I often feel that we are going crazy with technology. We don't know how to live naturally at all. And we overshare everything. If you think facebook is bad, look at the people who go on reality shows. Then there's blogging and podcasting.
Who hasn't met or heard of someone having an online fling? And rare is the family who are not hooked totally to electronic gadgets. In fact, this is the typical modern family today, with children whose sole entertainment during their free time is computer games and playstations. Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking the higher ground here. I feel almost everyone I know (including my own family) is way too much into technology for their day to day affairs. I listen to podcasts while waiting for Daughter to go to sleep. H is hooked to the TV and Angry Birds. Daughter listens to audiobooks relentlessly. We cannot seem to go for a walk without something to listen to. Sounds of nature are just not bearable.
With all this reliance on unnatural things, it's no wonder unnatural and previously unheard of problems like ADD, ADHD, SID etc are so common nowadays. Sad and very worrying.
I try to fight the trends, unsuccessfully I might add. I try to remind H not to spring to the blackberry, TV and ipod every free second he gets. I try to limit Daughter's time listening to audiobooks. I try to not get hooked to day time TV.
Ofcourse, technology is not all bad. I live abroad, don't do conventional work and have few friends. This technology has kept me sane to a large extent. Countless times I have turned to google and babycentre to look up something that was wrong with my baby. So, on the whole I'm happy it's there. I just wish we didn't let technology consume us and change us into machines who spend little time communicating with each other in more natural ways.
2 comments:
I hear you on the technology front! I find that the impact on me is quite deep - am realising what a short attention span I have now. And you're right - if you eliminate technology as a time-pass tool then you realise how reliant you were on it! We have started doing this thing on the weekend where we go to a cafe and just read a book for as long as we can - you should have seen me when I first started - I could barely read for a few minutes without reaching for my phone. Disgraceful! But am now able to really switch off from technology on the weekend and just enjoy the world. I never switch my computer on during the weekend anymore and leave my phone in my purse the whole time. It was really challenging at the beginning - which was a really shocking discovery. I never knew that the reliance on technology was something that affected our generation - always thought it was Gen-X and Gen-Y. Suddenly realised it was me too!
That's great! More power (pun unintended ofcourse) to you girl!
Post a Comment