Assess the extent to which technological advances have impacted the health and wellbeing of young Australians compared to previous generations. (8 marks)
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Judgment Statement
- Technological advances have produced moderately negative overall impacts on young Australians’ health and wellbeing.
- This assessment examines mental health outcomes, physical activity levels, and global connectivity effects.
Mental Health Outcomes
- Technology demonstrates poor effectiveness in supporting youth mental health.
- Social media shows substantial negative impacts through comparison culture and cyberbullying.
- Anxiety rates among teens have doubled since 2010, demonstrating a high negative impact compared to pre-digital generations.
- The results indicate strong links between technology use and psychological distress.
Physical Activity Levels
- Technology shows limited success in promoting active lifestyles.
- While fitness apps exist, sedentary screen time dominates behaviour. Gaming disorder affects 10% of young males.
- Previous generations spent 3 hours outdoors per day versus today’s 45 minutes.
- Technology achieves minimal positive outcomes, with obesity rates tripling since 1980. This reveals major physical wellbeing deterioration.
Global Connectivity
- Technology produces mixed results for global engagement.
- Young Australians access diverse perspectives and educational resources impossible for previous generations.
- However, constant exposure to global crises creates unprecedented stress.
- The 24/7 news cycles increases anxiety about global issues like climate change and conflicts.
- While connectivity offers valuable cultural exchange, information overload can prove moderately harmful to wellbeing.
Overall Assessment
- On balance, technology proves moderately harmful despite connectivity benefits.
- When all factors are considered, negative mental and physical impacts outweigh advantages.
- This assessment highlights an urgent need for digital wellbeing education. Future generations require better technology management to protect health outcomes.
Show Worked Solution
Judgment Statement
- Technological advances have produced moderately negative overall impacts on young Australians’ health and wellbeing.
- This assessment examines mental health outcomes, physical activity levels, and global connectivity effects.
Mental Health Outcomes
- Technology demonstrates poor effectiveness in supporting youth mental health.
- Social media shows substantial negative impacts through comparison culture and cyberbullying.
- Anxiety rates among teens have doubled since 2010, demonstrating a high negative impact compared to pre-digital generations.
- The results indicate strong links between technology use and psychological distress.
Physical Activity Levels
- Technology shows limited success in promoting active lifestyles.
- While fitness apps exist, sedentary screen time dominates behaviour. Gaming disorder affects 10% of young males.
- Previous generations spent 3 hours outdoors per day versus today’s 45 minutes.
- Technology achieves minimal positive outcomes, with obesity rates tripling since 1980. This reveals major physical wellbeing deterioration.
Global Connectivity
- Technology produces mixed results for global engagement.
- Young Australians access diverse perspectives and educational resources impossible for previous generations.
- However, constant exposure to global crises creates unprecedented stress.
- The 24/7 news cycles increases anxiety about global issues like climate change and conflicts.
- While connectivity offers valuable cultural exchange, information overload can prove moderately harmful to wellbeing.
Overall Assessment
- On balance, technology proves moderately harmful despite connectivity benefits.
- When all factors are considered, negative mental and physical impacts outweigh advantages.
- This assessment highlights an urgent need for digital wellbeing education. Future generations require better technology management to protect health outcomes.