The evils of technology are everywhere. Kids are on their phones constantly. Nobody talks to each other. The world is becoming more informed, more connected and more involved. Wait. That’s not right. Is this age of technology really that detrimental to society? Recent innovations allow access to information at the touch of a button. Knowledge that past generations could only have dreamed of is at our fingertips. The benefits of technology far outweigh the consequences.

In a world where we rush from one activity to the next, the amount of time we have to get things done is limited. We no longer have time to wait for the news to come on, to go rent a movie, to scour stores for items or to search for answers in a library. Conveniently, one can accomplish all of these tasks through a device and a wi-fi connection. That is the biggest draw of technology: convenience. If a smartphone, computer or tablet makes life easier, why not make use of it? With such constrained schedules, getting a lot done in a short amount of time is a blessing. Students are also expected to stay up to date with trends, politics, world news, entertainment, music and more and advances in technology are the way they stay afloat.

Technology has been utilized in the classroom more and more in recent years. If you came to school on September 8th and your teacher had you add their class in Edmodo or Google Classroom, you used technology. If you checked your grades last night on Infinite Campus, that’s technology too. If you made a PowerPoint to give a report or used a Kahoot for a quiz, technology is part of your learning. The point is that technology in education is key in this day and age, not to mention far easier to use. Students are more engaged in lessons, more closely connected with teachers and are more prepared for the changing world around them. Instead of printing off paper copies of each assignment and later losing it in a sea of homework, students have all of their assignments available in one place without the worry of misplacing them. Teachers can easily add helpful links for students to view as well as cut down on the amount of paper they use.

Even though technology can be used in many professional and enriching ways, it is also a source of fun. Students use social media to catch up with friends and to meet new ones.Technology connects friends across cities, states and even countries. Students play games to waste time and binge on Netflix to relax. Entertainment is now portable and easy to use. The time has passed when teens would browse stacks of VHS or pop a cassette into their Walkmans. Nowadays students easily store thousands of songs, movies, photos, books and conversations on one device, making entertainment and socialization more accessible and affordable.

Though it may seem like I am beating a dead horse, it is important for students, teachers and parents to know that technology is good when used in the right ways. Complaints of students spending an excessive amount of time glued to screens may be valid, but the fact that technology is a core part of our lifestyle must be taken into account. According to Pew Research Center in 2015, 92% of teens go online daily, it is nearly unavoidable. Technology may run our lives but we are also more connected and informed because of it.