People everywhere continue to increase the amount of time they spend on their electronics. A higher usage of technology in comparison to the past is not necessarily a bad thing; however, it seems that using technology is becoming the general population’s go-to thing to do, especially when placed in an awkward situation.

The number of people who own phones and use social media keeps rising. According to the Pew Research Center, “68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone, up from 35% in 2011, and tablet computer ownership has edged up to 45% among adults.” The Pew Research center also stated, “Smartphone ownership is nearing the saturation point with some groups: 86% of those ages 18-29 have a smartphone, as do 83% of those ages 30-49.” After the older age group, teens use their phones most often. According to Pew, “92% of teens report going online daily — including 24% who say they go online “almost constantly.” Not only are these numbers astonishing, they are much higher than years past.

As much as people would like to say that always having access to apps and other conveniences on an electronic device cancels out any negatives, the disadvantages of using electronic devices often will become harder to avoid with time. The magazine Psychology Today has mentioned that using technology so often (especially at a young age) can alter how the mind works and lead to a decreased ability to remember information, as well as difficulty remaining focused.

While there are numerous negatives to increased use of technology, there are also many aspects of usage in which there can be positive results. Electronic devices provide easy access to information that normally would be difficult to find. Also, for those who use technology for educational purposes, many programs are available for self-improvement. Technology has undoubtedly become necessary in our 21st century world, and it’s also a very convenient tool.

Excessive usage of electronics has both negatives and also positives; however, science shows that it would benefit everyone to spend a bit more time unplugged from media and technology.