Technology and the Global Adolescent

Around the world adolescents use technology for education to further their identity and socio-emotional development to access health information engage in civic activities and for entertainment. For many technological advances especially social media have drastically influenced how they communicate with family friends and romantic partners. Challenges of technology use include the digital divide internet addiction and exposure to cyberbullying. The diversity of adolescents'' cultural context results in heterogeneous bidirectional influences of technology and teenagers with respect to education and close relationships. Researchers parents and policy makers must consider the role of culture in the complex interactions of teenagers with technology.