Technology: Bringing us Together, Keeping us Apart
February 3, 2017
Irony can be seen in almost everything, from a traffic cop getting a ticket, to a teacher being educated by a student, but the most prevalent case of irony can be seen in today’s society and its use of technology. Computers, smartphones, gaming systems, and other devices are all supposed to connect us to the world and help us communicate with other people, right? Then why are they doing the polar opposite and keeping people secluded from one another? We are a species based on social interactions, but as technology advances, we are stepping on the gas pedal that will drive us into isolation.
The addiction that smartphones bring upon us is uncanny and is something that has never been seen before. It is terrifying to even consider that a person without their “beloved” phone can induce a response reminiscent to a drug addict suffering from withdrawal. When someone loses or breaks their phone, they turn AWOL and it’s petrifying to visualize such an extreme reaction to something that should have so little importance. Technology has truly become a drug, yet the only difference is we blindly allow it to harass our culture and society letting it deal all the damage it wants. While this issue can be considered global, it is at its peak absurdity and frequency throughout the U.S. It is heartbreaking to know that some 8-year-olds, or even younger kids in the U.S, have become more dependent on their phones compared to the adults.
Only a decade ago, the issue wasn’t nearly at the extreme it is now, and if it only takes ten years for such a change to occur, we are in for a rollercoaster for our future.
Although time is said to heal many things, this conflict will only continue to worsen unless we do something about it. It’s exhausting going out into public only to see people more tuned into a virtual world than with reality. We are all apart of the problem. Will we continue this trend of letting technology intrude our private and social boundaries, or will society push back and turn the power button off.