Are human beings increasingly becoming slaves to technology and social media? Answering this question can be a tad challenging since there cannot be any one definitive answer to the same. Technology has enhanced our lives at many different levels. It has uplifted the quality of lives and made formerly difficult-to-access things more accessible to us. Today, we can sit inside our homes and order our favorite cosmetics and medications alike from halfway across the world. We can help those who need it the most, make financial contributions through our smartphones and help children gain access to education or save their lives all the same.
We can download tens and thousands of books on our Kindle and read them while we are on the go or play on Florida’s best casinos at Slotsformoney.com from the comfort of our homes. From Artificial Intelligence that makes our jobs easier to healthcare technology that makes diagnoses of various afflictions like a cakewalk, we have more than just one thing to celebrate technology for and be ever thankful for it.
Now speaking of social media, which is arguably one of the best boons of technology, there are several things that we need to consider. Social media platforms are a way to stay connected to people with whom we have no other way of keeping our connections alive. Our busy lives have made it increasingly difficult for us to meet people on the weekends or make a long call to our relative on the other end of the planet. And this is where social media has filled in. With these platforms at our disposal, we can easily receive updates about all that is happening with our friends and family. Eventually, as technology evolved, businesses started making use of these platforms to scale their brand and reach out to their target audience.
Thus, social media platforms started doing more than just connect friends or act as a catalyst to foster new relationships.
However, this dependence on technology and social media platforms begs the question that we raised at the beginning of the article. Has technology transformed us into its slaves, even without us being aware of the same? And in order to answer this question, we shall analyze a few aspects throughout the length and breadth of this article.
Smartphones, Smart Homes and Obtuse Personalities?
Our homes are equipped with the smartest technology that there ever was. We have lights that can be controlled by our voice and machines that serve us orange juice without pulp first thing in the morning. Our cars have become smarter as they guide us through the impediments that lie ahead of us and help make us better drivers, while our smartphones are filled with smart apps that help us with our work at our 9 to 5. We finish most of our work on the commute on our mobile phones because our smartphones are intelligent enough. These are just a few instances of how technology has penetrated our lives. Of course, there are more complicated and nuanced innovations that we cannot help but be thankful for.
However, as we keep using these boons to get through each day, we compromise our ability to make decisions on our own, make some basic calculations or make a cup of coffee for ourselves. Constant use of technology has wired our brains in a way that we can now no longer assert our independence from it. Our entire world crashes when the internet is down for just an hour, and our anxiety goes off the charts when we are unable to connect to our boss over Skype. Therefore, technology, much as it has improved our quality of lives, has also made us increasingly dependent on it.
Connectivity On Social Media Has Isolated Us from the World:
Social media has helped us stay connected with our friends and family but at the cost of losing our sanity. Dinner tables now witness people constantly plugged into the virtual world as real-life conversations diminish by the hour. The only way we feel our vacation or a reunion is successful is when we post Instagrammable pictures and receive enough validation. Though this might be quite fun, and most of us would find ourselves guilty of the same, what it does is take a lot away from the moment and make our existence all about social media validation.
We find ourselves isolated from the real world, and our mental health starts coming apart at the seams. This is perhaps one of the worst impacts that technology and social media has had on our lives. Losing touch with ourselves and the world at the cost of receiving updates and validation on Instagram and Facebook is no healthy way of living.
But, It Is Not All Bad:
So what do we do to pull ourselves out of this obsession and free ourselves from being slaves to technology? Do we cancel technology and social media in their entirety, or is there a smarter way to live our lives? The answer to this, and no points for guessing it right, is the latter. Technology has become an indispensable part of our lives. Therefore, it would be puerile to assume that we can get through one day without needing it. From the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we are enveloped by technological innovations of sorts and shall continue to be so.
Businesses, noble efforts in making a change in people’s lives, healthcare and progress in education shall all cease without the aid of technology. Therefore, what would be ideal is to be aware of our usage and consumption of technology. It is crucial that we realize that posting that gorgeous photo of the sunset can wait and dinner table conversation are more important than going live on Instagram. The minute we understand that we can function well without that coffee machine or smart car is the minute we win this battle and free ourselves from the slavery we willingly bought into.