By Zeeshan Khalid
We live in an age where technology and technological advancements are at their peak and this phenomenon is rampant across the globe. Almost every person living on the face of this planet has been affected by this technology either in a positive or negative way and sometimes even both. Technology has no doubt made many matters of life much easier and achievable which without these technological advancements would not have been possible. Every person may have a different experience and exposure to these technological advancements and so in light of their ‘experience’ they form a perception and a judgment about its importance.
In one recent week, the medical student sent 40 e-mails and 399 text messages, snapped 25 photos, bought two movie tickets, downloaded four songs, watched a full-length film, checked the weather forecast 15 times, shopped at Target, surfed the Web for 129 minutes and spent 5½ hours socializing with friends on Facebook — all from his iPhone 4S. (http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/05/tech/mobile/smartphoneaddicts/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5)
Now for some people, the above stated case may be something normal but for most it isn’t. there are many people who feel that there life has become way much more organized and efficient because of the way technology is being utilized for multiple purposes ranging from the house hold chores to the things work related matters.
Whatever the case maybe, the picture has both the sides. There may be many negatives but the most evident and ‘epidemic’ problem is the communication catastrophe between human beings. Communication touches every sphere of our lives. Technological changes have indisputably led to faster communication but the point is that are we communicating more effectively? We are getting to the point of information over load, but are we communicating effectively? Is our social life improving because of this technology? When was the last time you had lunch or dinner together as a family on one table? When was the last time you had a long healthy talk with your family members? Is technology making us more humans or are we headed towards social destruction?
Think, Analyze & Share 
Everything has positive and negative aspects, so as smart phones do have. No doubt smart phones have many advantages like we can access internet, it allows us to use gps and so on. If we concern with our social life, so we can say that it has replaced our normal social interaction. I think we ignore our surrounding people because we seems to busy on our smart phone. Now we have less time for our surrounding people. We spent less time with our family and friends. But I think we can control it, because it’s our fault that leads us to social destruction. We should manage our time. We should spend some time with our family and friends, so we can live happy and healthy social life.
I think that it’s a part of evolution rather than social destruction. Nobody of this century would prefer to live in 1800’s when there was less use of technology and the families had to sit with each other to communicate. The world is progressing very fast and if we do not follow it that would lead us to a catastrophe. It is unfair to judge technology on the basis of it’s use which is pretty frequent. Why would someone want to live with a complete downgrade of their routine?
Just a simple example, you use a ‘car’ today to travel from point ‘A’ to ‘B’, why don’t you use a horse because it’s more effective? (that’s the perception set it in the post above). My question, is your car less effective? Same goes for the smart phones, you’ve got a whole computer in the palm of your hands which helps you to build your social life EFFECTIVELY.
The only problem is our GENERATION GAP. Blaming, modern technology/use of modern technology for it seems pretty irrational.
I will say my point in a few simple words. Blame the people who misuse the technology , don’t blame the technology itself. Its your use that is good or bad not the things. Cellphones are deceptively simple yet revolutionizing entities and their use is indeed making daily life much easier.
I will quote example from the educational aspect that for example if i am to connect with my class fellows and stay updated about the course and everything all i have to do is make a GROUP in my contact list and with just one touch I can send a simple text to everyone instead of looking for them here and there in the university.
It is so convenient . It all depends on the way you are using it, and this applies to other technologies as well.
As to the questions the writer asked in the post “When was the last time you had lunch or dinner together as a family on one table? When was the last time you had a long healthy talk with your family members? ”
Well so far i haven’t found my cellphone preventing me from having a decent meal with my family . My cellphone of course doesn’t whisper to me that DON’T GO TO YOUR FAMILY STAY WITH ME. Its just a phone . See it depends on your own personal priorities that what you are putting first. Plus if i am sitting in a room with bunch of people or my family and i am constantly busy with my cellphone and not responding to them, that reflects my manners or ethics not the evil or bad side of technology.
No doubt we all are so dependent and used to our cellphones but the thing is do you use your cellphones or your cellphones use you ?
Well in a way, its pretty obvious how LESS efficient cars have become today, with all these cars being given out on leases the roads have been jam packed ever since and a journey which would take 10 minutes now takes 20 to 25 minutes because of the traffic, and in our country with the identity conformation posts scattered all around in the city it would take even longer. The same goes for technology, you use it too much and you’ll suffer, as said by Zeeshan it will most likely lead to one’s social de-evolution or in our terms, the person will become an introvert and will be void of any kind of healthy social skills. Technology does help us get the message across but constantly checking your phone for a facebook update is a very un-productive if not a waste of time. So use technology, get along with it but you know, dont just stay in the technology, get out of your house once in a while like your parents would tell you to!
post has been rightly put this week. the pros and cons of technology are both vividly evident in the World we live in. However the utility of such technology varies from person to person and that is a determinator of it’s achievability or futility. hence one must learn to ensure balance in life: use technology where required and stick to humane norms else wise.
As far as Socialization is concerned, it is getting better in terms of friends. But with family, it is not way it should be. It is more likely on us, what we do and what are our priorities? When we are sitting with our family, we prioritize family over our work or friends, or the other way around. In my family, we don’t get a chance to sit together and eat, we are always rushing to work. But at dinner time all are downstairs and eat our supper together at nine. Sometimes, I use my phone, only if I had to. By the use of smart phones, we are getting smart, fast and efficient, but only if we use properly and appropriately.
anything has its good side and bad side but its on us how we see it and use it. smartphones do have positive effects as well as negative effects.no doubt smartphones have made our lives much easier, we can do more than one task at the same time. we can access internet whenever we like, smartphones have made our social life so active in terms of using Facebook and twitter etc.
Holding a smartphone in your hand is like the whole world in your hand. you are aware of anything happening in any corner of the world.and when it comes to education smartphones really works as in when we have to interact with whole class or group easily whenever we want.but on the other hand, YES it is somehow distracting us from our family and other personal priorities because whenever we get our free time, most of us give priority to our smartphones, using Facebook and tweeting and doing so many things rather than having chat with our loved ones. we can definitely control this by managing our time. we can make our social life even better by spending our time equally with family and SMARTPHONES. 🙂
Cell phones are a blessing we cant deny that fact.
but like all other things every picture has both sides!!
As far as my opinion is concerned I feel that cell phones are making us more mechanical and less human, why I am saying is that we share jokes over txts and reply with lol when in reality we are making a straight face!!
The interaction through cell phones is artificial but as far as the utility of the device is concerned it is definitely one of the best innovations to come to the surface!!
we can do all things from our beds and we just swipe our finger and its done as stated in the case of the latest smart phones is concerned!!
the basic question being that is it leading towards social destruction or not it definitely is as far as I am concerned!!
and less human and more calculated and inhumane!!.
i posted from my smart phone last night and it happens to be that it has NOT made me any smarter for i don’t see my post here today 😦
the post has been rightly connoted this week. the benefits of smart phones cannot go unnoticed, yet the social drawbacks are vividly evident. what we ought to understand is that “technology” in its very nature is not good or bad – the way it’s use is individualized and varies from person to person results in its adaptability or futility.
as humans we must set limits to the “amount” of technology we incorporate in our lives – such that it will prevent us from behaving in inhumane social creatures.
*from behaving as inhumane social creatures.
i think it’s all depend on the use of technology, we should take advantages from the modern technology but not on the cost of family relations. we are colouring only one angle of the picture but other angel is getting fade. we should have a balance.