Educate In The Use Of New Technologies: Why It Is Necessary
Every few centuries, humanity takes a giant step in its cultural development based on the discovery and proliferation of a new revolutionary resource. It happened with fire, it happened in the industrial revolution, and now it is happening with what, at the moment, we call technological revolution
And it is a fact that new technologies are bringing about a paradigmatic change in our society. Being able to keep contact channels open indefinitely through social networks or being one click away from the latest news anywhere in the world, implies changes at a cultural and commercial level that, whether we like it or not, are there. And like all great changes, this involves a gradual process of adaptation and learning especially in the case of younger generations, highly exposed to these resources.
We must maximize the advantages that these resources offer our society, while preventing the risks associated with them as much as possible. In this sense, there is increasingly a deep-rooted awareness of the importance of train the new generations who have known the world with all this technology that are growing in the midst of the technological revolution.
The goal is for them to know how to make good use of these new resources. They may technically move like a fish in water in their use as users, but That does not mean that they are able to integrate them into their lives in a healthy way
And it is not necessary to have a bad conception of social networks to fall into one of their dangers, sometimes it is enough to use spontaneous and natural use guided by the principle of immediate gratification offered by the connection to the Internet and access to all types of content and virtual interactions. That is why it is vital to guide and train people in proper use.
The danger of technology addiction
One of the most prominent dangers is that these new technologies are potentially addictive. Video games, applications, social networks or simple navigation imply some intrinsic mechanisms that can lead us to suffer from addiction by obtaining an immediate reward (or, rather, reinforcer).
Let’s take an example. When I carry out the behavior of writing a message via chat, the response message obtained works as a reinforcement or reward. Reinforcements are defined as those consequences of a behavior that increase the likelihood of repeating it in the future Under this framework, it is easy to understand that the more I write and the more they reply to me… the more likely I will be to write again. If you are familiar with any instant messaging application, you are beginning to understand the magnitude of this risk.
Video games base their entire operation on this mechanism I carry out the behavior of playing and, eventually, the video game itself administers a reinforcement to me, such as an achievement, a skill, unlocking a new level… each time we activate one of these reinforcements, our playing behavior is perpetuated more and more. more and, if we pay attention, we will notice how the game at the beginning offers us the prizes by doing the simplest tasks but, as we progress in the game, we will obtain them more time and after performing feats that require greater effort or skill.
This is because to provoke a behavior, reinforcements must be constant, while to maintain it, these reinforcements must be administered intermittently. Thus, returning to the chat, when we have already written forty times to the same person, and suddenly he answers us… not only will it have reinforced that we write, but it will have reinforced that we do it forty times.
Smartphones and the Internet: the kingdom of immediacy
As in any addiction, It is not enough to know the possible long-term negative consequences, since behavioral psychology tells us that, in general, an immediate reinforcer has more effect on our behavior than a delayed punishment. In other words, we usually prefer bread for today despite hunger for tomorrow.
Thus, we must offer concrete guidelines and alternatives for behavior also duly reinforced, if we want to avoid this discomfort that already affects around 20% of young people.
However, while we begin this prevention work, it is easy for many of us to already be in the grip of new technologies, and therefore if we suffer symptoms such as irritability or anxiety when not having a smartphone or other device, if our academic or work life is being affected or if we detect a lack of self-control regarding the use of new technologies, perhaps it is time to reveal ourselves to our reinforcers and seek the guidance of a specialist.
Because of technology, reinforcers are everywhere, and it is better for us to choose them… and not the other way around.
