By Russell Byers Healthy Knight News reporters | Technology has both positive and negative effects on our mental and physical health, Russell Byers counselors say. A lot comes down to how people use it.
It can bring people closer to friends and family by helping them connect faster and easier. But it can also drive people apart if they say or receive hurtful or disrespectful comments online. It can lead to health and sleep problems if they don’t practice moderation, and it can be a safety risk if they give out too much personal information, according to KidsHealth.org, an award-winning website.
The Healthy Knight News staff interviewed school counselors Miss Hansford and Mr. Benjamin Wasman about how technology has affected the students they work with and what students can do to form healthy relationships with technology. Miss Hanford is the middle school counselor and Mr. Ben, as he likes to be called, is the lower school counselor. Their answers below have been lightly edited.
Question: How do kids socialize online?
Mr. Ben: I’ve seen it benefit kids by helping them stay connected with each other outside of school. But I’ve also seen it hurt kids connect with each other because of cyberbullying.
Miss Hansford: Sometimes middle school students become obsessed with being on it.
Question: What are the benefits of technology?
Mr. Ben: I think it can help kids stay connected with each other and stay connected with the world
Question: What risks of technology have you observed?
Mr. Ben: Kids can be exposed to harmful things like inappropriate content. They can also use it to communicate with each other in a negative way like cyberbullying. Students may be exposed to words that they wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise. Kids can get obsessed with it.
Miss Hansford: The impact of using social media is sometimes negative. We teach students how to be safe while using social media. I encourage my students to be careful about what they’re posting and what they’re watching.
Question: How does technology affect kids’ health?
Miss Hansford: It has shown us different and quicker ways to stay connected with people. It’s a way to connect and that can help our mental health. But it can negatively affect us, too, especially if we’re on there for too long. If being on technology is affecting your sleep, then it is affecting your mental health.
Mr. Ben: It has affected the mental health of my students. I’ve seen that it can be damaging to selfesteem. Physically it can keep us seated for too long with our eyes on a screen which is not good for our bodies. Practicing moderation is important.
Question: From your experience, what is important for students, families, and teachers to know about using technology to communicate?
Miss Hansford: Social media has good and bad, but everyone has a choice for how to use it. And I think that we need to make good choices. Not everything needs to be posted. You can post your breakfast on social media. But you don’t need to post your location. Think about your safety first. You never know who knows whom, and you never know who may see what you’re doing online.
Mr. Ben: Everything you do or post online is there forever. It can affect your future.
Question: How has technology helped or hurt the relationships students have with others?
Miss Hansford: During Covid, we were unable to be as connected as we wanted to. Social media and other technology were very important during that time. People learned different ways to stay connected, learn new hobbies, and find new jobs. But social media can also cause harm due to cyberbullying. There can be a lot of judgment on social media. Not everyone needs to worry about other people’s comments.
Question: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Miss Hansford: Social media can be fun if you use it in fun ways. But social media is not your life. Instagram is not your life. TikTok is not your life. When it comes to technology and social media, don’t believe everything you see. Use social media for the good not the bad.
Mr. Ben: I think that everyone needs to be aware that technology has some pros, but it has some cons, too.
Illustration by Kone, 6th grade, CCSA, 2025-2026.
