Claudia Nicole C.

Boyles EDUC 202: Methods of Research

MAEd-PE

Problematic Issue
Addiction to Technological Modern Gadgets and its impact on students’ health and lifestyle.

Personal Wold View

Healthy habits make a big difference. According to this analysis, people who met criteria for all
five habits enjoyed significantly, impressively longer lives than those who had none. These
habits are measured and defined as Healthy diet, healthy physical level, healthy body weight,
smoking and moderate alcohol intake.

Nowadays, modern technological gadgets has captured the attention of global population. The
dependency of people on these technological gadgets and services provided by these has
reached at such level that, without these, they can’t think a step forward in the direction of their
growth. The degree of dependency is leading to addiction of the tech-devices and services.
Youth is the most vulnerable group among the population to be addicted to technology affecting
their lifestyle and making them physically inactive.

According to Creswell’s Research Design,Constructivism or social constructivism) is such a

perspective, and it is typically seen as an approach to qualitative research. The ideas came
from Mannheim and from works such as Berger and Luekmann’s (1967) The Social
Construction of Reality and Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry. Social constructivists
believe that individuals seek understanding of the world in which they live and work.

Hence, As a PE teacher I would like to study and understand the impact in students’ health and
lifestyle of the modern technological gadgets, how does modern technological gadgets lessen
the engagement of the students in physical activities, why they choose gadgets over physical
activities and what are its positive and negative impacts in our health and lifestyle. Teachers
play a vital role in teaching students how to have a healthy lifestyle instead of having a
sedentary lifestyle.
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

(Singer 2005)

Technology is one of the most important symbols of advancement and has been reshaping the
fabric of society for generations. While normal use of technology will improve and enrich the
consumer’s life, overuse and abuse of technology can lead to addiction and have a long-lasting
negative impact on consumer welfare. However, mounting evidence suggests that TA is a
serious problem and can no longer be ignored. Americans are starting to show serious signs of
dependence to their cell phones (Licoppe and Heuritin 2001; Wikle 2001). College students
spend increasing amounts of time playing online games, resulting in decreased academic
performance, poorer interpersonal relationships, and increase in social anxiety (Chou, Condron,
Bellan 2005; Lo, Wang, and Fang 2005). Neuroscientists have recently discovered evidence
indicating that video games have an addictive potential not much different from drug or
gambling addiction (Singer 2005).

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
The concept of health and healthy lifestyle here does not only imply mere absence of disease or
infirmity by a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. According to Physical
activity guidelines for Americans (2008) and WHO (2010), it is a concept emphasizing the eight
aspects of wellbeing into one´s life namely: emotional; environmental; financial; intellectual;
occupational; physical; social; and spiritual. Following this broad definition, I use health and
healthy lifestyle to encompass personal; psychological; social; and physical capabilities and as
a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the object of living, and is a
positive concept emphasizing social and personal recourses as well as physical capabilities.
Health is a fundamental human right, essential for personal development and an essential
component of development, vital to a nation`s economic growth and internal stability (WHO,
2010)

GADGETS
A gadget is a small tool or device with a specific useful purpose andfunction. Gadgets tend to be
more unusual or cleverly designed than normal technology. In today’s life, tasks are maximized
with the use of modern gadgets. It is easier to accomplish daily tasks and people are also able
to do work withefficiency. One cannot even dare to imagine life without smart phones,
cellphones, laptops, tablets, iPods and so on (Tech Crates, 2012). Today’s gadgets are one of
the ways to make life more comfortable and easier. Shy (2010) says that no one can deny the
fact that gadgets have not only simplified the lives ofpeople but also made them more
comfortable and luxurious. Indeed, thesegadgets really made a huge impact in people’s lives
and became part of it.

Smart Phone
A smartphone, or smart phone, is a type of mobile phone built on a mobile operating system
with more advanced computing capability and connectivity than a feature phone. In early 2013
worldwide sales of smart phones exceeded those of feature phones. As of July 18, 2013, 90
percent of global handset sales are attributed to the purchase of I-Phone and Android smart
phones (The Gurdian, 22 Dec, 2013).

Students should be encouraged to develop in a technological world. The necessity of social

networking, computer games or digital habits of them should be understood by the elders. But
simultaneously the consequences of those habits should also be studied. It is better to study the
relationship between technology, child development and the popular culture. Parents should
facilitate a healthy and balanced relationship between technology and their children helping
them to use the social media effectively (Mitchel, 2012)