The Internet Generation: teenagers consumed with cyber lifestyles full of emoticons, pixels and acronyms. After indulging in the virtual world away from personal contact, individual growth tends to rely on posts and Internet sites, which has both positive and negative potential.

Let me begin by stating that I understand the importance of media. In college, my major will be largely media- and technology-based. My job on The Feather consists solely of media and advancing the department. I am far from misunderstanding or underestimating the importance of media and respect its advancement.

As media and resources expand and become more accessible, newspaper articles, facts, reviews and other sources of learning become available to the average person. The outlets are are innumerable and still counting. The advancement of technology has created job opportunities and new ways to expand thoughts, ideas and knowledge. Movies, music and even learning a new language can all be accessed through media advancements.

The establishment of social media also creates networking not otherwise accessible. Via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other such sites, people are able to stay caught up with friends, family, school events, current issues, bargains and other such updates, spreading information even faster with more productivity. With updates sent to phones and email, people are more up-to-date then ever.

Although these advancements can be beneficial, out of context, media has potential to soil work ethics and alter social standards. As marketers and advertisers take advantage of adolescents’ addictive habits, teens are catered to more than ever, spurring a rise in instant demand. With such freedom at the click of a button, teenagers flock to media as an inadequate supplement for social interaction and healthy learning.

Relationships require invested quality time and conversations beyond the day?s events or gossip. Cellular devices and social media will provide proficient small talk, but fail to allow relational depth.

The definition of “being a true friend” is slowly being skewed based off of number of Facebook friends or text count per month. As students lose conversational etiquette and social skills, relationships suffer. I, personally, am well aquainted with someone who flaunts the phone bill each month as though the large number under “sent” and “received” boosts her prestige on campus, despite lack of conversational skills. Moreover, the new “lingo” associated with texting and instant messaging is slowly becoming a natural part of teens? vocabulary, both cyber and formal.

As time spent web surfing or “Facebook stalking” replaces salubrious literature and exercise, teens grow lazy. Due to comfort in instant gratification, intelligence declines, exercise becomes minimal and students lose appreciation in literature, art and thinking for oneself.

According to New York Times blogger Tara Parker-Pope, social media has become “an integral … part of adolescence.” Although she claims it overrated and harmless, the swift advancement in technology is leading to new advertising and marketing tactics, which caters to the wishes of the more immature population.

With unlimited information available via web, accountability becomes scant as the privacy of a personal computer or tablet creates an indispensable amount of freedom. Without an adult monitoring bookshelves, all photos, information and purchases are instantaneous. Although this has potential of strengthening self-control, more teens often fuel their temptations, resulting in a dissolute generation.

Without appreciation or patience for sitting down with quality literature and respect for the arts and science, intellect and positive reasoning fail to educate and nurture the mind, once filled with detestable humor and minimal quality. Reality, and other non-scripted shows such as The Bachelor(ette), Dance Moms, Teen Mom and Jersey Shore encourage poor behavior. However, these more popular shows create more traffic for their channel, despite their poor conduct and morals.

As basic intelligence and social behaviors suffer, students should regulate their media intake, regardless of the label, “old fashioned.”

Despite claims of turning their phone off for dinner an “impossible task,” students must continue to value learning patience, self-control and to appreciate quality, clean, intelligence. Although technology has become an integral part of society and cannot be either omitted or greatly reduced, neither can the importance of active thinking and relationships be underestimated. I propose students learn to better regulate their media intake as to not forget the importance of quality time.

For more columns, read the March 23 article, The political ideology of a centrist Christian or the Jan. 26 article, Mending a Generation of Mediocrity or Social networking not to blame for lower grades.