A tip to live happier: youth and technology

By Fr. Richard Rivera, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish and School
 

Do you remember your first phone? While I’m sure many people instantly recalled their first cell phone, my first phone was a house phone. In case you aren’t as old, a house phone was mounted to the wall, for everyone to share. Over the last few decades, our relationship with technology, and digital platforms in particular, has undergone an irreversible transformation. The digital world is now a significant part of a person’s identity and way of life. Social media, and online video games, in particular have created environments where people interact, share experiences, and cultivate relationships. There is no question that technological advancements have redefined the way people interact, and have even produced new possibilities for interaction. Maybe the question of how is more important than ever. 

Almost one in four people feel very or fairly lonely, according to a recent Meta-Gallup survey of more than 140 countries. That statistic translates into more than a billion people worldwide! Meta-Gallup found the lowest rates of feeling lonely to be reported among older adults (aged 65 and older), with 17% feeling very or fairly lonely. Meanwhile the greatest percentage of those reporting to feel lonely happened to be young adults (aged 19 to 29), with 27% feeling very or fairly lonely. 

More acutely, 97% of American teens use the internet daily, with 95% of them having constant access through a cell phone, according to a study by Pew Research. Coincidentally, 35% of teens say they are on social media constantly, with almost all reporting daily use. To put this simply, it seems the very means we have created to interact with others may be partially to blame for our loneliness.  

While the news above may cause concern, it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. To state this simply, the solution may be as simple as intentionally scheduling time and participating in holy, meaningful community. I don’t think technology is bad, but too much of anything, even a good thing, usually produces negative results. It can be equally difficult for both adults and youth to have time where they are disconnected from the digital world. Creating specific times during the week, or day if possible, to be in personal community just might be the best preventative approach.  

As Pope Francis reminded us in Amoris Laetitia, the family is our first experience of community. The foundations of all our social interactions are formed in the small society of the family. When working with students in our schools, I find that children who have meaningful, personal interactions with their parents tend to be the happiest and seem to have deeper friendships. 

 

Deep down, every person desires the affirmation and security of being in a community. To some degree, that can be understood as the desire for Heaven - to be in perfect communion with God and others. We all seek it here on Earth and, if we cannot find it, we try to create it. Living in meaningful community seems to make people happier. Maybe that explains why repeated studies find priests and religious to be among the happiest people in society. If so, limiting screen time may be as important as anything else we teach children.