Letâs talk about this generations inability to connect with one another without the use of social media or a technology platform. Sure we can blame the millennial, or the liberals or Silicon Valley, but letâs just for a minute look at our own personal situations and take a little bit of the responsibility ourselves. Children are taught by show and tell from their parents. So the adults of the world continue this cycle of raising children who are so tech savvy, they donât know how to do anything that doesnât involve technology. I remember when I was in school if I wanted to know something I had to use the encyclopedia, my delete button was the back end of my pencil, and we didnât have white boards in school or tablets. We had computers from the dinosaur era and we got one hour a week of computer time in school. This generational wave of tech savvyâs will never know the struggle of dial up internet.
Now do not get me wrong technology has improved our society tremendously, It has made great strides in medicine, education, globalization, and research. It saves us time, money, and convenience.
However the internet and technology have gone from specified modern convenience to necessities like air is for breathing to most of us. We cannot go anywhere without our phones or tablets, we cant go an hour without looking at our phones or going online, checking social media, writing a social media post its become increasingly difficult to stay present in reality. The cons include obsessive compulsion, which cause health issues like stress anxiety and depression, as well as physical issues such as neck and back pain from use of actual devices.
Technology has now made it a priority to one up each other, or to envy what others have or really show off, because lets be serious majority of us are flashing our new cars, money, lifestyle and status all over social media. This huge gap of social interaction with each other is leading to less empathetic, compassionate and kind characters. This form of anti socialism is also causing difficulty with criticism, critical thinking and problem solving. Which is why we are now encountering a generation that are offended by absolutely everything. Teachers cannot discipline students, parents cannot discipline their children, you may not dare share an opinion different than the opinion at hand. Social media and technology has made a generation of "know it all's", with the world of knowledge and world of opinions at their finger tips. The younger generation is incapable of solving a conflict between each other without blasting it on social media, without texting each other unkind words, there is no more thinking before speaking because there really is no such thing as speaking, real conversation. It is such an involuntary thing to send a text, no emotion or thoughts needed. They mentally have not developed the necessary brain connections in order to see a solution without the help (or harm depending on your opinion) of technology.
Social media as well as technology has also created a society of zombies, that is right, you can stop waiting for the zombie apocalypse, its here! I remember growing up my father taught me, "when you look or talk to someone you look them in the eyes, you want them to feel present with you, you want them to know they have your undivided attention." This is a thing of the past, nobody makes eye contact anymore, there is no bigger thought process of conversation beside what is at their finger tips, nobody can spell without auto correct, do mental math without a calculator, or tell time unless its digital.
I just want to back up a little and talk about what to me is the most damning side effect of technology, being present. Which majority of us are not mindful, we weren't prior to technology and technology has definitely made it more challenging to be present in every moment of your life because we are constantly worrying about being better, richer, smarter, fitter, etc. in the future. We have this drive to constantly upgrade our lives to compete with everyone else on our news feeds. If we are not rushing through our current present moment to get to the next future highlight, we are buried in the past, worrying and depressed about things we may have missed out on, not been able to obtain, regrets piled on top of regrets. As a society we have to stop this worrying and anticipations by practicing to be more present and mindful in the current- moment to moment. I truly believe that starts with putting down the technology and stepping into the current moment, eyes open, focused on the present, do not allow your mind to wander, just enjoy the view, walk slower, sit quietly, close your eyes and breathe in smell your surroundings, touch the surfaces around you, look at the people around you, stop obsessing about the outside world at your finger tips and just try to BE for a moment. Its harder than it sounds right? AND now comes the "life is so busy who has the time for that?" YOU do, every single one of us have the ability to shut down and shut out and just be in the moment, it takes effort to unplug in this current world.
Realistically we are all guilty of this behavior, we are so programmed by the world we live in, its just an easy thing to accept, second nature but to make the effort is harder I know trust me, its also more rewarding I promise you. We have become a society of unhappy people consumed by materialism and socialism. We pray for future happiness, peace and abundance, we wait and wait for the next wave of peace and joy but in reality if you just put down the technology, step away from the social media, the binge watching of the latest Netflix original and enjoyed the world around you in this very moment you would realize how truly blessed you are, for there is happiness, peace and abundance with you right now. Happiness is not something you search for and find in the future or the past; it is something you can find in this moment, in every moment everyday.