Introduction

Something I really enjoy talking about is Artificial Intelligence. I enjoy debates on it, reading about it and I'm very fascinated by this technological application. I even hope that one day I can advocate for the ethical application of AI on a global level and possibly integrate it into my project to solve climate and environmental issues.

However, no matter how fascinating or curiously captivating AI may seem, we cannot dismiss the fact that its current integrations aren't setting a risky trap for the current and future generations.

Not to project the cause of my issues on AI but I would say that it all started during the Covid-19 era. I remember when I did an English essay in 2020 (8th grade) on the impact of COVID-19 and my views of it one of the key points that I mentioned was that “COVID-19 was both good and bad – a blessing in disguise” but when I look back at it now, I was totally wrong, and oblivious of the future impact while captivated by the (then) present impact. The Covid-19 pandemic had so much impact on people's lives; it made some famous, and rich, others suffered in silence and isolation and as much as the world felt quiet and empty (the streets), there was unspoken chaos and emergencies going around.

All people had was the internet and social media – the only communication network that made people feel connected still and kept the world together.

However, nobody knew that that was the concept of a hidden struggle – the ‘digital addiction'. What began as a medium of connecting with people slowly evolved into a coveted hobby and that is now deeply rooted into our lives. The pandemic exacerbated our dependence on our digital devices (4).

The Technology addiction

I recently turned 19 and I have been addicted to social media for about five years now. I feel brave to admit that I am addicted to technology; particularly social media and maybe constantly using AI tools to help me out even when it's not necessary. Technology addiction is real. The concept of digital addiction which is also referred to as technology/ internet addiction (1) can be defined as a repetitive (harmful) behaviour where one uses digital media and devices such as smartphones, video games, social media platforms and even computers uncontrollably/obsessively (2). The recent surge in iPhone and Android use has provided people with the ultimate access to the entirety of the internet on the go (3). 

Globally, an estimated amount of 210 million people suffer from social media addiction (4) and the most impacted cohort among the above amount are Gen Z (the demographic cohort born between 1997 and 2012). It's been argued that we (Gen Z) have a special relationship with technology and social media, but it's been a popular idea whether it's addiction or maybe it's our way of life – I cannot imagine life without my smartphone.

Technology is seamlessly and vitally integrated into the population (Gen Z) and although it may seem like ‘an extension of who we are’ (having grown up with technology at our fingertips), we can't dismiss the negative impacts (5). Across all generational cohorts, technology is widely used and almost evenly used according to a McKinsey Health Institute Survey on Gen Z mental health, which highlighted the positive impact of impact media on social connectivity and self-expression (6) as among many other identified areas.

Personally, I can attest to the positive impact of social media engagement in any life; gaining access to news resources on Instagram and getting entertained, constantly learning and exploring new interests and making friendships. It's all great until you realize that you are glued to your smartphone every now and then and TikTok or Instagram are your only sources of happiness or entertainment and you're inseparable from the digital world.

I have realized that my constant presence on social media and the regular use of my phone interferes with my life and ability to function as a teenager and a high school senior and it has had a big time effect on my concentration, the time it takes for me to fall asleep and even my academics suffer because of it.

Reliance on Artificial Intelligence

Wait a minute. Why does this feel like a pattern? The Internet, social media and AI applications; they're all technological applications enrooted in one. Largely known as the intelligence performed by machines, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has woven itself into our lives in ways we may not be aware of. It has become so pervasive that many of us are unaware of both its Impact and our reliance upon it (7). Through our everyday activities; from morning to night, we are plugged into various AI functionalities such as email, apps, phone security (face ID and fingerprint), search engines, and digital assistants, that have become so automatic and integral in our we function (7).

Why should computers have the same level of Intelligence as humans?

Why do we explore an ‘Artificial’ form of intelligence when we should be finding ways to enhance human intelligence to Supreme?

Besides what sci-fi movies/ series have shown us about the potential dark side of AI surpassing human intelligence and reaching human-level consciousness, AI has brought out many questionable things/concerns and impacts (8). The rapid development of AI applications is beginning to affect what it means to be human; seems like we're becoming robots with full digital automation.

Gen Z-ers are referred to as the most AI-ready cohort. The impact of technology, particularly AI is not limited to a single generation but it is vital to understand its impact on the next generation of digital natives  - Gen Z. From the use of generative AI to virtual chatbots and search engines like Microsoft Bing and Copilot, AI has become an indispensable part of Gen Z's daily life.

However, Artificial intelligence provides both positive and negative impacts on our generation; I particularly fear the negative impacts. Among possible AI challenges that Gen Zs could possibly be faced with due to being heavily reliant on AI include Job loss, Privacy concerns and Automation (9).

With the current rate at which AI systems are being developed, automation is at its peak among the AI features I fear will put us at risk. While many Gen Zers are concerned about losing their jobs to AI, I am more concerned about how Gen Z could be at a disadvantage after fully embracing AI and then are threatened by supercomputer intelligence.

I fear that teenagers are unable to learn and gain depth of comprehension due to AI usage.

Creativity level, concentration, focus, comprehension skills, and critical thinking are all at risk in teenagers due to overdependence on AI tools.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, the pace is constantly increasing and bug tech giants aren't going to stop developing physical and biological computers, robots and AI tools. The more they develop and further advance technological tools, the more threatened we are as a species. The future of Gen Z and the coming generations are at risk because Technology – AI is fully integrated into our lives, whether we like it or not, and it's up to us to either promote ethical applications/usage of AI or let it become a threat to our existence.

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References:

1. Daniel Pustay, Jeremiah Hopkins, Kari-Beth Law, Antidepressants, Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, Elsevier, 2024, , ISBN 9780128093245, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95702-1.00061-0. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com)
2. Digital Addiction. UB – United Brain Associations Retrieved from: https://unitedbrainassociation.org
3. Signs and Symptoms of Cell phone addiction. PsychGuides.com Retrieved from: https://www.psychguides.com
4. Bernard Marr. Digital Addiction: Should You be Worried? Forbes. January 11, 2023 https://www.forbes.com/sites
5. Is this generation glued to technology? ‘It's not an addiction; it's an extension of themselves’. Global News. Published June 19, 2018. Retrieved from: https://globalnews.ca/news
6. Erica, C., Andrew, D., Kana, E., and Cheryl, H. Gen Z Mental Health: The impact of tech and social media. Mckinsey Health Institute. Published on April, 28 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.mckinsey.com
7. Artificial Intelligence and its impact of everydayl ife. University of New York. Retrieved from: https://online.york.ac.uk
8. Nikolai Vassev. Artificial Intelligence And The Future of Humans. Forbes Technology Council. Published May 6, 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil
9. Joshua Monteiro. AI and its impact on Gen Z. Medium.com. Publushed February 2, 2023. Retrived from: www.forbes.com