Reign of technology
Technology rules our lives
![Technology usage has become increasingly prominent in our society in recent years.](https://shsthechampionsjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/phone.jpg)
Technology usage has become increasingly prominent in our society in recent years.
January 30, 2017
In a world where we’ve all sold our souls, social lives, and self-image to the god of
technology, it’s becoming harder and harder to escape its grasp. We are swiping,
clicking, and flicking before we’ve wiped the sleep from our eyes, and we fall asleep
illuminated by a glowing screen. It’s no surprise, therefore, that technology has creeped
up even in the most basic aspects of our lives. However, the question arises: Is
technology becoming our crutch?
Millennial children are raised on Wi-Fi, tablets, and smartphones, resulting in a significant
dependence on technology. But it’s not just children or even teenagers who are relying
on the internet; in fact, studies show that six in ten people above the age of 65 go
online.
Technology is taking over, and humanity is lapping it up. We start squirming if we don’t
have something that requires a battery within grasping distance, we leave the television
on for background noise, and we document every second of our lives on social media. .
Of course, technological advances has always existed and humans have always
adapted to it – if we didn’t, we’d still be using typewriters or driving buggies. There
comes a point, however, when the line is crossed and technology plays too big a role in
our lives. We need to unplug, relearn what independence is and demand back our lives
from technology.
Social media is the staple to many of our lives – Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook
reflect more about us than our personalities do. And yet, while we’re snapping, tweeting,
and liking, we often ignore the actual faces around us. Worst of all, despite the
stereotypes of “the youth of today” studies show that the older generation (35-49 years
old) spend up to seven hours a week on social media, and entire hour more than 18-34
year-olds.
Even more disturbing, social media is slowly stealing our mental health. Sleep loss,
social anxiety, and an addiction to the approval of our peers (or even worse: strangers)
are all a byproduct of society’s kryptonite. You have to respond to a text now lest you
injure the feelings of a friend. You have to take and send this video now before the
moment passes. You have to post a selfie now because your account has been inactive
for 24 hours!
Another aspect technology has robbed us of is the satisfaction of discovery. If you have
a question, you google it. Gone are the days of science magazines, dictionaries, and
encyclopedias. Swept aside is the finely attuned skills of researching, the act of sifting
through armfuls of books until you emerge, victorious with the long-searched-for
information in hand.
Additionally, it pays to remember that Google is not the all-knowing, factual source we
accept it as. Anyone could publish anything, anywhere, on the internet right now.
Opinions, complaints, lies, it’s all fair game on the open page of the internet. When we
have a question, we tap a few keys and within four seconds we have 908,000 results.
We watch how-to videos on YouTube, stream live shows through Netflix, and order
overnight shipping through Amazon. No wonder our elders are constantly telling us we
don’t know the value of hard work – everything is at our fingertips.
Technology has also become a danger – besides the obvious landmines such as
cyberbullying, internet-date rapes, and identity theft, technology has become a
distraction. Despite being aware of the danger, 660, 000 people still opt to use their cell
phones while behind the wheel, resulting in 1.6 million crashes a year. In fact, studies
show that you are six times more likely to crash while distracted by your phone than
when you are drunk.
Car crashes are not the only dangers technology offers. Focusing on your phone often
leads to an obliviousness to your surroundings – best-case-scenario you walk into a
lamppost. However, the repercussions of distraction are often much more nefarious.
From walking into traffic while jamming to your headphones to being cornered in an
alley while your eyes were glued to the screen, danger springs from everywhere when
your brain is otherwise occupied.
Of course, it is impossible to discredit the advantages of technology. Medicine, space
travel, education, in fact every aspect of society, relies on the advancement of
technology. Critics argue that there is no way for the human race to go but forward. We
rely on technology for existence, and for the most part, the results are positive.
Technology is helping us discover more about the world every day.
However, we must draw the line. A cell phone is not a necessity for survival. Wi-Fi is not
a basic right. You will not spontaneously combust if your every move remains
undocumented. Technology should not be the basis of our lives and it is not necessary
to glue society together. The examples set by our elders isn’t encouraging teenagers to
put down the electronics and peer pressure is a constant weight on the backs of every
school student. Therefore we must each take stance – close the screen and live in the
now. Technology and its dangers are going nowhere.