How the rise of technology has halted human interaction
Do you remember the days where you would knock on your friends door when you had to ask them something? The days where you would say ‘I love you’ rather then using an emoji? If there were any issues or problems, you quite simply spoke about things face to face and cleared the air and moved on? So what on earth happened?
Whilst we appreciate the uses and advances of technology in terms of science, medical, engineering, remote working etc, we must also realise that soon, no one will have to physically talk to each other anymore. A bit like the supermarket cashier being replaced by a self scanner. It takes seconds to send messages rather then using your mouth and in this day, we want it now and not later. We are time shy so have less patience.
Children are suffering as they dont have to talk – they can snap chat it, record voice notes on whatsapp, convey messages just with emoji’s and the level of correct English and grammar doesn’t even need to be thought of. Even for examiners marking papers, there was an increased level of abbreviated talk instead of full sentences in actual exams. We just get lazy now, so you either abbreviate or the spell checker does it all for you. It is the rise of the ‘textism’ and education is suffering because of it and ‘text’ talk sometimes leaves teachers baffled when marking paperwork. WDUT?
Children are reading less and less books now; it is reported that only 30% of parents manage to read to their children everyday. It’s now via a talking kindle or an Ipad as parents struggle to find the time to sit for a moment. More children are picking up American twang due to YouTube videos and astonishingly, the number one occupation that children aspire to have is as a YouTuber! Shouldn’t we be pushing the trades that you can do with your hands instead of how you can be a spy ninja, wear a mask and live in a world of make belief? Researchers have also found that four in ten children under 9 own a mobile phone. What is happening? IDK!
Couples spend more time on their phones rather than spending time listening to each other or enjoying each others company. With social media to escape the dullness of every day life, there is more suspicion involved and many more open avenues to cheat, with researchers finding an increase in divorce rates surrounding social media jumping from 2.18% to 4.32%. Phones constantly beeping take us away from family time. We are not disciplined any more. The older generation will look like they are sucking wasps if someone dares reach for their phone whilst at the dinner table and quite rightly so. It is a time to enjoy eachothers company – not to have a dinner table with everyone’s head down.
Life just got far too complicated and busy and stressful and we are less sociable in person yet more ‘sociable’ thanks to social media. There isn’t time for exercise or down time or to switch off when there is a constant beep beep beep beep beep beep beep or you are scrolling through social media reels or tying to keep up with the Jones’. Facebook reportedly has over 1.4 billion daily users which equates to over 950 million hours a day usage. OMG. Imagine those hours spent together in person. We would simply state that we just dont have the time to talk on the phone or meet for that coffee as we are just too busy.
So whilst the advances in technology have had wonderful effects, sometimes it’s great to remember what we did before emails and smartphones and skype calls were around. Instead of sending a text, pick up the phone and hear someones voice. Don’t use the self scanner, find a check out person and have one of those chat’s about the weather or ‘you only came in for one thing’ with your eye roll to each other. When your partner comes home this evening, both put the phone in the drawer for the night. Talk, put some music on and just be together. When your child hands you a book, put them on your lap and the world can wait for ten simple minutes.
One day when you look up from the phone or the computer, you’ll realise your family and friends aren’t standing there anymore. Let’s all find a healthy balance and bring back proper interaction. You know…like they did ‘back in the old day’s’.
