How+Healthy+Is+Gen+Y+Really?+Technology+and+Social+Networking+from+a+Social,+Emotional+and+Physical+Perspectives

How Healthy is Gen Y? What are the key Public Health Issues facing this generation, and what are the driving social and cultural forces behind these issues?
 * Name:** Peta Sheehan
 * Student Number:** n8353310
 * Tutor:** Katie Page
 * Topic:**

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The cultural artefact is an illustrated animation which depicts the adolescences of Generations Y’s era representing how they are shaped by various influential technologies and social networking groups associated with this generation which have become a social and cultural norm of society. The image signifies how adolescences of today are technologically literate by manipulating modern day technologies to change the way in which we socialise and communicate; this shares a symbolic meaning and emphasises on the transformation of the 21st century’s social and cultural world.
 * Present Your Artefact:**

The public health issue central to the analysis supports the thesis that technological innovations and social networking are negatively affecting today’s youth born in Generation Y. This thesis is support by the illustration above which signifies the health concerns and looks in depth at how healthy Generation Y adolescences are due to increasingly reliant and prevalent technological use and engagement in online social networking and resulting outcomes of personal health and wellness. As statistics show that the prevalence and reliance of technology is ever more increasing as findings indicate that between 1990 and 2008-09 ‘household access to the internet at home has more than quadrupled from 16 percent to 72 percent’ (ABS, 2010, paragraph 1) and continually increases. The analysis further investigates the driving social and cultural forces behind the increasingly common use of technological innovations and association of social networking effecting youth today.
 * Name the Public Health Issue Central to your Analysis:**

The journal article titled “Effects of ICT on the youth: A study about the relationship between technology, social networking and social isolation among Iranian students” by author Fallahi., V published in 2011 identifies the health and social implications that influential technologies, have on Generation Y. The methodology used for the quantitative study included a random sampling size of 500 university student of both male and female genatalior and compared to older participants from different generations, took part in determining the thesis whether or not there was a distinct relationship that technology and social networking negatively impacted on the physical and social health and wellness of adolescence born in generation y. Findings found conclusive that social isolation and increasingly 13.9% addictive behaviours to social networking and technology where prevalent using the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, 1996) and Young Scale for Internet addition (Young, 1998), thus supporting the valid argument that technology and social networking effect Generation Y’s physical, emotional and social dimensions of personal health. The study failed to recognise the various limitations imposed by methodological practices emplaced. A more appropriate choice and suitability would have been a longitudinal study that was nationally compared and contrasted with various countries data over a decade, or a qualitative study thus this would have highly improved the quality of the study and add additional support and validation to the argument.
 * Literature Review:**

Adding further to the public health issue of negative health implications of technology and social networking prevalent in teens of today the article titled“Use of information and communication technology (ICT) and perceived health in adolescence: The role of sleeping habits and waking-time tiredness” published in 2007 by Nygårdc., C H & Co looks at the perspective health of youth who intensively manipulate technologies and social networking. A quantative study was commenced involving over 7200 Finland secondary students of both male and female sex in the year 2007 via postal enquiry to determine whether technology was an influential stake holder associated with poor perceived physical health. From analysising the outcomes the thesis that technology and social networking usage only results in intense exploitation for poor perceived physical health to occur effecting the role of sleeping habits, waking-time tiredness and musculoskeletal symptoms. The study was limited and therefore should have been nationally compared and contrasted with other countries of non-developed and developed statuses and been conducted over time as a longitudinal study, and additional support from nationally recognised research thus immensely improving the credibility and overall value of the research commenced.

This journal article titled “Prevalence of perceived stress, symptoms of depression and sleep disturbances in relation to information and communication technology (ICT) use among young adults- an explorative prospective study” by [|Eklöf]**., J & Co. ** in 2007 looks at the public health issue of adolescent usage of technology and the health risks at jeopardy. The article clearly highlights the correlation between high quality ICT usage and health of adolescences. The two year study conducted on a cohort of coed college students responding to private questionnaires revealed that ICT was indeed a risk factor in developing psychological symptoms among young ICT users. Results indicated that women suffered the risk of prolonged stress and symptoms of depression when using emailing, online chatting and short message service (SMS) constantly whereas men suffered from developing sleep disturbances from surfing the internet and developed associated symptoms of depression though intensive use of SMS. The end result suggests that the finding from the study of ICT usage therefore impacts on the psychological and physical health of young adults in Generation Y. The only downfall of the study is that it wasn’t a nationally recognised study conducted nationwide to compare and contrast the similarities and differences.

The following expositional piece titled Adolescent Peer Relationships and Behavioural Problems Predict Young Adults' Communication on Social Networking Websites published in 2009 by Allena., J P & Co. looks in depth at youth’s peer relationships and behavioural problems when communicating via social networking websites. A longitudinal study of 92 participants both male and females both at the end of Generation Y where compared to the newest Generation Z to determine the friendship quality of their social networking page. Overall, the results found conclusive that youth’s patterns of peer relationships, friendship quality, and behavioural adjustment at ages 13–14 years of Generation Z and at ages 20–22 years of Generation Y predicted similar qualities of interaction and problem behaviours occurring on their social networking websites approximately at age 20-22. The results found consistent that the developmental theory asserting that youths display cross-situational continuity in their social behaviours and recognises that conceptualization of continuity can extend online domain. This study received additional funding and grants by the National Institute of Mental Health of American Psychology which overall has ever more increased the credibility and value of the argument.

The remaining journal article “Social networking users’ views on technology and the determination of techno stress levels” written in 2009 by Çoklarb. A N & Sahina Y L. looks in depth at stress levels of social networking and technology in young adults and adolescents. The study analysed the disadvantages of technology and social networking users in relation to stress known as techno stress through different variables. Data was gathered from over a sampling size of 700 participants in an online questionnaire who most frequently used and closely followed technological developments. The findings of the study concluded that social networking users have a moderate level of techno stress caused by environmental and social reasons. It was also found that age and familial financial incomes caused differentiations in the levels of techno stress. If the study had of incorporated a sampling over a period of time or was a qualitative research this would have provided extra logic and support for the thesis that social networking and technology affect Generation Y.

From a social and cultural analysis it is crucial to consider how and why when trying to understand and redress this public health issue in society about how technology and social networking affect our personal health and wellbeing. The social and cultural forces which have influenced this new modern era popular norm of communication is the invention of modern day technologies such as mobile phones, to broadband internet and computer systems which didn’t exist several decades ago. This new era of technology is clearly shaping society creating mass societal change in a now digitally literate world, transforming the way is which we communicate opposed to traditional methods of communication which is compromising Generation Y’s personal health as a result. This is a significantly important public health issue as awareness is vital to reduce and educate Generation Y adolescences of the potential and associate health risks jeopardising their social, physical and emotional health and wellness. It is crucial that generation y members full understand the consequences of prolonged exposure to technology and social networking as it can result in addictive behaviours, sleep deprivation, depression and muscular symptoms. It is important to remember that individuals can be affected differently to higher and lower extends in the technological and social networking environment. Therefore it is important that public health experts focus on the result of the analysis to improve the quality of life for Generation Y technology and social networking users amongst society. A theory that links with how and why this public health issue is emerging can be related to the theorist Bourdieu in relation to his philosophy about “Symbolic Skins”, which recognises the social world, which shapes our behaviours and communications. This theory establishes that risk- taking health related behaviours are often a form of social interaction and communication. These behaviours are symbolic of our identities, and our way of communicating social positions and affiliations with each other; which affects our personal health and wellness.
 * Cultural and Social Analysis**

From analysising the chosen cultural artefact the illustrated animations which depicts the adolescences of Generations Y’s era representing how they are shaped by various technologies and social networking groups associated with this generation which have become a social and cultural norm of society. The image signifies how adolescences of today are technologically literate by manipulating modern day technologies to change the way in which we socialise and communicate; this shares a symbolic meaning and emphasises the transformation of the 21st century’s social and cultural world. The image also signifies that the social world of online social networking can promote influentially addictive behaviours reflecting the changes in Generation Y health and developmental wellbeing. The image shares a distinct and meaningful relationship personally as i was born of that era and have prospered into a digitally literate human being capable of manipulating and using modern day technologies and social networking to my advantage, however compromising and jeopardising my personal health as an unknown consequence.
 * Analysis of the artefact and your own learning reflections**

By reflecting on what I’ve learnt personally as a result of this assessment piece it has encouraged and further developed acquired skills of secondary research and referencing, theoretical analysis and critical thinking which I am capable of applying to within the social and cultural environment. The ideology is that I am more than ever capable of observing and making note of things in the social worlds and critically thinking about them in relation to the wider population’s health and wellbeing and my own. It has therefore improved how I take into account a philosophical, theoretical and ethical analysis, equity, policies and its effect on diverse social groups and my own personal health and wellbeing bettering my understanding of the social and cultural world of the 21st century.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2010). 8146.0 - //Household Use of Information Technology, Australia//, 2008-09. Canberra. Retrieved from ABS on Thursday, 2nd November, 2011. []
 * Reference List**

Allena., J P & Co. ( 2010). //Adolescent Peer Relationships and Behavior Problems Predict Young Adults' Communication on Social Networking Websites:// Developmental Psychology. (1) (46). Pp. 46-56. Retrieved from Science Direct on the Friday, 3rd November, 2011. []

[|Eklöf]**., J & Co. (2007). **Prevalence of perceived stress, symptoms of depression and sleep disturbances in relation to information and communication technology (ICT) use among young adults – an explorative prospective study: Computers in Human Behavior. (23) (3). Pp 1300-1321. Retrieved from Science Direct on Wednesday, 1st November, 2011. []

Nygårdc., C H & Co. (2007). //Use of information and communication technology (ICT) and perceived health in adolescence: The role of sleeping habits and waking-time tiredness:// Journal of Adolescence. (30) (4). Pp. 569-585. Retrieved from Science Direct on Thursday, 3rd November, 2011. []

Çoklarb., A N & Sahina Y L. (2009). //Social networking users’ views on technology and the determination of techno stress levels:// [|Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences]. (1) (1). Pp. 1437-1442. Retrieved from Science Direction on Thursday, 3rd November, 2011. []

Fallahi., V. (2011). Effects of ICT on the youth: A study about the relationship between internet usage and social isolation among Iranian students: Procedia- Social and Behavioural Sciences. (15). Pp 394-398. Retrieved from Science Direct on Friday, 4th November, 2011. []

Gen Y can we trust them. (2008). [Image]. Street Corner Staff Co. Retrieved from [] on Monday, 31st November, 2011.