Everyday technology is advancing. Today we see advancements in technology our ancestors would never believe possible. Life is becoming seemingly easier and easier as new devices, apps and operating systems come into existence. Vast amounts of information are available at our finger tips, our friends and family are only a click away. Machines can now do what took 2-3 people to do. Yes, essentially less work for you. But is this technological future all bliss?
There are many people who are inadvertently becoming addicted to technology. You have the individuals whose first contact in the morning is with a piece of tech. There are those who can't go 5 minutes in a social setting without looking at their phone. Then there are the ones who are just glued to their phone or tablet, 24/7. No one cares to remember information that was once revered and taught, simply because if they need to pull it up it's right at their thumbs. Most people don't go deeper than their social media profile. Kendrick Lamar put it perfectly:
"...So what's your calling?
Oh, You left your phone behind? Identity Crisis"These days the phase "Down to Earth" means a whole lot more. People are putting their whole identities on their smart devices and social profiles, were they to lose the device they are essentially losing themselves. It is becoming increasingly acceptable to disconnect from the real world and stay connected on some device. You can hardly have a conversation without the interuption of some piece of technology. Seeing this a lot more lately begs me to ask the question: What is the cause of this growing disconnect?
Loneliness
So I did some research, and to my great suprise I wasnt the only one noticing these frightening changes. I came across a TED.com Talk by Author and Professor Sherry Turkle called "Connected, but alone?" and she laid out the bottom line completely.
"We're getting used to a new way of being alone, together."The perfect example of where we're headed: Spike Jonez's new film Her, Joaquin Phoenix. At first glance this looks like a film about a man falling in love with his operating system. As Gizmodo Writer, Adam Clark Estes put it in his film review of Her:
And he is spot on. Having broken my phone, I realized how often I reach for it. I look around and I see how often other people reach for theirs. It happens in every social situation. In board room meetings, in classrooms, in conversations with family and friends, on the elevator, on the bus, at family dinner."Its a movie about the loneliness we all share and our increasingly futile attempt to pacify that yearning with technology. When we're alone these days, we typically don't embrace the silence and think about things. We instinctively reach for our phones..."
"Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved so we try to solve it by connecting."Says Sherry Turkle, and I agree. Never before in history has being alone been a problem in society. Before people would use the time alone to learn more about themselves, to ponder and wonder about all types of things, to think!
This fear of being alone is being passed on to the next generations. Its not odd to see a child today with a more up to date smartphone than the one you have in your pocket. Children are not learning how to have real conversations. Social situations are becoming more and more awkward and difficult for them. Nothing can replace the social interaction of a real conversation. Nothing.
There is an increasing lack of humanity as we move forward with new technological advancements. We're OK with just commenting on a status. We're OK with just replying to a tweet. We're OK having whole "conversations" through text. As Sherry Turkle put it: "The illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship."
 |
| www.jeanjullien.com/work-137-allo-.html/?_nospa=true |
