Technology: Friend or Foe?

Technology has revolutionized the way we’ve lived since the early 20th century. Some forms of technology have made positive changes to the world, but there’s evidence of negative impacts as well. The recent technological boom has completely changed our lifestyle. These advancements are allowing people to be more connected than ever before. Ironically, it’s also contributing to the exact opposite.

Times are a lot different from when I grew up. People are becoming more isolated from the world as we spend more time online. Nowadays, everything seems to be so impersonal. People are glued to their phones all day. Everyone prefers to hide behind a screen and communicate electronically. We’ve lost the sense of what makes us human.

Rise of the Digital Age

The emergence of social media has flipped our world upside down. It’s become a significant part of our everyday lives. According to the Pew Research Center, around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertainment. Today, about 72% of U.S. adults use some type of social media platform.

The rise of social media is a good example of how social behaviors can change over time. Something that’s common today was unthinkable during the beginning of the new millennium.

1. It’s possible for anyone to publish anything online. We no longer have to go through a media gatekeeper. This allows the truth to get out faster. Content that goes viral can help spread awareness about a topic in hours.
2. It’s a great communication tool. We can stay connected with friends, family and colleagues from anywhere in the world. It’s very simple to connect with people online. This can also lead to new friendships and even career opportunities.
3. Social media can be educational. It provides valuable resources and content that can help with our self-development. The algorithm shares content related to our interest.
4. It provides a platform for people to show off their creativity. Users can earn money from their content through promotions.
5. Social media can help businesses grow. It’s a great tool to connect and engage with your audience. This can help build strong relationships between a brand and its customers.

However, despite social media’s many advantages there are negative outcomes as well.

1. Social media can lead to addiction. It’s common for people to get distracted and scroll through their news feed for hours. This can lead to procrastination and failure to meet deadlines.
2. It increases online bullying. People are able to publish anything they want online. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of this by bullying others. This can negatively impact mental health to those on the receiving end. It can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and even suicide.
3. Social media can also affect relationships. Some people can get so wrapped up in social media that they don’t fully appreciate what’s going on in the real world.
4. Misinformation is a major problem on social media. Fake news can spread like a wildfire. It can create an angry and less empathetic society that can divide a nation apart.
5. Social media can increase stress. This can be caused by everything listed above. We all have flaws and social media can easily exploit them.

I don’t think people realized how prominent social media was going to be in the future. It started off as a simple social networking service. Now, it has had a significant influence on how we communicate, absorb news and even commerce. While it has made our lives easier, it also brought about new problems that we must learn to overcome.

Day of the Digital Age

Social media has been the driving force behind the increase in smartphone usage. According to Exploding Topics (2023), the average person spends about 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone per day. This hits relatively close to home with my screen time. Unfortunately, I don’t remember half of what I scroll through on social media. It all becomes a blur after a while. I’m afraid to think about all the time that I’ve wasted over the past decade.

Nowadays, we live in a technological society full of constant distractions. We are bombarded with content from all angles. Most of us have lost the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. This is particularly true when it comes to reading. I often find it difficult to get fully immersed in a book now. My interest gradually disappeared as I became more active on social media.

For the first time in modern history, less than half of Americans read literature for pleasure. Some 57% of Americans now do not read a single book in a typical year. (Hari, 2021, p. 80) It’s not surprising that high school students are spending more time on their mobile devices instead of reading books. According to The Washington Post (2018), 1 in 3 U.S. high school seniors did not read a book for pleasure in 2016. Instead, they reported spending about six hours of their free time every day devoted to digital media.

Cyber Sickness

Are you having trouble staying focused? This has become a common theme for many people in our modern times. In the last decade, we’ve become so dependent on technology. It’s like an addiction for most of us. We need our daily fix of celebrity gossip and drama to get us through the day. It’s become a part of our everyday lives, whether we like to admit it or not.

I used to suffer from nomophobia during my teenage years. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but check my phone for no apparent reason. It called out to me, like a freshly baked pie sitting on the window sill. I would make the assumption that it’ll only be for a few seconds, until an hour or two passes by. It doesn’t feel like a long time, but my Apple Screen Time tells me otherwise.

We can get easily distracted in just a few clicks. It’s very tempting to infinitely scroll through your social media feed when you’re bored. According to SimpleTexting (2021), boredom is the main reason people use social media apps. More than half (51.8%) of us use it to pass the time. There are a few other notable reasons why people use social media as well.

We put ourselves in this position, but we tend to blame the tech companies for “manipulating” us into using their products. It’s very similar to how we blame fast-food chains for the obesity crisis in America. Junk food isn’t intended to be consumed every day. Everyone knows that it isn’t healthy, but people still eat it. We allow our bad habits to dictate our lives and then we shift the blame to someone else. It helps us feel better about our misfortunes.

Digital Detox 

We need to change our mindset and start taking charge of our lives. Change is difficult, but it’s essential for individual growth. We only limit ourselves when we stay in our comfort zone. Here’s a few steps to consider when starting your journey:

1. Admit that you have a problem. There’s something holding you back and you know it. Once you realize this, then you’ll have more of an incentive to make a change. For example, I used to spend a lot of time on my phone and playing video games as a teenager into my early 20s. I watched the years fly by as my friends started to graduate from college and begin their lives. It made me feel like a loser. I felt stuck in one place with no real idea of what to do with myself.
2. Make a commitment. I needed a digital detox to get my life back on track. I stopped playing video games and deleted most of my social media apps. It was difficult at first. I felt very disconnected from the world, but this limited the number of distractions to keep me focused.
3. Keep your eyes on the prize. This is obviously easier said than done. Every day is a constant uphill battle. You need to be fully committed to your goal. It has to be attainable in order to keep you motivated. Most importantly, you have to believe in yourself!

A New Lease on Life

It’s been an eye-opening experience to say the least. I don’t let technology consume my life anymore. It’s better that way. You see life from a different perspective when you’re not glued to a phone all day. There’s less distractions and senseless garbage to get you riled up. I’ve learned to appreciate life a lot more from this experience. It’s given me the confidence to take a chance on myself.

Haworth, Josh. “Time Spent Using Smartphones (2023 Statistics).” Exploding Topics, 27 May 2022, https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-usage-stats

Johann Hari. Stolen Focus : Why You Can’t Pay Attention–and How to Think Deeply Again. New York, Crown, 2021.

Konjedi, Shaghayegh, and Reza Maleeh. “A Closer Look at the Relationship between the Default Network, Mind Wandering, Negative Mood, and Depression.” Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 17, no. 4, 7 Apr. 2017, pp. 697-711, https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13415-017-0506-z#ref-CR100

Natanson, Hannah. “Yes, Teens Are Texting and Using Social Media Instead of Reading Books, Researchers Say.” The Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/08/20/for-american-teens-texting-and-social-media-are-replacing-books/

Pew Research Center. “Social Media Fact Sheet.” Pew Research Center, 7 Apr. 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/

Sus (MA), Viktoriya, and Chris Drew (PhD). “27 Social Media Pros and Cons (2023).” Helpfulprofessor.com, 12 Feb. 2023, https://helpfulprofessor.com/social-media-pros-and-cons/

Wilkinson, Drew. “Screen Times & Technology Use Across America | Simple Texting.” SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It for Free, 8 June 2021, https://simpletexting.com/blog/screen-time-survey/