What has this generation come down to? Honestly speaking, this young generation obsessed with iPhones, iPads, their computers, their phones, game systems, etc., is turning into a group of robots. Although it is hard to fathom, the Internet itself was raw, unpeeled, undiscovered about 10 years ago. It was a luxury that made it so unattainable and desired. Now? Having access to the Internet is not something that is astonishing as it has become to be a necessity in life. That's all fine and dandy to me, the Internet is a great advancement for our world and our society. The Internet has made life easier for the majority of us who are in sync with what is happening with the technology these days.
Now to the matter of the use of electronic devices. The time that we spend on them bother me just a little. Why? These devices are good for talking to people who are not next to you, researching, etc. However, that's the real issue with these devices. These electronic devices are taking away our human qualities of speaking, interacting, and using our body language to express what we mean. Now that we can talk to each other online, it has allowed some people to rely on the fact that they can "express themselves" on the computer and not in person thus allowing them to say things that they usually wouldn't in the real world. Cyber bullying is one of the extreme cases of this. Some of the mean, hurtful things that you wouldn't say to the person face to face, you have the opportunity to do so online. The question is, why do we choose the electronic route to hurt each other? The answer is simple: we cannot see the other person's true facial, body reaction to the criticism and cutting words. All we see is the black and white letters on the screen that rarely mean anything to us on a deeper level rather than pixels coordinated to show words and paragraphs.
Next, a detrimental factor of electronic devices is the fact that they are portable with information in them that we have access to at a mere touch of our fingers. This leisure allows people to believe that they don't have to think for themselves as the machine will think for them. Therefore, after learning something new, we tend to forget. Why? The device can easily find it for us again whenever we want to know again. This is causing problems worldwide. For instance, recently, studies have shown that children's capability to think for themselves and generate their own imagination is decreasing as the machine does all of this for them at a mere, short command.
This essay/article is not trying to put down the technological advances that our great world is experiencing, I am merely saying that the way we use these luxuries should be moderated. "Everything is good in moderation." Humans must still interact with each other and think for themselves, this is what separates us from the robotic machine sitting in front of you.
I agree. I once went to a crowded Costco and found a cart filled with children from ages 3-6. You would think that their parents are taking care of them but no, it's the iPads and iPhones thats really just babysitting the kids. My father once told me you can do two things with a knife, Save someones life, or end one. Same thing applies with technology. Use to you advantage but don't let it take over you. You might not go back.
ReplyDeleteSadly, both options of using a knife will lead to ending one's life. You might save someone but only for the cost of another's life.
DeleteOh that's true. I see many young kids carrying around their own iPhones, etc. although I see no real reason why they would find a need in that besides playing mindless games. I like that point you made about the iPads and iPhones "babysitting" the kids. These devices are pulling some relationships apart. Good analogy with the knife, by the way.
ReplyDeleteIgnoring your last contention we have to know that no technology is bad. Cross supply pacemakers and the mechanisms of medicaid. Look now you wrote this off a technological source. RFD: 1/5 people in the world use 3/5 of the developed countries use technologically. Also cross supply the fact that technology creates jobs. WE have to look at it in different generations
ReplyDeleteI never said that technology itself was bad. I merely said that the way some of the teenagers use technology is detrimental to them. Of course it creates jobs and it has many positive sides to it, I was pointing out the point that some of the people in the young generations misuse it. Also, I do not have a contention with technology as I am actually using my computer to write this right now. Another way to put it is saying "guns are not bad, the way that people are using it to kill people is bad."
ReplyDeleteSo you're saying that people are bad?
ReplyDeleteWell in some ways, yes, but not as drastically as you may think. It depends on how you may have interpreted what I said. I don't believe that all people are bad at the core, something must have influenced them or affected them in order to do the things that they did. Some people are, yes, mean, but I am not saying that all people are bad as your question seems to be asking. They simply make incorrect choices that could permanently alter the person's life or someone else's.
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ReplyDeleteThat part about altering someone's life or your own pertains to that gun quote I used above in the comment before the previous. However, what I said could be used in the context of scenarios such as Internet bullying as well.
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