The good and bad of modern technology

Centuries ago, if a woman had visited a town hall and announced that kept in the convenience of her pocket is a contraption that could store thousands of songs, send messages to the most distant of people, and gain access to information at any given time, this woman would have most likely been burned on a stake for having been accused of being a witch. Today, things have changed. Humanity over the centuries has been able to develop and modernize technology, or in other words, develop devices derived from scientific knowledge which are able to enhance and simplify the process of meeting our needs.

Basic physiological needs such as food, water, and sleep are aided by efficient and effective machinery such as trucks that transport our food or water filters that keep water clean and safe. As we progress to more advanced needs, we see that communication falls under one of these as man is a social creature. Global communication networks address these, thus a world where it is incredibly easy to be in contact with someone of great distance only in a matter of seconds through e-mail, text, instant messaging, or phone call is created.

However, a problem emerges in such a society. It has come to the point where technology does not only change the efficiency of how people do things, but it also changes who they are. People have become addicted to cyber romance, changing their ideals by destroying the intimacy of face to face interaction that is the foundation and basis of any meaningful relationship while replacing it with vague and artificial bits of information from another person, thus human interaction has become less authentic.

Communications technology has connected the world through a simple, fast, and efficient manner of exchanging information; unfortunately it has made human interaction less intimate, less personal, and ultimately superficial in nature. In the fast paced environment people live in today, time has become an incredibly valuable resource. Society has pressured human beings into achieving and accomplishing individual tasks and requirements in a limited span of time. People therefore run into the dilemma of finding it difficult to manage their social life as it has become more demanding and complex.

Suddenly, technology swoops in to save the day with the advent of the online social network. Facebook is a magnificent phenomenon that was formed due to the creation of the World Wide Web. Adding and staying connected to friends has become remarkably easy nowadays as most if not all people are in possession of a Facebook account. It allows its users to establish and build upon personal profiles that contain their own photos, videos, preferences, and individual information. All of which can be viewed by others where they can comment on an occasional status update, explore a friend’s liked page, or simply write on his or her wall.

Facebook has become a wonderful place to keep in touch with new friends, and at the same time, help in finding old ones. Being able to discover and reconnect with old friends through a search engine has become a noteworthy aspect of Facebook. It has turned the often long, onerous, and frustrating process of locating a long lost friend into one that can be accomplished in a mere matter of minutes. Millions of people worldwide are able to rebind past relationships whether it be with friends, colleagues, or separated family members. One should not be taken aloof by such progress as when innovation comes disparity.

It is true that individuals are becoming more than ever connected in the massive world they live in nowadays, but people don’t realize is that they are actually becoming more lonely as time progresses. Individuals start to become incredibly insecure with themselves in times where they are alone. They cover up this insecurity by engaging in the world of communications technology. It is not absurd to see a bus stop or an internet cafe full of people texting, using their smartphones to access Facebook, or calling another person, because they do feel the anxiety of insecurity creep onto their social beings.

People are starting to use their friends, acquaintances, and family as mere tools in order to fill the void of their insecurity. They start to sacrifice the value of conversation for mere connection. What has become of the world of Facebook that people perceive to be admirable, fresh, and convenient at all times? Has it not become a place where people are able to edit themselves in conversations with others, finding the best way to present a message, choosing the precise and accurate amount of words to turn him or her into a sophisticated sounding individual?

The pictures and photos that one uses to capture his or her most notable moments in life has turned into something of which he or she can brag and show onto others. This further encapsulates the ideology of sharing, not just because one had an experience, but because one needs to have an experience to show onto others. Individuals have turned into beings who would like to present themselves onto others in the very best way. They have in fact become intimate with themselves instead of others.

References

http://www. lexiophiles. com/english/the-influence-of-modern-technology-on-society-good-or-bad

http://www. studymode. com/essays/Evaluation-Essay-Of-Facebook-454118. html

https://www. theatlantic. com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/