Is
it any wonder that we accomplish anything in our lives with all the modern
tools we have at our disposal --- namely modern technology? Inasmuch as these devices are made with the
intention of helping us to accomplish more and doing so at a faster rate, they
are also an elaborate distraction that interferes with our lives in more ways
than one.
Take
for instance the television. Now we have
all, at one time or other, enjoyed a program, a movie, a sporting event or the
news. That aspect, in and of itself, is
not a bad thing as we should all enjoy having a form of entertainment in our
lives. For those who have small
children, the television is an ideal or close to ideal babysitter. Many a mother would not get anything accomplished
if it weren’t for the kids being distracted by the children’s programs.
However, there a many mothers and fathers
whose lives are wrapped around the t.v. schedule. They develop an addiction to the soap operas
or reality shows and seem to not be able to function if they should, God
forbid, miss an episode of their favorite sitcom. There are many who not only spend their days
watching the soaps but then spend countless minutes rehashing the programs with
their friends as if they were discussing the neighbors next door. While all
this is going on, they are idle. In
other words, they fritter away their hours and let everything else pile up to
another time, which usually results in the next phase --- complaining about all
that has to be done around the house.
But
compared to the other technological advances, the television is now a rung
lower on the ladder of technological addictions. The computer has since replaced the
television and has easily become the dominant delinquent in stealing people’s time. It is also widely responsible for making a
good part of society antisocial. As if
that isn’t bad enough, cell phones, i-pads and other mobile devices are vying
to be the top dog for consuming people’s money and time; just observe teens in
our midst. Instead of using the phones
to talk to friends, they use them to text or play games. They could care less about what’s going on
around them. Live interactive skills
among young people has deteriorated dramatically with all the advancements, yet
modern science and big business keeps pressing forward with new devices to
capture the attention of the populace.
These
new gadgets are being produced at such a rate that before a person can master
the one device, a new one is already making headlines and grabbing at people’s
hard earned money. They are pricey to
say the least. Peer pressure has also
reached new heights because it not only affects the young, but adults as
well. It is the new “keeping up with the
Jones’s” attitude. Internet services, telephone companies and computer software
developers are behind this new way of thinking.
They promote and promulgate situations that inundate people’s lives to
the point where they have to have what the neighbors have or better and,
because kids are so up on the new wave of technology, they are the ones parents
are turning to when advice or help is needed in purchasing or operating the new
merchandise.
In
spite of the modern technological revolution and the resulting societal
evolution, the human race can no longer live without them. Man has, for better or worse, created a sense
of latent independent dependency, meaning that each individual or segment of
society has separated themselves from the rest of society while at the same
time being very connected to them because of the need to extract the necessary
information or goods to survive or satisfy a need, most all of it accomplished
without personal interaction.
It
is a world of instantaneous connection while at the same time only connecting
to information floating around on air waves and radio signals. It is a digitalized complexity of which
cannot be extricated from nor severed because life as it is now known and
accepted would come to an abrupt halt. Without
being able to type in a question, many people would lack the necessary skills
to approach another person, especially from a different age group, to ask a
question and would only get frustrated at the lack of speed and information
another person could disseminate. If this seems absurd, try calling a place of
business and note the number of machine choices you have to go through before
you can speak to a live person, if at all.
Modern technology --- you have to love it ---- what else is there! Chelle Munroe© Sept.
10, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment