Technology has come a long way in
such a short time, it is to the point where technology literally rules our
lives on a daily basis. Technology is present when completing homework for
school, using a computer on the job, or as a means for paying for things
literally at any store. It is seldom
that a day does not go by where some form of technology is used. Growing up I
remember a time where technology did not completely rule daily life and during
this time, my imagination was my playground. As a kid I would play make believe
outside, would get lost in a new world while reading a book, or would have fun attempting
to solve a jigsaw puzzle or would build my own Lego city. Times sure have
changed, and nowadays kids are glued to some form of technology and this often
becomes a kids “go to” form of fun. While there are still kids who play on the
playground and have fun “the old fashion way” more often than not kids are
glued to technology. Kids are not the only culprits however; it seems like
everyone is vulnerable. I have seen parents at the park on their phones instead
of watching their kids, two individuals on a date who are both on their phones
as opposed to talking to one another, and see on a daily basis individuals documenting
their lives through some form of social media. Call me old school but I don’t
think this is really necessary to document everyday occurrences or share every
aspect of life with the world. I certainty have shared things in the past,
however I do so pretty seldom.
A couple of weeks ago I left the
house and forgot my phone and decided to leave it because in reality I did not
need it. The day was extremely beautiful and instead of taking a picture to
remember the moment in the future I was able to cherish the moment and
appreciate the moment for what it was. This unfortunately is no longer
occurring and we turn to social media to remember practically anything. Our
lives are defined by how many followers or “friends” we have, or are defined by
how many likes we get. The more friends or likes that are obtained on social
media often define how a person feels about themselves however this does not
need to be the case. While technology
and social media were intended to connect individuals, it has been increasingly
disconnecting us. Individuals never talk anymore, instead they rely on text
messages or a computer to communicate which can often cause confusion in how to
interpret a message. Individuals do not savor a moment, instead as I mentioned
previously they immediately post it on some form of social media. Call me crazy but I think this needs to stop,
in no way am I advocating for eliminating technology and social media, I think
that we need to reduce the amount of time that time that is spent on or with
technology. Call it a technology detox but try to eliminate technology from
daily life in increments such as 30 minutes at a time daily to use this time to
connect to others. A technology detox will help individuals to appreciate the
small things that often get ignored and taken for granted on a daily basis.
While I am very grateful for technology and all that it can do, I do believe
that we are too reliant on it therefore in order for us to better connect with
one another we must first disconnect.
