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SIRS Discoverer : Document : Are You a Screen Addict?

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ScholasticScope
(Vol.60,No.9)
Feb20,2012,pp.1012
Copyright(c)ScholasticInc.Feb20,2012.Allrightsreserved.Reprintedwithpermission.

AreYouaScreenAddict?
ByKristinLewis

Gchat.Facebook.YouTube.TV.Gaming.Isallthatscreentimetakingoveryourlife?
Imaginethis:Youwakeuponebeautifulsunnymorningandyourcellphone
isbroken.
Youcan'ttext.Youcan'tmakeacall.Horrorofhorrors,itisTOTALLY
busted.
Doyou:
a.demandthatyourlittlesistergiveyouHERphoneuntilyougeta
replacement?
b.breakoutintohivesworryingaboutallthetextmessagesyou'remissing?
c.bawlyoureyesout?It'slikeyou'velostyourrightarm.

Cartoon:ScreenTime
(Credit:RobertMatson)

d.feelsolonelythatyoustarttryingtotextwithyourpillow?
Ifyouansweredyestoany(orall)ofthoseoptions,there'sagoodchancethattechnologyistakingoveryour
life.
You'renotalone.
ANormalPartofLife
Theaverageteenagerspendsmorethan53hoursaweekinfrontofascreennearlyeighthourseveryday.
That'smoretimethanyouspendatschoolmaybeevenmoretimethanyousleep.
Teenagerstodayconsumemonumentalamountsofinformation.It'snowanormalpartoflife.Youhave
Facebookforchattingandsharingphotos.Youhaveyourcellphoneforgamesandtexts.Youhaveyour
computerandyouriPodforbrowsing,streamingmovies,andlisteningtomusic.MaybeyouhaveanXboxora
PS3.
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Anddon'tforgetyourTV.IfyouhappentomissanepisodeofFamilyGuybecauseyou'remesmerizedbycat
videosonYouTube,noproblem.YoucancatchitlateronHulu.
WhatDoesItAllMean?
Thethingstechnologyenablesyoutodostaybusy,beinformed,connectwithfriendsthesearegoodthings.
Right?
HundredsofresearchersinAmerica'stopuniversitiesarehardatworktryingtoanswerthatquestion.Someare
evendevotingtheircareerstostudyingwhatallofthismeans.
Oneofthebiggestquestionstheyareaskingis,WhendoesspendinghoursandhourswatchingTVorplaying
WorldofWarcraftstopbeingfunandnormalandbecomedangerous?
Andwhatdoestheanswermeanforyou?
ADelicateBalance
Studiesshowthatscreentimedoeshaveitsadvantages.Itcanmakeyouagoodmultitasker.Certaintypesof
videogamescanbuildyourreflexesandevenimproveyourvision.
Butthereisadarkside.Studiesalsoshowthatteenswhospendexcessivetimemorethan16hoursadayin
frontofascreenaremuchmorelikelytogetlowergrades.Theyarealsomorelikelytofeeldepressedand
becomeobese.
Partoftheproblemisthatdeviceshaveawayofgainingpoweroverkids.Somekidscan'tseemtoturnthem
off,evenwhentheyhaveotherthingstodo.
Doesthatdescribeyou?
Considerthis:Doesittakeyouthreehourstodothreemathproblemsbecauseyouarevideochatting,playing
AngryBirds,anddownloadingnewDrakesongsatthesametime?
Howaboutyourchores?DoyouforgettofeedthedogbecauseyoujusthavetowatchonemorererunofThe
Office?
Andwhataboutthepeopleyoucareabout?
Technologyallowsyoutostayinconstanttouchwithfriendsandfamilyeventhosewholivefaraway.Onthe
otherhand,youmightbemissingoutontherelationshipsinyourownhome.Maybeyourparentsarealways
beggingyounottouseyourcellphoneatthedinnertable.Orperhapsyou'vestoppedshootinghoopswithyour
littlebrotherbecauseyouarespendingeverywakingminuteplayingCallofDuty.
Ifanyofthissoundsfamiliar,youmighthaveaproblem.
Insteadofenhancingyourlife,technologymightbegettingintheway.It'sadelicatebalance,andultimately,
it'suptoyoutoachieveit.
Here'sonewaytoprovethatYOUareinchargeofyourtechnology:Thenexttimeyourphonebuzzes,turnit
off.
Thengoforanicestrollinthesunshine.
WhendoesspendingendlesshourswatchingTVorplayingWorldofWarcraftstopbeingfunandnormaland
becomedangerous?

ScreensBytheNumbers
21%
ofkidsconsumemorethan16hoursofmediaaday*
22minutes
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averageamountoftimekidsspendeachdayonsocialnetworkingsiteslikeFacebook
95minutes
averageamounttimekidsspendtextingeachday
269minutes
averageamounttimekidsspendwatchingTVeveryday
15minutes
averageamountoftimekidsspendonYouTubeeachday
*sixteenhoursbecausemanyteensareusingmorethanonescreenatatime

WhatDoYouThink?
Doyouthinktheamountoftimekidsspendinfrontofscreenisaproblem?Gobacktothearticleandfind
evidencetosupporteachsideofthisdebate.Writetheinformationinthelinesbelow.
Yes
It'soutofcontrol!
1._____________________________________________
2._____________________________________________
3._____________________________________________
No
Eh,it'spartoflife.
1._____________________________________________
2._____________________________________________
3._____________________________________________

GraphicOrganizer:
ScreenTime
(Credit:ScholasticScope)

Examinepointsonbothsidesofthedebateaswellasyourownbeliefsand
decidedwhetheryouareascreenaddict.Stateyouropinioninonesentencebelow.Thiscanbecomeathesis
statementforanessayonthistopic.

Citation:
Youcancopyandpastethisinformationintoyourowndocuments.

Lewis,Kristin."AreYouaScreenAddict?."ScholasticScope.20Feb2012:1012.SIRS
Discoverer.Web.25Feb2013.

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Copyright2013ProQuestLLC.Allrightsreserved.

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