Final Blog Post

  I think that the internet and rise of technology has brought many good things into this world but definitely has some bad side effects on our culture. There is this unrealistic thought that every technological enhancement is inherently good and I don’t think that is the case. Take for example the youth suicide rates post social media. It is the second leading cause of death in Americans age 15 to 24. I think that there is definitely a link between social media and depression. 
My generation is one of the most depressed generations and there is a problem with the way we deal with it. There have been many times in recent history to warrant sadness and depression. One of the most notable is slavery and racial injustice in America all the way until the mid 1900s. What did people do when they were faced with all these hardships and were depressed about it? One thing they did was pour their emotions into music. Segregation and slavery were the seed to what became the musical emotional outlet of African Americans in the Blues. Blues music gave these people a way to cope with their emotions and an outlet for everything. Nowadays, young people feel the same feelings of depression and sadness, but don’t do anything about it because they are too engulfed in their phones and computers. Social media is just like any other addiction. A heroin addict will still continue to use even though they know it is killing them. Young people who are depressed because of social media will still continue to use it even though it is detrimental to their mental health. Because of all this, these people have no outlet to what they are feeling and depression can make a turn for the worst into suicide. 
Technology is a blessing because it allows us to do things that were not even thought of as possible in the past. We can speak to someone face to face even if they are on the other side of the world. We can continue to go to school during a pandemic even if we are forced to stay at home. We can find the answer to any question we have just by the press of a button. These things are all great things that enhance our day to day lives, but there are definitely some things that can be improved upon. Technology can isolate you if you let it. It can make you complacent and ignorant. It can replace real life relationships. There needs to be a balance between it all because if there isn’t, it can take over your life and lead you down a path of depression and sorrow. 

Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/youth-suicide-rates-are-on-the-rise-in-the-u-s

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-music-moves-us/201306/can-listening-the-blues-give-you-the-blues