Technology gives everyone a chance at something new, but it depends on us, the consumers, and how we decide to use it. Either you can use it to gain knowledge or let it make your lazy. Unfortunately, it has made society lazy.

Our conversation isn’t conversation anymore. There are emojis but no emotion. There’s body movement but no body language. We don’t even have to think that far into the conversation before technology starts suggesting what our next thought is. We even depend on it to autocorrect our “misstakes.” But with autocorrect, suggestions, a constant stream of connection and knowledge, is all of this actually helping? Helping to improve us or helping to destroy us? Every possible combination of letters is at our fingertips, literally and figuratively.

This day in age, our children are fighting against low self-esteem and bullies that follow their victims home without ever leaving the comfort of their own home. We hardly see kids running around outside playing pretend or picking up a new hobby. If anything, they are picking up their phones or tablets and instantly becoming glued to their screens.

But what if all this technology is a lot more helpful than what we acknowledge? Technology provides a platform that gives people more of a voice in this world. Now, how we abuse that opportunity is what makes us the (what some call) “wasted generation” or the “self-absorbed, lazy, irresponsible generation.” Using this platform to share our voice helps encourage creativity and personal expression. It gives people the chance to share what they have with a wider and more varied audience and lets us receive instant feedback. It encourages people to collaborate more with other people, people who differ in cultures, languages, religions, everything. It gives new perspectives, giving us new experiences in order to grow. Technology is opening new doors, giving new information, and exposing so many different communities that would have been lost without technology. Technology wasn’t meant to take over but rather meant to be used as a tool; a tool that provides new opportunities every day.

Whether you agree with the concept that technology either helps or hinders society, there’s no denying how revealing it is of the culture that continues to invent new ideas. Maybe before complaining about that “millennial” who’s on his phone, maybe take a second to yourself and picture this: that "annoying millennial" could turn out to be the person who creates the technology that saves your life in the future.