New Technology, New Addiction

One of the main motivating factors for technology to keep evolving is the need and desire for shortcuts. There is no doubt that shortcuts now exist for anything and everything. Ironically, it looks as if these shortcuts are not saving anyone any time. People seem to be more rushed and stressed out than ever before. The world is now filled with a constantly increasing number of individuals proven to be addicted to technology. The symptoms include increased laziness, higher expectations and causes the affected individual to be extremely vulnerable to distractions. The rule of thumb for the human species is to adapt to its surrounding environments. This includes taking advantage of the useful aspects and being capable of rejecting the useless ones. 

Do you know anyone who does not own a cellphone? Me neither. Some sleep with their cellphones on their pillows next to them, some bring them into the washroom while they shower, others even wear a bluetooth device on their ear throughout the day. What used to be a privilege is now considered a necessity. The fact of being accompanied by a cellphone at all hours of the day is not the worst part. The fact that it is now commonly accepted to answer a text message or a phone call at the dinner table or while in a conversation is what makes the whole electronics situation unbearable. 

Now, it is time to move the spotlight towards remote controls. It is nothing new for people to walk around the room and search for the remote rather then simply walking over to the television and changing the channel, but, remote controls have been invented for sound systems, lights, microwaves and even the blinds in the living room. Does that last sentence sound ridiculous or is it just me? Walking has become a sport for those who have sunk too deep into the new world of electronics. 

Realistically, everyone is guilty of committing at least one of these crimes. Nonetheless, the dependence to these electronic devices is saddening and likely to be the biggest downside of technology’s constant evolution. On a personal note, I believe it is important to balance the traditional ways of doing things while incorporating the truly useful new ones. Consider this a call to action: turn off your phone at the dinner table!