The people in generation Y, often called the @ generation, are considered the one’s who’ve immersed themselves in technology the most, for the way they’ve replaced traditional ways of communication with social media, and how they’ve embraced technology from very early on.

But, some have complained that the younger generation relies too much on technology and gadgetry, to the point where it’s impacted their lives in a negative way. In fact, there is a new study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, that shows a lot of modern day technology is robbing young people of proper sleep, and that lack of sleep is causing depression.

Researchers gathered 4,000 teenagers over the course of one year and noticed the ones who were lacking the proper amount of sleep were four times more likely to develop major depressive disorders, compared to the teenagers who were getting enough sleep. And being online or texting to all hours of the night were the main culprits in robbing the teenagers of sufficient rest.

Robert Roberts, the lead author of the study, says the correlation between today’s technology and a lack of sleep is a strong one for young people, and it’s created a huge problem.

“That’s a pretty strong reciprocal relationship,” Roberts said. “When you throw in all the video games and iPods and all the phones, sleep starts to become less of a priority.”

In addition, Roberts said it’s important for adults to monitor how much their kids are staying online and texting at night, and if they notice their child isn’t properly rested, they should nip it in the bud immediately, because sleep deprivation is one of those conditions that parents shouldn’t take lightly.

“[Sleep deprivation] is a highly prevalent public health problem,” said Roberts. “If parents and teachers are able to pick up early on that teenagers aren’t sleeping enough, they might be able to help before things get worse.”

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