomes of social media usage including lost sleep, trouble concentrating on tasks or activities, less physical activity, feeling anxious or depressed, feeling envious of the lives of others, and feeling frustrated or angry. It was found that younger social media users were more susceptible to experiencing these outcomes than older users due to more time spent on social media and the number of social media accounts used (STATSCAN, 2021). From a technologically deterministic perspective, these results would suggest that technology is one of the most influential agents in a young person’s life as time spent on social media is directly correlated to brain activity, daily habits, and overall mental wellbeing. With the ability to increase the likelihood of these outcomes, technology also has the power to alter other important aspects of one’s life. For example, “both sleep duration and sleep quality have been linked to daily time spent on social media and nighttime use” (STATSCAN, 2021). Sleep is essential to all human beings in order to carry out daily tasks and by influencing when and how much someone sleeps, technology can impact how someone behaves and the interactions they have. This report also suggests that technology directly shapes our lives by presenting evidence of identity formation as a result of social media usage. Identity formation is a key process in adolescence which involves social comparison and feedback-seeking, which social media is constantly providing (STATSCAN, 2021). On top of this, the report shows that social media has increased the influence of peer groups on the wellbeing of adolescents, facilitating and magnifying the effects of self-comparison through promoting glorified lives and sharing false realities of constant success and personal accomplishment (STATSCAN, 2021). This can lower self esteem and evoke feelings of social deprivation which heavily influences one’s sense of personal identity and the identities they form about others. Thus, technology can alter a persons personality, interests, and personal values.

Comments

  1. Jake RybakOctober 19, 2022 at 1:50 PM

    Great post! I strongly agree with you and the technologically deterministic perspective that technology is one of the most, if not the most influential agents in a young person's life. These individuals are still developing and easily susceptible to external influences such as how others view them online. Individuals will stress about others perception of them when in reality all that matters is your perception of yourself. Individuals growing up in this modern age have developed with technology by their side making it a part of their lives and making it even more difficult to ignore their presence on these platforms.

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  2. Sydney FriedOctober 21, 2022 at 3:15 PM

    Hi!
    In my blog post, I also discussed the ways technological determinism was evident through the StatsCan report. When the article stated six outcomes of social media usage, I was agitated when I realized some of those outcomes apply to me. I often have trouble concentrating and constantly go on my phone every few minutes when doing assignments or watching a movie. Body image plays a huge role that affects young children today due to online usage and having people envious of others. Social media warps our minds to believe that the way we are isn't acceptable in society and isn't meeting societal standards. I completely agree with you that technology is highly influential. Nowadays, young children stay inside, scrolling through social media on a nice sunny day rather than playing outside in the park.

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  3. Lauren PetrucciOctober 27, 2022 at 1:35 PM

    Hi Sierra,
    Great post! I agree with your statement in regards to how social media can evoke one's social deprivation, which can lead to false identity construction about themselves and others. Social media has a lot of negative implications as you have already stated, which leads to the destruction of ones mental and physical well-being. A technological determinist perspective is the best approach to look at these factors, due to the fact they focus on how technological advancements have influenced us individuals. Well done.

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