When considering all the changes the world has gone through in the last few decades amazes me. Technology has drastically changed and shaped our world. This change has affected people’s identity, the way they communicate, policies, the economy, and job world. Social media has been the primary culprit in the heart of the technological boom along with cell phones. But the question that should come to mind is this the best thing for all or for any for that matter? Albert Einstein once said, “The human spirit must prevail over technology” (Makovsky, 2012). With consideration to all of these factors it is a profound statement that rings true. We must open a dialogue and delve deeper into what impact technology has on young developing minds, the new world it has created, and how we communicate with one another.
Being one of the last in the y generation and first in the millennial generation I can positively say my world as I knew it is extinct. I was fortunate to be in the group in a time when I enjoyed my childhood mindlessly playing outside, using my imagination, and safely exploring my freedom while developing who I wanted to be. I was also fortunate to reap the benefits of the technology boom and get to acquire and use so many amazing communication and media things. The wonder it brings about reminds me of a quote from Arthur C. Clarke. It says, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic” (The Arthur Clarke Foundation, 2016). How true this is too! I would have never imagined that I could see the world through a glass hand held iPad via the internet or to pick up and call someone without the long cord wrapping its way from the kitchen phone down the hall to my room. It seems like such an antiquated life and yet it was peaceful. Fast forward to today though and there are moments when I wished that we would have been able to grow with these advances. Being able to connect with those and find groups that are similar to you and give you the feeling of being included and can persevere through anything begs to offer such strength and comfort to an expanding mind (PSU World Campus, 2017). I think I definitely would have been more focused on my education, known all the options available to me at an early age, and figured out the question of what do I want to be when I grow up a lot sooner. Today’s youth must be handled with care when considering the relationship they have with their peers, the world around them, and the interlacing social media that combines the two. Without paying attention and helping them to develop face to face relationships you lose the value of creating interpersonal and intrapersonal life skills. Young minds can confuse with what is said behind phones and computers on places like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. as reality. They forget that not everyone has a perfect day every day or that physical appearance is not the only defining factor. In today’s world girls are objectified and boys are lead away from being gentleman which is a sad side effect. Bullying is easy when you are anonymous behind a computer and when you don’t see the instant hurt it can cause. By viewing sexual situations, provocative images, and scandalous headlines in feeds it allows impressionable to teenagers to believe this appropriate and acceptable. We as the older generation that have seen both sides of the world with and without these advances have a responsibility to mentor, guide, and develop today’s youth to see beyond the screen and all the wonder in the world and good that is still available to them.
The new world we have created is not in the future but here and now. We have set a path that alters many aspects. For instance, America was once more highly employing blue collar workers that helped to build infrastructure, make things from hand, and produce many essential parts. So now jobs are found in social media and technology fields more readily. With the automation of machines replacing humans we now enter a domain where jobs are essentially more intellectually minded and white collar oriented. Social media has become a large contributor to how many receive their news updates regardless of validity or quality information given. This could be damaging to any politician, war issues, health topics or simply the way you view your country or self. With cell phones being so advanced and computers so compact many can take them where ever they want at any given moment. There is an instantaneous response time to receive messages. This offers the issue of always being accessible and not having the down time that our minds need to decompress from the world. I often see people put in danger as they are driving with cell phones and texting which has heightened traffic accidents and mortality rates in those accidents. In fact 1 out of 4 accidents in America are due to distracted driving from texting and cell phones (Snyder, 2015). So with these great magical and wondrous creations it is easy to see we must extend our imaginations and actions to equally create and take action to use them responsibly.
Communication is in the heart and soul of the change social media and technological advancements have brought about. From the instantaneous satisfaction and responses to the equally as instant disappointment or hurt that can be caused; these advancements are beast and have a life of their own. Quiet often I see families in restaurants and they are hardly ever looking up and conversing. Children are beginning to have inadequate retention of facts as they are so easily accessible on the internet which does not require them to learn the facts. Basic language skills have been lost and somewhere in it all communication was lost in translation by way of the emoji. It seems to be quite ironic that we now have these amazing capabilities to reach each other across long distances almost the very second you reach out, but we can reach each other on an emotional level or across the table. Not all negatives come from this though. Communication and tech has helped to propel advancements in health, biological, and environmental areas profoundly. It has helped many to recognize their identity in others and collaborate on solutions quickly and effectively. Given these dramatic changes we can consider them a great gift that requires some care.
Overall, the fact is the world will never be the same. Many advantages have sprung up because of this but we must recognize the disadvantages and react accordingly. Whether it be in the youth that we are developing, the way we talk to each other, or the economic impacts and daily life impacts that this has created; we have arrived. Now we should use our great technology with these great minds and create a cohesive and advantageous world for our children, each other, and our future.
Resources
Makovsky, K. (2012, May 07). Is Technology Exceeding Humanity? Retrieved March 17, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenmakovsky/2012/05/07/is-technology-exceeding-humanity/#14dd31c06ea3
Pennsylvania State University World Campus, 2017. PSYC 424 Lesson 9: Media/Communications. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1834710/modules/items/21736686.
The Arthur Clarke Foundation. (2016). Sir Arthur’s Quotations. Retrieved March 17, 2017, from https://www.clarkefoundation.org/about-sir-arthur/sir-arthurs-quotations/
Snyder, E. (2015, April). Texting and Driving Accident Statistics – Distracted Driving. Retrieved March 17, 2017, from https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html