It has become dismaying clear that technology has surpassed our humanity. Every individual in a coffee shop, in a metro train, can be seen zoned out in a premise where the internet is available. Carrying the world in the palms, they feel out of the world. Technology aimed to ease everyone’s life, but, how has it ended up being? I do not deny the comfort that technology has given us, but it has also affected human behavior personally, emotionally, socially, and societal. These are the real concerns surfacing due to our unhealthy relationship with technology, which is at stake. To live a happier, healthier, and more productive life in the digital age, these issues need to be resolved.
Personal behavior
Social connectivity with friends and family around the globe has been only possible because of technology. Internet is the easiest, fastest and cheapest mode of communication. It is the gift of technology that by just pressing the enter key, a person can travel miles in seconds. It is great to use technology to connect on Facebook and Twitter-like social media if one stays away and the union is not possible. Modern society has become impersonal, pushing people to interact on social media rather than face-to-face interaction.
Brevity and openness are encouraged in digital communication rather than face-to-face conversation, so it is more favored. It also allows one to delve into topics that we don’t feel comfortable with while conversing directly. Empathy and intimacy fade when we stop looking into other’s eyes, and we become less aware of the physical gestures that accompany conversation. That results in a loose bond between the two talking to each other, especially the starters of life-Yes, the teens. Building a relationship digitally never works to develop an intimate bonding.
Societal behavior
Social media or networking is the current source of spreading any news in no time. It is irrelevant if the news is fake or authentic. This hotspot has become the means to convey all the messages which affect society at large. Instead of relying on print media, people blindly get misled by social media that creates a chaotic scene at places. Content available in media molds the opinion of society. The malicious websites have given rise to copyright issues.
Technology provides us an ocean of information. One should use his or her conscience to decide what is right and what is wrong. Also, a check on the release of correct information will prove the societal behavior of humans. Spending too much time on social media permits people’s behavior to be hijacked.
Social behavior
You might have heard your parents talking about the picnic and hanging out with friends that they used to enjoy. Visiting the relatives at various occasions was fun. But now, the internet has changed our social behavior. The traditional ways of meetings have been replaced with phone calls and emails. Technology has affected our social bonds to such an extent that we feel trapped in a digital cave filled with all the amenities but no feelings. Children can be seen spending all of their time in the virtual world of mobile and games rather than the real world of parks and grounds. This addiction to technology has made them less creative and lazy.
Overuse of technology such as cell phones and the internet causes us to neglect the surrounding people. Because of it, our behavior and relationship change detrimentally.
Emotional behavior
Have you ever noticed by delving into our personal lives, technology changes, how we interact with our loved ones? When you text a person, it is the words that travel from you to the other. Body language, tone of voice, gestures, and emotions can never be expressed through technology. Many times such text is misunderstood, which leads to misinterpretation. An illusion of companionship without the development of social skills ends in depression and loneliness.
Technology dependence affects human behavior that strangely resembles drugs. A notification alert or light in the phone commands the brain to release dopamine, which makes you feel happy. This happiness increases if you get likes on Instagram. Hence, people master the interactions than social ones to continue feeling good.
Conclusion
Even an antagonist like me will admit that technology is good. In the digital world of today, willingly or unwillingly, we have allowed technology to govern our behavior. Technology was created to make the world a smaller place, which was a positive intention. But on a personal level, the need and use of social skills have been reduced because this machinery tries to enter one’s life, causing dissatisfaction. Technology must be used effectively to improve productivity in the long run. For this, instead of being the controller, it must act as a supplement.
It creates a responsibility for the masters to take a stand in the interest of Mankind. Besides making us count the advantages of technology, they should address the negative impacts of their creation also. In their speeches, they should encourage people to limit the use of tech tools to allow them to make choices in their lives that create a healthy connection to themselves, to each other, and a beautiful world. It may hurt revenue in the short run, but promise loyalty in the long run, to be seen as close friends and not necessarily evils.