If it wasn't for Thomas Edison we would still be reading under candle light, and if it wasn't for Steve Jobs' vision, we wouldn't have the iPhone today. Technology has given us all the great things that surround us, all those things that make our lives not only easier, but more enjoyable. But I also think that technology has taken over the world, in a sense. We have this idea that technology has all the answers, we rely so much on it, as to almost not only expecting to do everything for us, but to an extent feel for us. But what happened to human interaction? What happened to calling people and talking, listening to someone else's voice, listening to the way things are said, their tone of voice, their mood. We have gotten so caught up in smiley faces on text messages, that we feel we know people after 5 minutes, or 5 texts, after meeting them. What happened to building relationships based on people's characters and personalities, and not so much on their profile pictures, Facebook updates and latest Tweets?
I feel we now live in a world where the current generation has an obsession with sharing everything with the world, to see how many "Likes" they can get on their status updates. Whatever happened to talking to friends, spending time with those people who mean something in your life, those who you consider family. So many people feel as if they can live their lives through technology with no, or little, need for human interaction. I remember growing up, not that long ago by the way, when we talked to girls in middle school and your personality actually meant something, you got nervous and stuttered, didn't know what to say. Nowadays it seems that the youth of the world has forgotten how to look up, since their heads are always staring down at the phone, or at the ground. Everyone seems to hide behind text messages, and Facebook, that I feel we are loosing human empathy, the ability to feel something for someone else, someone who is in front of you. Look around you at these kids and you'll see what I'm talking about. What ever happened to actually feeling something because you talked to someone, because you felt a connection with someone; someone who looks at you in the eyes and talks to you. Why do we pay so much attention to the smiley faces on our texts? Why are we always feeling the need to update our Facebook status and tell the world all the great things happening? Haven't you noticed that Facebook is only filled with happy relationships and marriages? I honestly, from the bottom of my heart, wish to all of my friends out there, that your relationships are as good as Facebook makes them out to be.
Why do we do things, with technology, that we feel as if we need to hide them? Technology has given us a great way of life, an easier way of life as I said earlier. But we have forgotten the maybe unintended and sometimes undesirable consequences that come with this gift. With smart phones now everywhere, even in the hands of eight year-olds, it is so easy to conceal things, do things that we know are wrong, but we also know we can't get caught doing, that we feel almost invincible, untouchable; it gives us a rush, a feeling of excitement. I feel we have gotten to a point where some are almost using all the right technology for all the wrong reasons. We need to go back to a world where personal interactions are the norm, where we call rather than text, where we put more emphasis on human connections rather than convenience. I know we have to adapt to technology because it is what's around us, but sometimes life is much more than what makes sense on paper. Just because we have it available to us, doesn't mean we have to replace human emotions with it. We need to use technology for what it is and not let it take over us. It can't feel for you and it can't convey your feelings to others, no matter how many smiley faces and LOL's you use. Talk to the people who really matter to you, and I mean actually talk to them. I know I am really bad at that and should do it more often. I am guilty of all the things that I've rant about here, but I have realized that technology can really hurt people and relationships. Humans have the ability to feel, to hurt, to cry and to laugh, machines don't. Pay attention to what really matters and you'll realize that your iPhone, iPad, Facebook and so on, mean nothing when compared to the sound of the voices of the ones you love.
Why do we do things, with technology, that we feel as if we need to hide them? Technology has given us a great way of life, an easier way of life as I said earlier. But we have forgotten the maybe unintended and sometimes undesirable consequences that come with this gift. With smart phones now everywhere, even in the hands of eight year-olds, it is so easy to conceal things, do things that we know are wrong, but we also know we can't get caught doing, that we feel almost invincible, untouchable; it gives us a rush, a feeling of excitement. I feel we have gotten to a point where some are almost using all the right technology for all the wrong reasons. We need to go back to a world where personal interactions are the norm, where we call rather than text, where we put more emphasis on human connections rather than convenience. I know we have to adapt to technology because it is what's around us, but sometimes life is much more than what makes sense on paper. Just because we have it available to us, doesn't mean we have to replace human emotions with it. We need to use technology for what it is and not let it take over us. It can't feel for you and it can't convey your feelings to others, no matter how many smiley faces and LOL's you use. Talk to the people who really matter to you, and I mean actually talk to them. I know I am really bad at that and should do it more often. I am guilty of all the things that I've rant about here, but I have realized that technology can really hurt people and relationships. Humans have the ability to feel, to hurt, to cry and to laugh, machines don't. Pay attention to what really matters and you'll realize that your iPhone, iPad, Facebook and so on, mean nothing when compared to the sound of the voices of the ones you love.
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