What’s one thing you couldn’t live without? Some would say air, some water, some would even say their phone. It’s funny, something that seems so unimportant, so invaluable, has such a big impact on each and every one of our lives. A little glass box, that we rub and swipe at all day. Something that takes up so much of our time and attention. Something so small that it can fit in our pocket, has such a huge influence over every action we take and word we say. Possibly for the fear of being recorded and made fun of, or for the fear that everything about you is somewhere on the internet, or maybe even something else, something we don’t know of yet.
We don’t realise how addicted we are to our devices until we try to stay away from them for a day. For most of us, it's easier said than done. It's like having a pacifier to not only stop our cries of boredom, but to cut us off from the scary reality of our world. It's scary to think about all the millions of things the internet does for us. Carry all our information which gets given away to who knows who, avoids us having to think about our own opinions and just showing us what others think. There are obviously so many more but it's completely nuts to think that something that isn’t even alive knows you better than your closest friends and family. Our beliefs are just a whisper in a shout.
Everything in our lives are controlled by the screen. From the words we say, the things we do, even down to the things we truly believe. We are all being manipulated in tiny degrees to the point that we don’t even notice. Everything from watching shows for entertainment to simply hearing about the news is now online. With technology constantly changing and improving, it can be very hard to tell what’s true. Biased and manipulated news and deep fakes run through our social media feeds and out newspaper headlines making it nearly impossible to know for sure that what you’re hearing is real. Almost every piece of news, comments, speeches are biased to one’s personal values and beliefs. So how are we to form opinions for ourselves?
We are bombarded by masses of facts from so many different sources. Words are constantly being manipulated by people and looked upon by millions. Facts are often twisted in all sorts of stories and realities. Most of the time, we aren’t even witnessing these live, they are being planted in our minds through the media. Speeches or comments are opinionated no matter how impartial one may try to be, and it can be extremely hard to miss. Drama catches everyone’s attention, especially when it’s the main thing we see and hear. We can’t help but dig deeper into certain things without noticing its presence. We become obsessed.
Obsessed with keeping up, obsessed with being heard, obsessed with what others have to say. Just like rumours, the words, the images, the videos are being tossed across to everyone. Shared, liked, saved.
Not only are we so accustomed to judging other people, but we have started to judge our self worth through the opinions of others. The amount of likes we get, the comments filled with compliments, or not so nice words. The internet has turned into a nasty place, filled with hate and negativity. Instead of trying to inform one another and share our passions and interests, we have become so focused on what we can do to get approval from others, to be the most liked, to be seen as “cool” by our peers. “Cool” is defined differently to each and every individual, so why should we try to fit the mold. The mold doesn't work. There isn’t any one specific mold. Why should it matter what someone else thinks of you? Why should it matter how many likes you get compared to that other person? Why should any of it matter?
As individuals, we believe that our thoughts come from within. That our conclusions are based solely on our personal opinion. Nowadays, the media can even manipulate us into thinking that the opinions we see online are our own. There is room for reflection here. Is this really what I think? Is the type of person I want to be? Am I really making big decisions based on what I think, or what others think I should do? Contribute to what you believe is a dream life in your mind with real, enjoyable experiences, not the dream life you are told to live. All these things relate to the obsessive sweet pacifier, our devices, by our side when we want their comfort.
So is technology the villain in this story? No. Technology has come so far and helped us in ways we never thought possible. We have evolved our medicine, communication, and many other things. But inventions can always be used in a negative way. In a sense, we are our own villains. If we continue to be manipulated through this harsh environment, our society will lose control. Lose control of the very thing that connects us all, connects people from different ends of the Earth, the Earth on which the only things we really need to survive, are food, water, air, and shelter. Technology is not a necessity, it’s a luxury. Let's learn to give it the importance it deserves. Let’s not let it run our lives. Let us have control of our devices, not them control over us.
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