We've all heard it a thousand times; if we could all put down those stupid cellphones, the world would be a better place. This statement has been recited to me several times by people, both older and younger. It's honestly a subject that causes me to think. Is technology hindering us as a society?
I look around in a restaurant and see families with their faces lit by glowing screens. I go to a social event with my friends and my youth group and I see people everywhere buried Instagram posts and tweets. I see kids in shopping carts with their faces glued to iPads while their mothers scan through texts. At a concert, more people watch the show though their phone screen than through their eyes; you've always got to make sure you've got quality video to post later, right? Technology is unavoidably everywhere.
I have always wondered what life would be like had technologies such as smartphones never been invented. Our lives depend on these small boxes of metal and glass. We have all of our contacts in our phones, we have all of our memories stored in a digital album. Honestly, try having your phone on ring and NOT looking at it when it rings. It's so difficult. Also, when was the last time you watch a movie at home and didn't have your phone nearby or in your hand? We have basically become addicted to our phones. I find that in an uncomfortable situation, my hand reaches for my phone. It wasn't always that way. At eighteen years old, I am old enough to remember life without a smartphone, but young enough to understand the internet and the effect it has on societies. I grew up running around outside, digging in mud puddles, and learning how to catch bugs with my bare hands. My first phone was a flip phone, and when I graduated to a phone with a sliding keyboard, I thought I was the coolest kid in the world. My mother was the first to have a touchscreen phone in our household; it wasn't a smartphone, but the touch screen was a huge deal. I began to realize that smartphones were going to be a huge part of life.
As I began to be online more and more, and find myself connected to my phone more often, I noticed that the online community was rather different than in real life. There were several issues that were rapidly brought to my attention. The presence of predators online was a big issue. I was raised to realize that not everyone online is who they are. There are bad people online, as well as good. My friends and I soon discovered that our phones were a good distraction if we found ourselves in an uncomfortable social situation. It's often a way of hiding from discomfort and awkwardness in social settings such as parties. People prefer to show their emotion over text. I mean, why can't a guy ask a girl out directly in person? Because it is more comfortable to type it behind a screen. Why can a boy not come to the door to pick up the girl instead of sending an "I'm here" text? Because it is easier to shoot her a message instead of standing at the door and risking having a conversation with her father. Another thing was the debate on mental issues. In my personal life, you simply didn't discuss mental illness, and you most certainly didn't talk about them to strangers. However, on the Internet, the discussion of mental illnesses like A.D.D., depression, anxiety or bipolarity, created an almost casual attitude. These things are very real issues that people face every day, and the Internet seemed like a place where everyone could casually address it. It seemed almost the norm to claim to have one of these disorders.
The issue of globalization was also brought to my attention. Will all of this connectivity cause a unified society, forcing smaller cultures to assimilate into a dominant society? All of this brings to mind a question that's been debated for years: when is enough? Is there ever a point when an abundance of technology can benefit a society?
My answer to that question is "yes." Since the creation of social media sites and email, we as a society have been able to band together. This is especially true for the younger generations like mine who have not necessarily grown up WITH smartphones and iPads, but have adapted to use them. We haven't been exposed to these things our whole lives, but we've learned how to incorporate them into our daily lives. Many of the people are age are aware of at least the basics of politics. Women have become more unified; the push for equality in the workforce and social life has become even stronger with the usage of social media. Support networks have been set up for those suffering from depression, anxiety, and the other disorders previously mentioned.
There are apps that can connect you to people of other countries; you have the ability to quickly learn about the cultures and traditions of other countries. Instead of having to visit different countries to get an idea of what life is like, we can directly ask someone from the country in question. In our own country, we are encouraged to share our thoughts and ideas. This very article I'm writing is an example of how students are all coming together to connect and share ideas over the internet. The technology we have allows new ideas and data to circulate all over the world. We can discuss and learn as a global community. The awareness of endangered species and nonrenewable resources has greatly increased; there are several online organizations that are funded by donors online. These organizations are making positive changes in the world through the use of technology. Our generation is connecting to each other all over the world. We are learning about how to understand our community and environment around us with the use of the technologies that have become part of our everyday lives.
My main point is this: in today's world, there is a fine line between too much technology, and not enough. We have to realize that there is no substitute for face to face conversation and communication. We shouldn't allow the technology to control emotion or thoughts, but we should use it for the good of our society, and the benefit of future generations to come.
