Can you imagine a world without iPhones? Without the internet? Without cell phones? Or what about a world without electricity? Luckily, we will never have to worry about any of the above, as our society today is immersed with technology that our grandparents, or even parents, could have never even dreamed of. This innovative, technological world we live in has provided our generation with limitless opportunities. But the further into it we get, the more I can see that it's both a blessing and a curse.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to sound like a total grandma. I love my social media, my Macbook Pro, and most days I feel like I couldn't live without my iPhone. But that's exactly my point. Our lives have become so caught up in the fast-paced, access to everything at our fingertips life that sometimes we forget to slow down and take it all in. All I'm saying is If you're more excited to go somewhere just so you can post a picture on Instagram, that may be the problem. We forget to live in the moment and cherish it for what it is.
Relationships
Technology has also affected relationships all the way around. It is easier than ever to meet people online and instantly connect. You can meet people from all over the world, and that's so amazing. You can connect with celebrities, long-lost friends, old high school teachers, etc. at the click of a button. But the downside to this is the decline of personal interaction technology has created. It is not an uncommon thing to walk into a restaurant and see a couple on a date, both with their smartphones in hand and more focused on that than each other. Holidays with family has turned into checking your feeds to see what everyone else is doing. Instead of cherishing time with one another, we are more concerned with the virtual lives of others. This affects friendships, marriages, and family relationships.
Safety
Having phones glued to our hands has contributed to a good many safety issues. My main concern is that my 15-year-old brother or 16-year-old cousins do not pay attention to their surrounds, like at all. I am probably overly-cautious, but knowing where I am and how I got there is a must for me. I walk around both sides of my car before getting in, and I lock my doors as soon as I get in. The problem with the teenagers these days is they are much more concerned with their phones. I've even watched people crossing the street without even a glance away from their phones. Not to mention the availability of personal information that is put out there every day for the world to see.
Identity
Having a sense of confidence and of self-worth is so important in life. But with technology, you can basically be whoever you wanna be. Which can be good, but can also be very bad. Too many people are more concerned with who they appear to be on social media than who they are... I mean haven't we all seen the show Catfish? But really, we all know that one person who puts on a complete show for Facebook when we know they are nothing like that in real life. Instead of focusing on who we want to be on social media, we should be focusing on bettering who we really are, as in real life.
I know I probably sound like a grandma, but really I'm just like most people my age. I love my phone, and some days it feels like my life-line. I just also see the negatives of it and am much more appreciative of real things, real people, and real life.
