Technology is everywhere we look. Many of us will spend half our waking life on a phone, in front of a computer or TV, listening to music and many more. Young people are able to text, use instant messaging and email all at the same time as watching TV or listening to music. They can cram 9.5 hours of media usage into under 6.5 hours and the largest percentage of this is on their phones and computer. Sixty nine percent of this time is spent communicating with other people on a social networking site or and texting. 16-20 year olds spend a quarter of the time on there phone calling someone. 2-18 year olds spend 5 and half hours consumed in the media including 2 hours and 45 minutes of these in front of a TV. Children 8 and older are spending even more time in front the TV, they spend 6 ¾ hours a day. But, older people are now getting online more and finding out that things like emails are very important to them.

What Exactly do Teenagers do on the Computer?

Teens spend 3.5 hours a week instant messaging their friends, two hours on YouTube, and three hours a week on homework help. They spend some three and a half hours communicating with friends on MSN, and around two hours on YouTube and in chat rooms. Just over an hour is devoted to looking up cosmetic surgery, an hour and a half is spent on family planning and pregnancy websites and one hour 35 minutes is spent on weight loss sites. One in four teenagers said they regularly spoke to strangers online but thought it harmless. One in three admitted trying to hide what they were looking at if a parent entered the room.

This information tells us that young people are relying more and more on technology and that every year the age of use also seems to be getting younger and younger to the point that even 3 year olds have use of a mobile phone. Are we able to control the speed of technology or will technology control us!