As I am aging, I am witnessing the progression of technology and it is truly fascinating. For instance, if you have no idea what an answer is, or you feel that you need validation, all you have to do is pull out your smart phone and Google comes to the rescue! (Personally the instant gratification, especially when trying to prove your argument/point to a friend or spouse, is greatly gratifying and I appreciate this part of technology.) We have an encyclopedia at our finger tips at every waking moment of the day. This is truly momentous!
Books? Who needs them?!
In our society today, one's value depends on how quickly we can respond to texts, emails, or calls. Business doesn't necessarily happen in offices anymore, so being flexible and accessible is a great asset. Big deals are struck most often in our homes or vehicles, outside of traditional business hours. For that reason, staying connected is invaluable.
We need this piece of technology, our smart phones, to find out how others rated that restaurant we've been wanting to try. To keep in contact with people that we were kind of friends with in school but wouldn't recognize in passing. We learn everything we could ever want to know of a celebrity. No longer are maps necessary when we can get turn by turn directions and know how long the drive will be.
Our lives are over shared.
Smart phones and social media are the way of the world now, but it is hampering our productivity, social interactions, and our culture.
If you ever have a chance to look at someone's resume, I'd encourage it. It sheds light on how social norms have shifted. People in their late teens and early twenties are short handing words on their resumes like its Twitter. Trust me, it's happening and it's dreadful.
We are not allowing ourselves to live in the moment; everything needs a photo or a video and MUST be shared.... we all know what someone else had for dinner last night.
Short attention spans are developing and we are living in a society with people who get their news strictly by reading headlines. Interacting with people in real life is becoming passé but also an art form at the same time. If you go out to dinner typically you don't have a conversation but instead are out in public eating while catching up on what's new on Facebook.
In all honesty, it's a sad reality.
What has happened to make us believe we have to be accessible every moment of every day? Part of it is that is just the transition of business in this modern time, and part of it is the modern "Keeping Up with the Jones'" mentality. In turn we're cutting out valuable play time with our kids, spouses, friends, and family.
When was the last time you held a conversation with a stranger that had nothing to do with exchanging pleasantries? Why is it now that when someone loses their temper, or someone is being arrested do we feel like we need to film it on our phones? What is it we are trying to accomplish with this? The answer is simple. We're in search of going viral and getting our few seconds of fame, of course!
Smart phones are becoming everyone's chances of striking it big. They are in search of their own celebrity because that equals legacy, fame, and affluence. People are seeking validation from strangers rather than one's self.
Go off the grid as often as you can. There is a better world out there than what glows in the palm of your hand.
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