Technology is taking over our lives

“Man, this is heavy,” Marty McFly stated as he strolled into his hometown thirty years into the future – 2015. It’s hard to imagine the possibilities of the future even ten years down the road, let alone thirty. In the futuristic Hill Valley of movie “Back to the Future Part II,” flying cars were the norm, hoverboards had replaced the obsolete skateboard and holographic technology dominated every aspect of life.
I think it’s safe to say that when we think of the future, we envision technology galore — everything automatic, simple tasks conducted by robots and devices that completely alter our lifestyles. As amazing as this may all seem, it makes you think — when does technology become too much?
It’s absolutely ridiculous how much technology has taken over people’s lives. First of all, carrying out a normal conversation becomes difficult. It’s not uncommwon that I often find myself speaking with someone’s forehead as their eyes are glued to the devices on their laps. Not only is this super annoying, it’s rude, inconsiderate and just shows you how much that person doesn’t care for what you’re saying.
Furthermore, technology has made people extremely lazy. Of course, it can be helpful, but the reliance people have on it these days is sure to diminish brain activity. For instance, if you needed to get directions back in 2003, you’d have to pull out that handy map and plan out your route in advance so you know what streets to take. Nowadays, we have a woman’s voice inside a box telling us where we need to go — no need for a measly map. While this is helpful, it also makes us rely less on our own intellectual capacities.
The rapid increase in technological advancements from just over ten years ago has increasingly caused us to lose the ability to perform simple tasks. That’s why the fast food industry is booming — people no longer want to take the time to cook a fresh, home-cooked meal and gather around the dinner table to swap the day’s stories. Instead, dinner for Suzy is eating buttered popcorn on her bed, watching Netflix and having three conversations on her phone. How is this healthy? Why have people succumbed to Suzy’s dreadful ways? This generation is all about the now — if people want, people better get, or people lose interest almost immediately.
Though technology has had a profound effect upon our lives, I think that children are suffering the most from these advancements. And the worst part is they don’t even know it. Kids these days don’t know what it’s like to live in a world without technology, where people were more in tune with the environment and nature.
Whenever I leave the house, I am constantly surrounded by people half my age attached to some sort of technological device. This bothers me to no end. I sincerely do not understand what these third graders could possibly need a cell phone for — homework help? When I was in elementary school, no one had a cell phone. If you wanted to talk to someone outside of school, you had one of two options: A) knock on their front door; or, more commonly, B) pull out the school directory, call the landline and ask to speak to your friend.
In addition, I feel like children don’t understand the meaning of “play” anymore. Gathering the neighborhood kids for a day of games and fun on a perfect summer evening was a dream come true. Kids back then were active, and enjoyed running around to have fun with others. Nowadays, “play” for kids is downloading the new trending app. It amazes me how different my childhood was from kids today, considering it really wasn’t too long ago when cell phones were a rarity, YouTube didn’t exist and Apple existed to most people as a fruit.
So, going back to the question “Is technology too much?” Yes. Yes it is. And it will continue to advance in ways we never thought imaginable. Who knows, maybe one day we will have flying cars, and hover boards, and self-tying shoes … actually, Nike has already created tennis shoes that tighten up for themselves, and gave its first pair to Michael J. Fox. Like I said before, these advancements are ruining our abilities to carry out basic tasks. Our children may never know how to tie their shoes — and that’s scary to think about.
Samar Ayoub is a first year majoring in biology.