'THIS+IS+MODERN+LIFE'+-+The+Future+for+Generation+Y?

Name: Alysha Cooper Student No. n8319961 Tutor: Emily Mann

=Cultural Artefact= The artefact “This Modern Life” is a comic depicting the life of the modern everyday person. The artefact shows how the four main facets of daily life are spent; work, home and play activities are all spent looking at the computer screen. When it comes to sleep, it shows the figure dreaming about playing on the computer. This cartoon shows the four main stages of a persons’ day and how it is all based around the computer. This is in contrast to past generations where they did not have access to computers and they would have spent their time very differently.

**Public Health Issue** This artefact correctly represents that current health issues surrounding the use of information and communication technology in the modern day life of individuals. As the artefact shows more and more people are spending more of their time using technology like computers and mobile phones. The group who predominately uses this new technology are people from the generation Y age group. With more people spending time online it has started to affect their social life by allowing instant communication with friends and family instead of actually talking to one another. These social issues directly impact on the physical and mental health of Generation Y.

**Literature Review** It is important to understand the full health effects from the overuse of modern information and communication technology on generation Y. Social issues have arisen from new technologies which have caused adverse effects on individuals’ mental and physical health and wellbeing. To further understand this serious issue; a wide range of credible and recent resources including peer-reviewed journal articles will be used to ascertain the relevant scientific theories behind this problem. Issues which have never before been experienced in the public eye before have only just surfaced in the era of generation Y. Cyber-bullying is a new form and in some cases an extreme form of bullying which can happen in the safely of the victims home. This form of bullying usually happens through instant messaging and can often be more harmful than traditional bullying as it results in more mental side effects rather than physical side effects. According to a study by Juvonen and Gross (2008), 72% of respondents had reported some form of cyber-bullying within the past year. Cyber bullying among peers often related to sensitive issues such as sexual orientation, physical characteristics, and popularity (Mishna, McLuckie & Saini. 2009). The changes in social activities have impacted on generation Y’s social wellbeing and have directly impacted on their mental and physical health. Changes in social behaviour have affected the mental health of many people who are in the generation Y age group. Depression is often caused by the social effects of using communication technology such as social networking sites like FaceBook. A study by Perren, Dooley, Shaw and Cross (2010) found that cyber-victimisation has emerged as an additional risk factor for depressive symptoms in adolescents involved in bullying. Mishna et al (2009) found that cyber bullying related to sexuality that included such terms as "gay" or "lesbian" was often directed toward boys and girls, whereas insults related to promiscuity, such as "whore" or "slut," were directed toward girls exclusively. The study also found that the detrimental effects of cyber abuse were evident, including feelings of depression, confusion, guilt, and shame as well as self-harm and withdrawal from peers and family (Mishna et al. 2009). On the other hand a study by Koivusilta, Lintonen & Rimpela (2007) found that adolescents on their way towards higher educational levels in adulthood favoured computers. It was also found that computer availability has been associated with higher test scores in school regardless of the socio-economic status of the adolescents’ family (Koivusilta. 2007). Addiction is a prevalent risk factor for high users of the internet, especially for young people predominately within the generation Y group. According to a study by Jang, Hwang and Choi (2008), approximately 30% of students at a local high school showed signs of intermittent internet addiction, and 4.3% of students showed that they had internet addiction. This shows that new communication and information technology is not just a harmless luxury but can cause serious side-effects. With more and more children and youths spending more of their time in front of their computer screens and spending less time playing sports and outdoor activities; it is apparent that it is starting to affect their physical health by not getting enough exercise and is leading to adverse effects. Generation Y is also more at risk of damaging their physical health by using new forms of information and communication technology. The most pressing matter is the increased risk of becoming overweight and obese due to an inactive lifestyle. The World Health Organisation (2011) states that the worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and that the effects of being overweight or obese greatly increase the chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and other serious diseases. These statistics correlate to the approximate start of generation Y the in early eighties and shows how this generation is most at risk. There are some less recognized health issues which can be caused by using a mobile phone. The National Cancer Institute (2011) states that cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phone is held. This means that extended use of technology like mobile phones can cause cancers of the brain and surrounding tissues. New forms of communication and information technology can and have caused health issues for some generation Y users. In this modern day era where everything in our day to day lives is based around technology it brings new challenges to the social environment that we live in. While new technology can greatly help to expand our knowledge base and to communicate instantly with people all across the world it can leave lasting negative effects. Cyber-bulling is a first world problem which seems to have only emerged during the existence of generation Y. Social issues like cyber bulling can and do seriously affect the mental health of many children and youths. Depression and addiction are among the most serious issues that we as a society must now attempt to unravel. Obesity is on the forefront of issues among generation Y as they spend more time on the computer and less time being physically active. There are current health issues which we as a society still do not fully understand the effects of. One of which is the problem of mobile phones and the probable increased risk of developing cancer. Generation Y is at the forefront of a new age of information and communication technology which has and will impact the health of individuals for years to come. It is up to us as a society to combat these issues to ensure the health of our community as a whole.

= Cultural & Social Theory=

The highly renowned French postmodernist Jean Baudrillard once said: "We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning”. This is a perfect example of how as a society are experiencing the endless boundaries of cyberspace with the help of new information and communication technologies. As a society we have come to a point in time where we are so well adapted to using technology for everything. There is now no need to meet up with friends to communicate, there is no need to entertain ourselves by playing sports. Many of us even have the luxury of being able to work from home. All of these activities can be done by not even leaving the comfort of our homes by using our computers to communicate, play and work. Some would call this a wonderful new way to live life; but can it really be called a life? Some would say it is just an existence, an empty shell of a life where we are constantly pretending to be happy and imagining that we are living a full and prosperous life. Some would say that we have lost touch with the world that we live in, that we are living in a created or imagined world. This is exactly what Baudrillard believed; he called it Simulacra which means how a society realises reality as being real. Baudrillard believed that we experienced everything through the media which has made us unsure of what is real and what is imagined. An example of Baudrillards’ views on society is ironically from a blog post: “Even though you’ve never actually met, by being friends in Facebook or MySpace, you should open up and reveal all – just like someone you’ve known for years” (Cooke, 2009). This blog post shows how as a society we can easily get caught up in the hype of a new fad; when all we really want to feel accepted in the society that we live in. It’s like sheep in a field, one moves one direction, and the rest carelessly follow. The media itself can be like a double-edged sword; in one respect it can show us the negatives of social media such as children becoming victims to cyber bullies and people becoming addicted to virtual societies. On the other hand the media has completely embraced the new way of communicating online with television shows like ‘Can of Worms’ which gets people to send in their opinions via twitter and FaceBook. One of Baudrillard’s theories was that the media creates compelling simulations of reality which are designed to intellectually seduce us and make the simulations appear more convincing. There are problems which need to be addressed including cyber bullies and their victims, internet addicts, and the general lack of ‘real’ connections with other human beings. To move forward from this age of being constantly connected online and having a mass amount of information at your fingertips it seems unlikely that we could ever just cut it out of our lives. Perhaps preventive steps could be taken to help curve these problems could be taken. For young people especially, social networking sites are just not a necessity in their day to day lives. Instead of making age limits on joins social networking sites (which will not work as children are smart and will just fake their age), better education about the dangers should be taught to both the children and their parents. But as for the rest of the population in regards to addicts and a lack of ‘real’ connections there is no quick fix solution and there may never be one!

=**Artefact Analyses**=

The artefact ‘This Modern Life’ represents the cultural change that we as a society must face. It is interesting to see how in only the past generation substantial changes in the way we communicate, work and play have fearlessly taken over our lives. In only a short few years new health problems have arisen and seriously affect the lives of many people in the generation Y age group. It would be very sad if we were to pass on these ideas of how to live our lives with technology to our future generations. In my personal opinion, I see this as a major problem which our society needs to deal with now to ensure the health of generations to come. There have already been too many new health problems which have only arisen since the start of generation Y. I could not start to come up with sustainable solutions as the problem is too large for one to tackle on their own. This topic was very important to study as while I have thought about the problem in the past; I have never fully understood just how widespread and problematic the issue is.

=Comments=

In Response to: **'You are what you buy' -Implications of Gen Y's consumerist behaviour** http://healthculturesociety.wikispaces.com/%27You+are+what+you+buy%27+-Implications+of+Gen+Y%27s+consumerist+behaviour

This a great artefact which shows just how prevalent this consumerist behaviour is in our modern day society. It is often the parents who fuel this materialistic drive by striving to please their kids in any way possible. It seems that these parents would rather buy their teenager a expensive can than to spend quality time actually getting to know them. I liked your point about how modern day technology amplifies the idea of consumption. Another great point was the belief that money = power and therefore the purchase capacity of an individual shows their status and position in society.

In Response to: **Women in Sport- Gender inequality alive and well on the sporting field!** http://healthculturesociety.wikispaces.com/Women+in+Sport-+Gender+inequality+alive+and+well+on+the+sporting+field%21

I was surprised when i saw this artefact as i did not no that such a televised 'sport' like this one existed. Well done on presenting this health issue as it would probably not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking about women playing sport. It amazes me how in the 21st century women are still not treated as equals in all respects. I liked your point about how the sexualisation of women is far more promoted rather of the accomplishments which they achieve. Overall, very good work!

=Reference List=

Barone, V.(2011). Modern Life [Web Blog Post]. http://baroneenglish.blogspot.com/2011/04/modern-life_24.html

Cooke, P. (2009, February 2). The Difference Between "FaceBook friends” and Real Friends [web log past]. Retrieved from http://philcooke.com/Facebook_friends/

Jang, K. S., Hwang, S. Y., Choi. J, Y. (2008). “Internet Addiction and Psychiatric Symptoms Among Korean Adolescents”. //Journal of School Health.// 78 (3)

Juvonen, J., Gross, E. F. (2008). Extending the school grounds?-Bullying experiences in cyberspace. //Journal of School Health// 78(9), 496

Koivusilta, L., Lintonen, T., & Rimpela, A. (2007). Orientations in adolescent use of information and communication technology: a digital divide by socio-demographic background, educational career, and health. //Scandinavian Journal of Public Health//, 35(1), 95-103.

Mishna, F., McLuckie, A., & Saini, M. (2009). Real-world dangers in an online reality: a qualitative study examining online relationships and cyber abuse. //Social Work Research//, 33(2), 107-118. National Cancer Institute. (2011). //Cell phones and cancer risk//. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones

Perren, S., Dooley, J., Shaw, T., Cross, D. (2010). Bullying in school and cyberspace: associations with depressive symptoms in Swiss and Australian adolescents. //Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health// 4 (28).

World Health Organisation. (2011). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html

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