4 Benefits of Technology for Teens

Sometimes it’s hard for parents to recognize the benefits of technology for teens. After all, when teens spend endless hours playing video games or staring at their smartphones, technology can feel more like a burden than a benefit. However, in today’s challenging world, the positive effects of technology on teenagers are significant.

Technology allows teenagers to keep in contact with their family, their friends, and their greater community. Secondly, an impressive array of digital learning tools now allows teens to take the classroom home and continue to learn, regardless of their environment. From websites to phone apps, the types of digital tools available continue to expand.

Key Takeaways

• Technology supports teens to build relationships, learn new problem-solving skills, enhance their learning, and be creative.
• Digital learning tools can help teens strengthen their academic skills and make up for missed time in class.
• Parents may want to institute safety guidelines for their teens’ technology use.
• When teens overuse technology as a way to escape real-life distress, a teen mental health assessment may be necessary.

4 Benefits of Technology for Teens

Here are four of the top benefits of technology for teens.

1. Building Relationships

Popular messaging apps and social media platforms connect teenagers with other teenagers to support relationship building and socialization. These digital tools allow teens to keep in contact with their friends from school, via video chats, group messaging, or funny TikToks.

2. Learning Problem-Solving Skills

Given the rapid advancement of technology, teens face the challenge of new innovations as they learn how to use different devices and apps. Their problem-solving approaches may include figuring out how to connect a new PlayStation to the television or moving data over from one phone to another. Or even using Google Maps to navigate a new city. 

As innovative applications and technology advancements develop, teens can apply the rudiments of problem-solving to each new hurdle, developing skills that will later pay off in the “real world.” For example, when a person works in an office, technological virtuosity is a valuable expertise.

3. Enhanced Education and Digital Learning Tools

The simple reality is that today’s kids are learning in ways that adults would not have imagined when we were growing up. Teens are using the Duolingo app to learn languages, the Audible app to listen to books, and the Evernote app to take notes from class.

With smartphone applications, social networking, and interactive websites, teens have become used to approaching new horizons. As a result, teenagers quickly become adept with a multitude of different digital learning tools, thus enhancing educational opportunities.

4. Interactive Creativity and Digital Expression

Transcending colored markers and crayons, smartphone applications and interactive websites offer teens the ability to share their artistic passions far and wide.

For example, teens can record a musical performance for YouTube, make a mood board on Instagram, edit photos using Canva, or learn a new TikTok dance and post it to their account.

Using video and sound, teens can access different types of digital tools that help them thrive creatively and easily share their creations. And social media offers the opportunity for encouragement and creative feedback.

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Digital Learning Tools

According to Explorance, the leader in modern student journey analytics, some of the benefits of technology for teens in regard to digital learning tools include:

• Allowing teens to access a plethora of information more easily
• Offering support and tutoring aides for teens when needed
• Encouraging collaboration and sharing through social networking
• Adapting to different types of students and kinds of education
• Preparing teens for the future with a working knowledge of technology
• Adding an enjoyment factor and new diversity to the learning process

10 E-Learning Digital Tools for Students 

Due to school absenteeism and missed learning during COVID shutdowns, many students need support to strengthen their academic skills. Here is a list of the 10 best e-learning digital tools for students that you can share with your teen.

1. MrOwl: Inspire & Collaborate: A social networking and information sharing app based on user interests
2. Finding Home – A Refugee’s Journey: A moving interactive story that shows a teen refugee’s experience
3. HowStuffWorks: An app that provides historical information about animals, culture, automobiles, science, etc.
4. Socratic by Google: A homework help app that uses text-recognition technology
5. Yup – Math Tutoring App: A subscription-based tutoring services with live tutors, available 24/7
6. Library of Congress Country Studies: An app with books available related to history, culture, geography, and other key topics
7. The Learning Network: An app that uses the news of the day from the New York Times to create a blog and other news-related activities that engage teens and tweens
8. Pocketcasts: A podcast player, with curated lists and top charts to help find new podcasts
9. Instructables: An app for DIY projects, providing step-by-step instructions for how to make anything
10. Ted-Ed Lesson Plan: This app offers a set of TEDx videos based on the user’s age, the subject they’re interested in, and more

Moving Forward with Technology

The internet is a significant resource for information and educational tools, it is simply a matter of knowing what is available. Hopefully you may find the apps and technologies discussed in this article helpful for you and your teen. As always, ensure that you are keeping safety a top priority as your teen experiments with different technologies.

Many apps and devices offer parental controls so you can block inappropriate content from view. But teaching your teen about online safety is important as well. With the right tools and a responsible mindset, there are many benefits of technology for teens.

Supporting Teens with Healthy Device Management

If teen technology use goes too far and takes up too much of their time, they may be using the apps and games as a way to escape from the distress and challenges of real life. If you suspect that’s the case, Newport Academy can help.

Newport’s clinical team specializes in helping teens explore the underlying causes and negative consequences associated with overuse of screens, including social media. Contact us today to learn more about our teen treatment programs and our approach to healthy device management.