In this day and age, most people’s lives are overpowered by technology. We see it everywhere: at work, at home or just out and about.
Today, it can be considered a necessity, especially to the younger generation, as most people could not bear the thought of walking to class without listening to music, or watching TikToks in the elevator to avoid awkward silence with strangers.
Many young people only know life with technology at their aid all the time and would not be able to get through life without it. Most people today would prefer to share a meal with YouTube on a phone in front of them, rather than to have a genuine conversation with another human.
However, hope is not entirely lost yet. Something that can help is limiting the amount of time people spend on their phone. Each person can set limits in their phone settings which will prevent them from opening apps for an extended period of time.
With the overwhelming popularity of cellphones, people have a hard time putting them down for a small period of the day, especially when eating a meal. Nothing about this should be considered “normal,” families should be able to eat together for an hour at a restaurant without children making TikToks at the table.
There is still a rule in my house, “no phones during dinner.” When I was younger, this would aggravate me, and when the conversation would die down, I would want to reach to check my phone. However, now that I am older, I have grown to appreciate this rule.
Most families are so busy throughout the day, when they come together for dinner, that usually is the only time everyone is able to gather together to talk about their day and plan for the week ahead. This “no phones” rule allows my family to connect with each other and have a genuine conversation, something we might not have been able to do all day.
However, I do believe technology has greatly improved our day to day lives in many ways, including the fact that communication has become so much easier when it comes to a phone call or sending a quick text. I also understand that sometimes people are tired and may not want to interact with other people, and that everyone needs their alone time. Sometimes I prefer to watch Netflix alone while I eat my lunch, it is not an uncommon circumstance.
Regardless, I think that human connection with the people you love proves better than watching some influencer you don’t even know. We as a society need to learn how to live our lives without feeling overly attached to our technology.
