Technology: The Dark Side of Using Technology

Plagiarism

The word plagiarist derives from a Latin word plagiarius for kidnapper (Wikipedia, 2017). While a kidnapper steals people, a plagiarist steals another’s ideas or writing (KidsHealth, 2014). The ease with which students can locate information on the Internet and copy and paste text and images into their work mandates that schools set clear guidelines about the appropriate use of content. The International Center for Academic Integrity (2017) reports that 58% of high school students admit to plagiarism.

The first step in curbing plagiarism is helping students understand what constitutes plagiarism. Although most students understand that directly copying someone else’s writing without citing it is plagiarism, they may fail to understand that they need to cite any ideas that are not their own. They must also remember to cite the source of images, in addition to the ideas and text they use. The University of Illinois–Springfield (2017) provides the following examples of plagiarism that educators and parents can share with students:

Using direct quotes without quotation marks

When students are asked why they should avoid plagiarism, their responses generally fall into two categories: (a) It is stealing from another and (b) it hurts the plagiarist (Stoner, 2004). Plagiarism hurts the plagiarist by limiting what he or she learns, and it promotes unethical behavior. By providing students with clear guidelines about what constitutes plagiarism and how it hurts them, parents and teachers take the first step in helping their students avoid it.

Cyberbullying

The Internet and other technology-related devices are particularly suited to cyberbullying (Siegle, 2010). In addition to leading to anxiety and depression, cyberbullying also has been noted as a contributing factor in a number of suicides. Cyberbullying can take a variety of forms:

Sending mean messages or threats to a person’s email account or cell phone

Mitchell (2011) found that students who self-reported participation in a gifted program and students who did not were equally likely to have been involved in cyberbullying as a target, bully, or both. She also found that although gifted students were no more likely to be bullies, when they did bully, they were more creative and used a wider variety of techniques to do it. In addition, the most significant factor in predicting involvement with cyberbullying was a history of involvement with traditional bullying. Therefore, bullying prevention efforts, whether for the playground or for technology, can be useful in reducing cyberbullying.

The following tips should be shared with young people to prepare them if they encounter a bullying situation:

The best response to a cyberbully is not to respond. It removes the bully’s power.

Inappropriate Technology Actions

Young people are curious, so they will be tempted to explore inappropriate content on the Internet. They can also inadvertently stumble onto inappropriate content. The Children’s Internet Protection Act requires school districts to install screening software to block content that is inappropriate for children. However, no screening software works perfectly, and many talented students can find workarounds. Gifted students are talented and creative, so they may be tempted to use their technology skills in inappropriate ways. Most schools ask students to sign a safe technology use document.

Most districts’ acceptable use policies cover (a) responsible use of technology, (b) inappropriate use of technology, and (c) security. Common topics in an acceptable use policy include the following:

Students are limited to using school technology for educational purposes only.

One project in Boston Public Schools invited high school students to educate K-8 students about appropriate use of the Internet and the importance of Internet safety (Office of Educational Technology, n.d.). During the project, older students were able to edit the school’s acceptable use policy so younger students better understood it. The older students also were able to reduce the existing rules into a limited number of main points that began with “I am responsible for . . . ” to help the students feel more responsible for their actions. The students also created interesting multimedia to address the issue of technology safety and appropriate use. High school and elementary students involved in the project were more likely to buy into the acceptable use policy as a result of working together.

Parents and teachers need to monitor students’ use of technology. For example, as parents of young children, my wife and I try to be near our children as they use technology, and we bring it to their attention when they are viewing something that might be inappropriate for their age.

Technology Addiction

Although the American Psychiatric Association (APA) does not include technology addiction in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; APA, 2013), which is used by health professionals for diagnosis, it does include Internet gaming disorder as a topic for further study (APA Staff, 2016). Given that American teens spend an average of 9 hr per day using media, not including use for school or homework (Common Sense, 2015), it is not surprising that parents and educators are concerned about the issue of possible technology addiction.

Nearly 60% of parents believe their teens are addicted to technology, and almost half of the teenagers agree (APA Staff, 2016; Common Sense, 2015).

Among the warning signs that addiction to technology use might be an issue are these:

Preoccupation with technology (e.g., compulsively checking email, text messages, website)

Recent studies suggest that addiction to technology is similar to having a drug craving. A majority of college students who were deprived of technology for 24 hr reported mental and physical distress, panic, confusion, and extreme isolation (International Center for Media & the Public Agenda, n.d.). Greenfield (2017) suggested that using technology increases endorphin levels. According to Greenfield, the constant and instant feedback technology users receive causes the release of the brain chemical dopamine, which makes users feel good and crave more. The quicker and more frequently they are reinforced, the more addictive it become. For example, an individual receives a dopamine hit when posting a tweet and then seeing it retweeted. The more tweets that are retweeted, the greater the reward. The individual continues to tweet and constantly checks for retweets to maintain the dopamine hits.

The Internet becomes addictive for about 5% to 6% of people who use it. Greenfield (2017) found that a number of factors contribute to the addictive power of the Internet. It never closes and is easily accessible. It is continually changing and new, which relieves boredom. The shorter the time between the behavior and the activation of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, the more likely addition will occur. Users lose time and fail to accurately judge their own use of it. The Internet also provides social connections without real-time contact and allows individuals be anyone they wish to be. It is interactive and allows users to control and guide the whole process. The influential Swiss writer of the 20th century, Max Frisch, noted that technology allows individuals to arrange the world so that they do not have to experience it. Technology can enable individuals to create a virtual world as they wish to experience the natural world.

Recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP; 2016a) recommends parents avoid digital media (except video-chatting) with children younger than 18 to 24 months. They suggest children 2 to 5 years of age be limited to 1 hr per day of screen time. They also suggest bedrooms, mealtimes, and parent–child playtimes be screen free for young children. For older children, AAP (2016b) recommends children not sleep with devices in their rooms. Parents should discourage children from using entertaining media while doing homework. Families should designate media-free times (e.g., dinner time) and media-free locations (e.g., bedrooms) in homes. Parents should engage in co-viewing media with their children and have ongoing discussions on online safety and good online citizenship.

The goal is to help students take control of their technology use rather than have the technology control them. Families can develop a Family Media Plan that outlines digital technology use. An easy-to-use, interactive form that guides families in creating a plan for each child is available at www.healthychildren.org/MediaUsePlan. The plan covers topics such as setting up screen-free zones in the home, establishing screen-free times, diversifying media use, and media safety issues.

The benefits of technology for gifted students outweigh the risks. Through monitoring and guidance, educators and parents can help young people have a healthy relationship with technology that enables them to develop and share their gifts and talents.