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The Impacts of Technology on Sleeping Patterns in Teens
Elisabeth Huelsman
English Department, Cape Fear Community College
ENG 112: Writing / Research in the Disciplines
Mr. Dylan Patterson
November 08, 2020
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The Impacts of Technology on Sleeping Patterns in Teens
Smartphones: the common accessory for teenagers. It has become the lifeline to the
American teenager and has taken the world by storm. The tech age is not going away anytime
soon, and it continues to have large impacts on our society, mainly with the younger generation.
According to a study conducted by Kathryn Orzech for her dissertation at the University of
Arizona, a doctorate student at the University School of Anthropology, 83% of the teenagers she
interviewed have at least one technology device in their bedroom after 10pm with full access
(Orzech, 2010, p. 142). This alarming percentage brings attention to sleeping patterns among
young teenagers and how the influence of technology can lead to sleep deprivation. Teenage
sleep patterns are impacted severely with the use of cell phones by harming their brain
development, increasing mental health issues, and making them a higher risk of suicidal thoughts
and distortions.
Brain Development
Teenage sleep patterns are being disrupted with the increased use of cell phones and can
have effects on the brain development during their adolescent years. Important developmental
changes are still happening in the teen years up into the mid-twenties. “The thinking part of the
brain, the part of the brain responsible for processing information, slows down in adolescence,
with the frontal and temporal lobes the last to mature” (Underwood, 2006). This explains why
the teenager tends to think more with their emotions and feelings instead of sound judgement and
reasoning. This part of the brain is still developing and can be affected by the lack of sleep. It is
recommended that teens get 8 to 10 hours of sleep for healthy development but with the
increased use of cell phones, teenagers are lucky to get 4 hours of sleep each night. Having the
phone close to the bed or in the same room while sleeping increases temptations and stimulates
