Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Young People Say Technology Is Dehumanizing

BOSTON (CBS) – Technology is leaving young people wanting more.

They are not about to start unplugging or living in shacks in the woods. But indeed a new study of some 12,000 people in eight countries finds 18-to-24 year olds believe that technology dehumanizes us.

Almost 90-percent of them agree innovations in technology make our lives easier, but more than half also say we rely on it too much and that can make us less human.

Researchers at Intel Labs, which commissioned the study, say it appears on the surface that young people are turning away from technology. But it's likely more complicated than that.

It's not that millennials want less technology in their lives. It's likely they just want technology to do more for them.

Remember, we're talking about people who grew up in the age of the internet. They've never known life without it. They've had smart phones and GPS as long as they've been old enough to use them.

And they have high expectations for the future.

Seventy percent of them say tech already enhances their personal relationships and about half believe it will have a positive impact on education, transportation and health care.

Sounds good I guess.

But maybe these people would have more realistic expectations if they had used things like pay phones, vinyl and cassette tapes, never mind maps.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz

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