Technology is the drug of modern society and all of us have become addicts. Just as drugs harm the addict long-term, and provide them with temporary satisfaction and relief, technology does the same for the technology addict — otherwise known as all of us. At one point or another, each of us has come face-to-face with succumbing to the intriguing allure of technology. One episode of your favorite series leads to binge watching the entirety of the season as the work you need to complete remains untouched on your desk.
While you may feel as though your technology is simply an extension of yourself, there comes a time when you have to take a step back and ponder the possibility that you have become an extension of your technology.
A common argument against the ideology that technology runs our lives is that an individual has the choice of whether they use technology or not and how much of their day they spend using technology. However, when technology usage is the conversation at hand, it's much easier said than done. With constant technological reminders around us, it's extremely hard to evade technology's grasp as we go through our day to day lives. While someone may have made a vow to use their phone less, one trip on public transportation may lead to a slow reach for their cell phone as they witness every individual around them using their phones as well. Where are you supposed to look? What are you supposed to do with your hands? Do you stand out because you're the only one not using your phone? All of these anxieties and questions have become a part of our mindsets because of technologies direct impact on our lives both consciously and subconsciously.
We live in a society that is driven by technology. If you aren't familiar with modern technology, it's hard to keep your head above water financially, socially, and mentally. It is the driving force in the business world, the social world, and our own introspective worlds. Since all facets of our life are correlated with technology in some shape or form, evading its grasp has become nearly impossible. With that in mind, finding ways to educate oneself on technology's continued impact and potential detriments is a key way to slowly loosen its hold on us. The show "Black Mirror" provides a deep look into the potential negative impact's technology could have on our future society if this common mindless consumption continues on the path it's on. The exploration of ethics in relation to technology is the method "Black Mirror" takes to bring awareness to the dangers of technology as well make the viewer take a second to truly think about the impact our devices have and continue to have on our lives.
With technology surrounding us in every facet of our lives, it's seems near impossible to escape the clenching grip of technology. Despite this, educating our selves on the impact technology has on both society and on us, whether we may be aware of it or not, is a good start to loosening the grasp technology has on us. With shows like "Black Mirror" to warn us and educate us on the possible detriments of technology, it becomes that much easier to recognize the problem and figure out how to avoid becoming an extension of your technology. Technology should always be an extension of us, otherwise, the sci-fi movies of robots taking over the world may not be a farce tail, but instead a future reality.
