If you really think about it, the advancements humanity has made in technology are, for a lack of a better term, astonishing. Can you imagine going back in time and telling Thomas Edison that in the future, we’ll be able to video chat, 3D print things, post and share anything online, and do open heart surgeries with machines? With a furrowed brow and an expression of utter confusion, he would have thought you were insane. Nevertheless, here we are, at the end of 2016, with all of those advancements and more. Sure, the further progression of technology is a beautiful thing and will without a doubt lead to more connections, discoveries, cures, and inventions. But what happens if we become consumed by technology? In a way, we already are.
When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you do? Most likely, you roll over to turn off the alarm on your iPhone and proceed to check your text messages and social media accounts. Throughout the day, your phone is glued to your hip, and with every second of free time, or even the slightest sensation of boredom, you are instantly scrolling through social media or playing some sort of game on your phone. It is not something to necessarily feel bad about because it is something that so many people are guilty of. Contrary to some peoples’ beliefs, it’s not just millennials forming an addiction to technology. It is everyone, ranging from toddlers playing games on their parent’s phones, to grandparents scrolling through their Facebook account, which is exactly why it is such an issue.
It’s strange to try and remember back to exactly when society got to this point, the point where we started losing touch with reality. Instead of becoming one with ourselves, we have become one with our phones; where we feel inclined to post a new, witty tweet every day and where we get upset if we don’t receive enough “likes” on a selfie we spent hours editing. We can’t even wait a few hours in class, in a meeting, or at a restaurant with family, without being on our phones. Even though technology and social media were intended to connect and advance mankind, it has been slowly tearing us down, destroying any sort of individuality, personality and character we once obtained.
With the rise of social media, we have lost the ability to speak courteously to others. No longer are sincere complements a fad, even when we comment on our friend’s pictures. Instead of writing something that will actually make a person feel good, we have degenerated to “fire emojis,” “heart-eyes,” and “wow can I be you?” We thrive on the fact that we can hide behind a screen and say whatever we please, even though we wouldn’t dare mumble the words in person. We hate on girls for not having their eyebrows on “fleek,” and we mock guys with baby faces and scrawny arms. Some people don’t even have the bravery to ask for a guy or gal’s number they are attracted to in person. Instead, they go home and literally stalk every social media account that person owns and randomly “like” old pictures. Social media is in a way mentoring the fact that we don’t need independence and security in ourselves, we don’t need social skills or etiquette towards others because we can rely on social media for that, right?
It seems that even our morals and goals are slowly depleting and we lack the ability to decipher between right and wrong. We believe everything we see to be true and get into dramatic feuds online with people for simply having different viewpoints. We laugh at videos of people getting cheated on (when did being unfaithful become a joke?), and our “goal” is to have the same relationship as a couple holding hands and walking together (is that really a goal?). Since when did people like Kim Kardashian become idols, simply for having good looks and a superficial lifestyle? Why do people praise rappers for talking about drugs, sex, and money? We degrade ourselves with revealing pictures and disregard our dignity for the benefit of being accepted. No longer do we commend those who are original and are doing what makes them sincerely happy in life. Instead, we strive to fit in with the standards risen by our own society, standards that restrict us to a specific set of guidelines and qualities.
We have formed the belief that everything we do must impress and be agreeable to everyone else. If we go to the beach with our friends, we are probably more worried about posting a picture of ourselves in a swimsuit than really enjoying the moment. At concerts, we spend more time looking at our screen videoing the show than seeing it live, right in front of us. It seems that even our pastime activities and hobbies are formed around whether or not it will be accepted on social media. Does that girl actually like drinking coffee and writing poems, or is she posting it in the hopes of gaining attention and likes from others? We forget that there is so much more to life than constantly being attached to a mobile device, and there is so much more to live for than acceptance. There is most likely no single person or thing that holds our eyesight more often than some type of screen. How sad is that?
Don’t for a second think that I do not appreciate our society and the technology we possess because I do; obviously, I’m using a computer to write this right now. What I really want is to slow down for a moment. While everything is constantly rushing and changing around us, I want to take a second and take everything in. We need to disconnect from social media once in a while and reflect on ourselves as human beings. I can’t sincerely think of a time where I went on social media and thought, “wow, that was really important. I really got something out of that.” Instead, after hours of scrolling, I end up feeling annoyed at something I didn’t like and overall not impacted in a positive way. That’s because we can’t gain happiness, knowledge, and experiences from staring at a screen; these things are obtained by getting out in the world and doing it for ourselves. If we don’t recognize that technological devices are gradually crushing our ability to really experience what this world has to offer, we will eventually become numb to everything around us. And just as quickly as our phone battery dies, so does humanity.
