It is interesting how society's needs change over time. The FUTURAMA video claimed that technology would solve all of our problems. While technology has helped us in many ways, it has also left many of us feeling empty. Throughout the social distancing process, technology has been very useful. I have been able to communicate with my professors, family members, and friends. I have loved watching movies with my parents and talking to my sister through FaceTime. Technology has been a blessing, but it has not been the best part of my time at home. The chaos and heartbreak in the world is devastating, but I have enjoyed being forced to take a step back and appreciate the little things in life.
Everyday, I see children playing outside and families going on walks. I love being able to step outside and just enjoy the sun. Technology can sometimes distract us from these simple pleasures. We are so busy staring at a screen that we forget to look at the beautiful world around us. In the Mad World video, the majority of the characters never looked up from their phone. While this video was meant to be a bit of an exaggeration, it is true in many ways. Whenever I walk into a classroom, almost everyone is on their phones. People (myself included) avoid making eye contact and choose to stare at their screens instead.
Technology can take a horrible toll on relationships. I find it incredibly frustrating when I am telling someone a story, and he or she is too busy texting to pay attention. Something about it is just so insulting. It is as if people care more about their phones than the conversation. I think that most of us are guilty of tuning people out, but technology exacerbates the problem. It is as if we are prisoners trapped to our phones.
When we are glued to a screen, it is easy for us to become more self-conscious. Personally, most of my screen time is spend scrolling through Instagram. Doing this naturally leads to comparisons. We may compare our appearances, friends, or lifestyles to those around us. While some comparison would occur without technology, our cell phones make it easier for us to see the best images of someone else's life. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-deprecation. Recent studies have emphasized social media's connection to low self-esteem. Researchers at Penn State University found that those who viewed other people's selfies were more likely to have low self-esteem than those who did not look at others' selfies. Those who viewed the selfies were likely to compare themselves to the manipulated images that they had seen of other people.
Technology is not evil, but it should not have a dominant role in peoples' lives. I have been trying to cut back on my own technology use but have been struggling. Hopefully, I will have more success this summer!
Thank you for all of your work this semester and have a great summer!
Check out this article from BBC on the effects of social media!
Here is an article on how social media can encourage people to feel jealous, unattractive, and lonely
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