The 21st century has blessed it's newcomers, and yes, even the oldies, with technology. Smartphones, laptops, incredible gadgets and nifty devices are lavishly used throughout varied third world countries. Cities encase luminous screens and talking billboards. People connect essentially through electronic mirrors while hundreds of miles away. Eccentric right? Beautiful. Absolutely magnificent.... yet ultimately destructive to what we are: human.
Technology, in all of its purest forms, is a distraction to the psyche. Yet mankind's love for it is exclusive and unconditional. There is not a moment when one simply chooses to leave their phone at home or decides it is best to merely leave it untouched upon receiving notification. Simply put; we are conditioned to reply with urgency. We are taught to escape the real world that is off-putting and into an alternate realm filled with entertainment. Constantly, young people are immersed in posts, tweets, snaps and more, meanwhile their supposed friends are in the same exact room, literally inches away from holding a conversation. Yet talk appears to be that of old and boring. Being online caters to our selfish needs... but why? The probable answer is that from early on we are given devices to self-distract while mommy and daddy clean the house, cook dinner and take care of homely chores. That being said, we neglect personal interaction and settle for the easier of the two: social media.
Most importantly, human intimacy is extremely important according to Karen W. Tao, a psychologist. Her studies show that individuals nowadays immerse themselves in social media as a distraction from their real life problems. They sit and scroll, snap and post and do possibly whatever it is to feel "connected," when in reality, interpersonal intimacy is far from attainability.
Point blank, humans seek stable, trusting relationships in times of distress. However, technology has changed the way humans naturally interact. Instead of rushing to a loved one when dealing with a personal hindrance, we divert our attention online, inhibiting the immediacy of dealing with the problem. In return, we continue to ruin our mental state by perpetually seeking an alternative, a distraction, which is only a few clicks away.
It is time to disconnect. It is time to have self-control. It is time to rekindle who we are: human.
