Try to count the number of times you've stressed over what to text back to that girl or guy you like. You can't because it's happened so much. Texting is great, don't get me wrong. It's a wonderful form of communication when it comes to quickly sharing information. It also quickly tells us what to do during some emergency situations.
The benefits are the ways it saves time and lives, but the problems with technology are the ways it affects our socialization and education.
1. Relationships
If text messaging wasn't a thing, we would be making old-fashioned phone calls to that special someone. Phone calls would be easier for gauging someone's interest and you wouldn't spend 10 minutes trying to come up with a witty reply to "What's up?" With texting, we often respond to people we have no interest in talking to, just because it takes such little effort. With phone calls, if they're not interested, they don't answer your call. You would know how someone feels about you much sooner.
2. We're taught that it's okay to ignore the people we're with.
I hate when I'm out with people and they spend the whole time texting other people. When I'm out to lunch with someone, I try to be there physically as well as mentally. It's probably not an emergency. Your friend won't get mad if you tell them you're out to lunch and will get back to them. Be in the moment. Enjoy the company of who is a foot from you instead of focusing on those who are 3 miles from you.
3. We can't focus as easily as we used to.
We can't get through a chapter meeting, lecture or movie without checking social media. Most of us must check or we get anxious and uneasy. I know I'm not one to constantly check my phone , but whenever I do I find myself asking, "What did I miss?!" and it ends up being a main part of the movie plot or the main concept for the test. We miss out on a lot when we are immersed in our smartphones. It sometimes can be dangerous, like when you're walking around campus and almost get hit by a biker because you didn't look up from Twitter.
4. We experience phantom limb syndrome when we don't have our phones.
We expect to have our phones with us 24/7 so we get really anxious when we don't. The other day, I realized I didn't have my phone with me shortly after we left for the store. I wasn't anxious enough to have my roommate drive back for it, but the whole trip was a struggle. I kept trying to tweet, text, and Snapchat before I would remember I didn't have my phone. I felt my phone vibrate numerous times even though it wasn't really there.
5. We forget basic grammar rules.
The other day, my friend asked me when to capitalize "I" if you're referring to yourself. I was so confused by that question. Most of us know that "I" is always capitalized in a sentence. I thought it was a stupid question, but I can't blame her for being unsure. Technology corrects almost all of our grammar mistakes so we quickly forget the rules. Writing a paper on your computer will most likely get you a better grade than one written with a pen and paper because your pen isn't going to spell-check everything.
6. We depend on technology to answer any and every question.
There are a lot of things we used to have to memorize, but nowadays we simply Google it whenever we need to know. We're storing less information in our heads and more in the clouds. We depend on our phones to think and remember everything for us.
7. Everything we say or do exists in cyberspace longer than it does in our heads.
My friend was telling me about a situation with her boyfriend that happened over a year ago. She read uncomfortable messages on his Facebook between him and another girl. They had discussed it and made up long ago, but she hadn't forgotten. She was able to find those messages in seconds to show them to me. If regular citizens can find a condemning message so easily, think about how companies and the government can find our messages and pictures, even after we think they've been deleted.
Technology help us in ways beyond our understanding. It saves lives and time on a regular basis. It has a lot of potential to benefit humanity. It also has a lot of potential to ruin us as it becomes more and more depended on. We forget simple dates and times, how to calculate sales tax, when our cousin's birthday is. These things are problematic but the fact that cyberspace is a vault is the worst effect of technology's evolution. Everything we say or do is there in cyberspace waiting to come back and haunt us. We can't escape our lesser mistakes like those of previous generations could. Our generation often forgets this when sending a Snapchat or posting that not-so-appropriate picture to Instagram.
While technology is evolving and helping us, we must remember not to give it so much power. Be careful what you say and do online. It could hurt you down the road.
