Apart from making our lives easier by including all the tools we need within reach, another major advantage of technology is helping us stay in contact. Thanks to smartphones, social media, and the internet, we can talk to our loved ones whenever we want and from wherever we are currently in the world. However, the reality is oftentimes very different, as things with technology are changing rapidly, without even us realizing it. Does technology make us more alone instead of connecting us with others? Let us dig deeper into the topic.
Saving time or passing time
The main goal of technology is to save us time and effort, whether we are communicating with other people, conducting research, sharing our content online, or simply using it for work. But instead of saving time, it is oftentimes helping us in passing time or perhaps avoid certain people. Let us face it, we are all probably guilty of using our phone as something to stare at in order to avoid a neighbor or acquaintance we did not really feel like talking to at the moment.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that we spend more time using our phones than we spend with our families. What is the first thing we do after we wake up in the morning and the last thing we do before going to sleep? We check our smartphones. Or if we are speaking about video games, when was the last time you actually went outside to play a real game? The reason behind this is that technology has made us so lazy that we prefer playing football on our Xbox instead on the playground.
Let’s answer the question: does technology make us more alone?
When it comes to spending quality time with the people we care about, social media has persuaded us that taking an Instagram-worthy photo is more valuable than actually enjoying the moment. For example, while traveling, we are constantly obsessing about the photographs we are going to post online, spending ours on picking the right angle, editing, and coming up with the perfect caption. This oftentimes feels like we are simply curating our social media accounts for other people to see, which increases our feeling of loneliness and causes us to not enjoy the vacation with our loved ones the way we are supposed to. Moreover, unrealistic standards set by other people can cause us to feel unworthy and not satisfied with the way we look or the life we live.
Conclusion
Technology is changing our world, as our devices allow us to do things that were previously unimaginable. However, as the line between saving time and wasting time is becoming more blurred, technology oftentimes becomes the reason we are becoming lonely and depressed. Does technology make us more alone? It does, which is why it is important to find a healthy balance between the two, recognizing the moments when it is time to put our phone down and engage in a conversation, game, or other valuable experience with the people close to us.
