Decades ago, the giants that built the American tobacco industry steered clear of their product themselves, understanding the danger. Steve Jobs, father of digital age, imposed strict limitations on his own children’s use of technology.

Other greats of the tech world share Job’s rules in their household. “We have seen the dangers of technology firsthand. I’ve seen it myself, I don’t want to see that happen to my kids,” says 3D Robotics CEO, Chris Anderson. With this pullback between creator and creation, it raises the question of why we continue to embrace it.

While continuing to sell their products to everyone else, such powerful CEO’s have separated themselves from its influence. It is because they themselves truly understand the negative influence they have created.

The presence of technology in Academy classrooms seems to be growing exponentially. iPads are provided to older students, laptops dominate our means of research and presentation, and online resources are beginning to take precedent over teacher and student interaction.

High school students eat lunch with their noses in their phones, middle school drama is made worse by social media, and lower schoolers are developing digital stimulation dependencies already.

Technology needs to be taken with moderation. Society, however, seems to be failing at finding this balance, and schools’ policies increasing the use of technology is not helping.

Written by Maddie Vaziri’16