Our modern technology has shaped our world for the good and the bad. Walking down streets, riding buses, flying on airplanes, driving cars, and even at schools and colleges, people are constantly looking down at their cell phones. They are either playing games, sending text messages, talking on phones, or planning out their day to day schedules. Technology has shaped our society to make us socially imperfect. We would rather text each other than call each other on the phones, collect likes on Facebook and Instagram than building real friendships, and send a quick e-card instead of going to the store and buying a greeting card and mailing it.
A recent study of the Deseret News Graphic has shown that ninety-nine percent of all Americans owned a cellphone as of 2014. Of that eighty-one percent of people used their phones to send or receive text messages and seventy-three percent use their phones for email or video chatting. Teenagers spend more time engaging with a screen than with other peers. Adults struggle to understand emotion, create strong relationships or become more dependent on others. People need to realize communication is not just about words it is about the human interaction with others.
One solution is to try meeting people “face to face” rather than video chatting and making friends on Facebook and Instagram. I often hear people say I got 300 likes, or I have 600 Facebook friends. In reality if you find 1 or 2 good friends in your lifetime you are very fortunate. Facebook friends are simply people who are interested in what’s going on in your life. They can learn this by turning on the computer. The majority of them could really care less about you. Meeting a “friend” over a meal or going to the movies with someone you really care about is much more rewarding than sitting in front of a computer and checking out their latest Facebook post. We need to live more in the moment and stop obsessing over Facebook and Instagram.
The last solution is to send greeting cards to friends and families on special occasions. People can also write letters to friends and family to help connect with them emotionally. Writing letters and notes incorporates hand writing skills, organizational skills, and helps you to learn more about the person or people that you are connecting with. This will also help you sharpen your written communication skills.
Technology is not all corrupt. There are some good aspects of technology that many people will agree on. On a daily basis, both businesses and individuals use technology. We cannot deny, technology has become part of our lives. At least every one of us has to use it, either for communication, education, health purposes, job creation, and travel or business growth.
Some see our dependence on technology as a weakness. We drive when we should walk. We ask the computer instead of working the problem out ourselves. We use spell checkers and calculators rather than learning to spell properly and add accurately. Should a day come when these technologies were not available, we would be bewildered and helpless.
In conclusion, we realize that technology is a wonderful tool. However, it should not be the only way that we can stay connected and communicate with each other. After all, we are human beings, we are not computers. Nothing can replace hearing the voice of a loved one, getting a hug or kiss from that special person, or receiving a beautiful card or note of encouragement. We should never want to lose the human touch.
Sheetal Tadiparty
Flickr Creative Commons
