When the human race first became civilized, people contemplated their thoughts and decisions with the gods and each other. Life was simple, and people were productive. Solace could be found in nature and the company of family and friends. Now-a-days, people contemplate with their IPhone and have traded in their tangible relationships with applications such as Instagram and Twitter.. Since the Industrial Revolution, technology has slowly ingrained itself into our lives to the point where we use it for countless hours a day. It’s not necessarily a bad thing – technology allows us to have the answer to any question we may have at that very moment without having to seek it out or open a textbook. Our IPhones, laptops, televisions, and other devices have made millennials basically dependent on technology. We cannot go a day without taking a snap, checking Instagram or Facebook, or texting our loved ones. It’s a tumor that grows unchecked with every update or new application that we can implement into our lives.
Please, don't take me as a hypocrite. I have a multiple social medias and up until a month ago, I was an owner of a IPhone. Even now as I type on a MacBook Air, I would be lying if I said that technology didn’t play a daily role in my life. A month ago, my IPhone dropped from the deadly heights of my lofted bed and resulted in a collage of bright and changing colored stripes on my screen. I put it in my desk and decided I would get it fixed when I got paid. For the time being, my mom sent me up a flip phone to use for emergencies. Long story short, I never got my IPhone fixed.
I can see a monumental difference in my life since the death of my IPhone. People usually laugh when they see the clunky flip phone that I carry with me, but I don’t mind. I realized I really don’t care what people are posting on Snapchat or what drama is being passed around on Twitter. I care about now, and I want to make every second count. My overall use of technology has been decreasing with each passing day, and even though people might call it "disconnecting" from the world, I have never felt more connected with myself and the people around me. As many of my peers sit vegging on their couches, scrolling through their social media for extended amounts of time, I have found more time for exercise, socialization, and studying. Every minute of every day, I see people staring at their phones: walking to class, eating lunch, when I’m hanging out with friends – it’s pretty disgusting.
Take a moment and stop to think how many minutes a day you are spending on your smart phone: the moments spent on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media applications. Then, pay attention to the people around you. How many students do you pass on your way to class that have their eyes glued to their phones? Each moment, even the ones we cherish most: hangouts with friends, an outside adventure, or just a day in the park, is consumed by the tyrant of technology – the little device you hold in your pocket.
Even if you feel like your life isn't overrun by technology, think of all the side-effects of having an IPhone. You're not only hurting yourself when you spend time on this little device, but your loyalty to Apple is effecting its workers in China. As the scarce resources that Apple uses for their products slowly become depleted, their workers are beginning to work longer hours for a smaller wage. Your IPhone isn't just about you anymore - it is now playing a role in worker and land ethics.
I am not saying that the device is evil or malicious, but perhaps the way you use it is. A lot of people would agree that they spend too much time on their phone, but few actually do anything about it. I would have never voluntarily given up the IPhone, but I’m glad I did. Instead of being consumed by the technology around me, I am rather consumed by the people, my surroundings, and the journey of my college experience.
