We've all heard it before ... the incessant orders to "put down your phone" or the constant question of "why are you so addicted to that thing?"
Nowadays, technology is almost essential to everyday life. It is out of the ordinary for someone not to own a smart phone, and to not have Internet access everywhere they step. It isn't unusual to feel the odd twinge of emptiness when you forget your phone at home, or can't have it in your hand at any minute of the day. Or even when you get your phone taken away in the awkward middle school years for saying something smart to your parents ... the feeling of constant desire just to hold that little piece of technology.
Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook ... we can't help but check them a million times while conversing with others over lunch or hanging out with our family downstairs in the T.V. room. It's almost human nature to take a minute to see what everyone else is up to, and to block out our world for just a quick second. Having the latest craze of an app is an important aspect too, and making sure that you check your new notification seems to take priority any second.
Although these are negative portrayals of how technology is seemingly running our world, I believe that technology might not be so bad after all.
Sure, looking at our phones and constantly having our head down in another reality isn't always the best, but the overall thought behind it is.
I don't know about you, but I use social media and technology to connect. I connect with my close friends, the family members that live far away, and different people that I would've never had the chance to talk to if technology wasn't present.
Social media allows us to see what our friends are doing when we can't see them, what our family members are up to and who had another baby, and the events worth talking about in our world. It provides us with knowledge, laughter, hope, and maybe even a few smiles. We can like, retweet, reply, share, and spread our thoughts with others, and create a tight-knit community with the people we love most.
In the modern world, social media and technology can often get a bad rap for the addiction that comes with it. People criticize it, which is understandable, but in reality our world would be extremely different without technology. We are constantly advancing how we can connect with people, and in a few years, our world will be changed once again.
In my opinion, we should take advantage of our advanced connection with technology. We should use it to the best of our abilities, but not in an excessive way. Put your phone down when you are with your family and friends, but take pictures of the moments that mean most. Look up from Twitter when you're walking along the street, but post about beautiful things as you pass them. Appreciate seeing your loved ones in person, but treasure their picture on your screen.
