This document is a literature review that discusses how technology and social media impact millennials. It analyzes research on millennials' heavy use of social media and technology in the classroom. The purpose is to determine if there are any negative effects of technology on millennials that need to be addressed. It summarizes studies finding that while technology provides benefits, it may negatively impact millennials' communication skills and relationship building if overused. It also discusses how technology in the classroom can be helpful if used properly but is often misused by students.

1. Running
Head:
MILLENIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
Millennials,
Technology,
and
Communication
Kate
Lewis
Grand
Valley
State
University

2. Running
Head:
MILLENIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
Abstract
This
literature
review
discusses
the
different
aspects
of
technology
that
relate
to
millennials.
It
analyzes
different
literature
about
millennials
and
social
media.
It
also
analyzes
literature
that
discusses
millennials
using
technology
in
the
classroom
and
how
it
affects
their
communication
skills.
With
technology
being
such
a
large
part
of
today’s
world,
the
purpose
of
this
research
is
to
determine
if
there
is
any
negative
impacts
of
technology
that
need
to
be
addressed
to
millennials.

3. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
3
Millennials,
Technology,
and
Communication
Technology
is
more
prevalent
than
ever
before
in
today’s
world.
It
is
an
industry
that
is
always
changing
and
moving
forward.
Millennials
are
a
generation
that
is
constantly
using
technology
and
social
media.
According
to
Kraus,
over
75
percent
of
millennials
are
using
social
media
(Kraus,
2012).
Technology
may
be
useful
to
millennials
in
some
ways,
however,
in
others,
technology
and
social
media
can
have
a
negative
affect
on
this
generation.
There
are
many
different
opinions
of
what
makes
up
the
millennial
generation,
but
most
people
agree
that
millennials
are
the
generation
that
consists
of
individuals
who
were
born
sometime
in
the
1980’s
to
somewhere
around
the
2000’s.
Millennials,
who
have
grown
up
with
technology,
are
now
filling
all
universities
and
entering
the
workforce.
With
this
generation
integrating
into
the
work
force,
everyone
will
face
the
changes
being
made
to
keep
up
with
this
tech
savvy
generation.
This
goes
for
universities
as
well;
technology
in
the
classroom
is
something
that
also
needs
to
be
addressed.
It
is
important
to
understand
the
ways
technology
affects
millennials
to
change
education
curriculum
and
to
also
see
how
it
can
be
beneficial.
Aspects
discussed
in
this
paper
include
technology
in
the
classroom,
technology
affecting
millennials
skills,
some
general
information
about
the
effects
of
technology,
and
most
importantly,
social
media.
Literature
Review
Reviewing
the
following
literature
will
help
create
an
understanding
for
millennials
habits
with
technology
and
social
media.
By
looking
at
the
effects
of
technology
among
millennials,
it
will
be
easier
to
comprehend
the
potential
downfalls
and
also
perks
that
technology
comes
with.

4. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
4
Millennials
Skills
With
information
at
our
fingertips
24/7,
we
have
to
ask
the
question;
is
technology
negatively
affecting
millennials
ability
to
properly
communicate
outside
of
technology?
In
an
article
titled
Millennials
and
Technology:
Addressing
the
Communication
Gap
in
Education
and
Practice,
Lindsey
A.
Gibson
and
William
A.
Sodeman
claim
there
is
an
issue
with
technology
lessening
millennials
ability
to
have
adequate
soft
skills.
Gibson
and
Sodeman
take
Sahni’s
definition
of
soft
skills
as
the
ability
to
effectively
communicate
through
oral
and
written
skills,
build
and
maintain
healthy
relationships
and
be
able
to
problem
solve
and
use
critical
thinking
(Gibson
and
Sodeman,
2014).
Soft
skills
are
taking
a
large
hit
with
millennials.
These
are
important
skills
that
a
person
must
have
in
order
to
be
successful
in
any
career.
In
order
to
save
these
skills
from
being
completely
taken
away,
they
must
be
incorporated
into
the
education
curriculum.
Everyone
must
learn
to
have
sufficient
soft
skills
while
also
knowing
how
to
incorporate
technology
in
an
acceptable
way.
Technology
is
a
large
part
of
millennials
lives,
which
may
not
necessarily
be
a
bad
thing.
Technology
makes
information
easier
to
get,
and
also
makes
the
communication
process
faster.
However,
when
technology
interferes
with
millennials
ability
to
properly
communicate,
problem
solve,
critically
think,
and
build
healthy
relationships,
it
becomes
a
problem.
This
generation
has
become
far
too
comfortable
with
hiding
behind
their
screens.
Coming
face
to
face
with
problems
and
professional
interactions
and
dealing
with
them
appropriately
is
something
that

5. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
5
needs
to
be
worked
on.
Some
also
may
argue
that
information
being
so
accessible
has
made
millennial
lazy
and
unmotivated.
Millennials
and
Technology
in
the
Classroom
With
the
boom
in
technology
comes
with
the
use
of
this
technology
in
the
classroom.
If
used
correctly,
technology
in
the
classroom
can
be
very
beneficial
and
be
a
helpful
tool.
However,
many
college
students
do
not
use
technology
solely
for
academic
purposes
when
they
are
in
class.
When
this
is
the
case,
technology
in
the
classroom
is
not
beneficial.
It
is
important
to
understand
that
millennials
have
been
shaped
by
technology.
They
have
grown
up
with
Youtube,
MP3
players,
and
instant
access
to
the
world
wide
web.
This
access
to
technology
may
not
necessarily
be
a
bad
thing.
It
is
much
easier
to
access
information
and
get
desired
answers.
According
to
Alvi,
with
technology
in
the
classroom,
students
would
be
able
to
instantly
research
anything
pertaining
to
the
current
lecture.
Also,
students
can
gain
access
to
resources
provided
by
the
teacher
by
using
their
laptops.
You
can
also
easily
take
notes
and
store
them
on
your
laptop.
On
the
other
side,
Alvi
states,
we
are
under
the
impression
that
all
people
in
a
generation
are
the
same.
For
millennials,
we
assume
that
everyone
is
good
with
technology,
when
in
fact
there
is
a
wide
range
of
individuals,
each
with
their
own
comfort
level
of
technology.
Yes,
in
general,
millennials
are
more
“tech
savy”
than
previous
generations
because
they
have
grown
up
with
it,
but
does
this
mean
that
it
is
beneficial
to
incorporate
technology
into
education?
It
is
also
believed
that
millennials
have
become
accustomed
to
playing
video
games,
sending
chats
and
emails,
while
also
being
able
to
absorb

6. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
6
information.
Basically,
multitasking
while
using
technology.
There
is
no
specific
research
to
back
up
this
claim.
One
of
the
main
problems
with
technology
in
the
classroom
is
that
students
prefer
to
do
other
things
on
their
laptops.
They
will
go
online
and
do
things
unrelated
to
class
instead
of
pay
attention
(Alvi,
2011).
There
has
been
a
significant
increase
in
online
classes
and
classes
called
“hybrids”.
These
classes
are
composed
of
mostly
online
classwork
and
communication,
but
also
occasionally
meet
in
person.
According
to
Aviles
and
Eastman,
enrollment
in
online
courses
has
increased
33%
per
year.
Because
of
the
recession,
online
classes
have
become
a
much
more
cost
efficient
method
of
schooling,
and
most
online
courses
emphasize
communication,
which
is
an
important
tool
they
may
miss
out
on
while
taking
classes
online
rather
than
face-­‐to-­‐
face
(Aviles
and
Eastman,
2012).
Millennials
and
Social
Media
Perhaps
one
of
the
most
prevalent
parts
about
technology
today
is
social
media.
Social
media
is
one
of
the
most
telling
factors
of
technology
and
how
millennials
use
it.
Social
media
can
have
both
positive
and
negative
affects
on
those
who
use
it.
Millennials
and
college
students
are
constantly
accessing
the
internet
from
their
phones
and
using
social
media
on
the
go
and
in
their
homes.
According
to
a
study
by
Junco,
over
90%
of
college
students
use
Facebook
and
studies
show
that
students
use
it
up
to
almost
6
times
a
day
on
average
(Mastrodiscasa
and
Metellus,
2013).
Twitter
has
over
105
million
users
that
are
registered.
87%
of
these
users
are
over
the
age
of
12,
which
puts
them
right
in
the
millennial
generation.
Early
on,

7. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
7
Twitter
was
used
as
a
way
to
form
a
sort
of
virtual
sense
of
a
community,
which
is
still
a
factor
today.
However,
Twitter
has
now
set
way
for
a
more
professional
audience.
It
is
used
in
political
campaigns,
the
education
setting,
and
in
the
public
relations
industry
(Al-­‐Deen
and
Hendricks,
2012).
Perez-­‐Carballo
and
Blaszczynski
provide
some
more
statistics
of
the
use
of
social
media
today.
With
Facebook,
31%
of
users
check
their
personal
site
several
times
a
day.
21%
of
Facebook
users
said
that
they
check
their
personal
site
once
a
day.
Twitter
users
have
around
20%
of
users
checking
their
sites
multiple
times
a
day,
and
around
13%
of
users
checking
it
once
a
day
(Perez-­‐Carballo
and
Blaszczynski,
2014).
In
a
study
by
Botterill,
Bredin,
and
Dun,
they
look
at
the
social
media
habits
of
college
students.
The
findings
showed
that
college
students
spend
their
day
using
many
different
devices.
Texting,
talking,
and
social
media
were
the
three
most
commonly
used
forms
of
technology
college
students
used
on
their
mobile
and
computer
devices.
The
most
common
places
they
used
these
forms
were
at
home
and
at
the
university
they
attend.
The
most
important
part
about
social
media
is
not
only
how
much
it
is
used,
but
also
the
effects
it
has
on
people.
Multiple
studies
showed
that
social
media
has
a
negative
impact
on
academics
unless
the
sites
are
being
used
for
specific
campus
activities.
A
study
by
Jacobsen
and
Forste
showed
that
two-­‐thirds
of
college
students
in
their
first
year
admitted
to
using
technology
or
social
media
while
studying
or
being
in
class.
This
has
a
negative
impact
on
college
student’s
grades
(Mastrodiscasa
and
Metellus,
2013).
Another
negative
to
social
media
is
the
amount
of
complaining
it
allows
college
students
to
do.
According
to
Pinto
and
Mansfield,

8. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
8
users
of
Facebook
show
higher
rates
of
complaining
to
their
professors
(Pinto
and
Mansfield,
2013).
However,
using
social
networking
sites
to
get
involved
with
organizations
in
the
real
world
will
have
a
positive
impact.
When
student’s
use
social
media
during
class
or
while
doing
school
work,
they
end
up
negatively
impacting
themselves
and
their
academics.
Another
factor
impacted
is
social
capital.
Social
capital
is
when
“individuals
receive
benefits
from
their
social
relationships
and
interactions
such
as
emotional
support,
exposure
to
diverse
ideas,
and
access
to
new
information.
Facebook
has
been
shown
to
increase
these
benefits
and
boost
self-­‐esteem.
All
the
uses
of
Facebook
seem
to
overall
have
positive
impact
and
increase
social
capital,
such
as
keeping
in
touch
with
old
friends,
and
having
a
sense
of
community
through
groups
you
may
belong
to
(Mastrodiscasa
and
Metellus,
2013).
People
also
use
social
media
to
accommodate
their
communication
needs.
This
would
be
beneficial
when
they
can
keep
in
contact
with
family
members
who
may
not
live
close
to
them,
or
using
it
to
keep
up
to
date
on
social
events
happening.
Users
showed
a
heightened
sense
of
community
and
gratification
from
this
(Sponcil
and
Gitimu,
2013).
Discussion
Findings
of
the
studies
mentioned
show
that
users
of
social
media
experience
both
positive
and
negative
effects.
With
over
20%
of
people
checking
their
social
media
sites
every
day,
a
conclusion
can
be
made
that
social
media
is
a
very
large
part
of
most
peoples
day.
In
regards
to
millennials
and
technology
in
the
classroom,
research
shows
that
technology
can
be
beneficial
in
the
classroom
when

9. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
9
used
in
an
appropriate
way.
With
millennials
and
social
media,
research
shows
that
college
students
use
social
media
a
lot
on
campus
and
many
times
throughout
the
day.
Negative
affects
can
be
had
from
this
sort
of
use.
On
the
other
hand,
millennials
can
have
positive
effects
with
social
media
use
when
they
are
using
it
to
interact
with
friends
and
family
members.
It
is
a
give-­‐take
situation;
social
media
may
cause
grades
to
take
a
hit,
but
can
be
healthy
for
their
mind
and
social
lives.
Methods
of
research
used
in
the
sources
discussed
were
mostly
surveys
and
secondary
research.
Since
a
majority
of
these
studies
revolved
around
college
students,
limitations
of
the
research
included
the
amount
of
students
that
responded
to
the
surveys
and
also
the
respondents
standing
within
the
universities.
Many
surveys
got
many
answers
from
upperclassman,
but
did
not
receive
enough
information
from
the
others
to
get
completely
accurate
results.
Since
technology
is
something
that
is
constantly
changing,
research
can
prove
to
be
difficult.
Articles
written
only
a
couple
years
ago
may
not
be
completely
up
to
date
because
of
the
ever-­‐changing
technology
and
social
media
and
the
fact
that
it
does
change
so
quickly.
Conclusion
Technology
is
integrating
into
our
world
with
full
force,
and
it
is
here
to
stay.
It
is
imperative
that
general
communication
skills
are
kept
in
tact
while
also
being
able
to
effectively
use
technology
to
communicate.
Technology
can
make
lives
and
jobs
much
easier,
however,
you
can
never
take
away
face
to
face
interaction
and
the
need
for
communication
skills.
Technology
should
be
used
as
a
tool,
not
a
way
to
completely
replace
communication.
Technology
should
be
mediated
in
the

10. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
10
classroom
to
ensure
proper
use
by
students
because
when
used
correctly,
it
can
be
very
helpful
in
the
education
setting.

11. MILLENNIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
11
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TECHNOLOGY
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