As you read this article, chances are, that you have a tab opened of either Facebook, Twitter or any other popular social media platform and you’re now planning to check your phone, which sits over your head while you sleep, as it constantly beeps and buzzes away with messages, as they keep flowing in. ‘Plugged in, connected and updated’, but really?
I write this to express as to why all those devices of technology that are meant to keep us connected to millions at once are in reality making us believe in an illusion of companionship and why it’s disturbing to see 11 year olds resting their heads over 4’’ inch screens of their smart phones while bragging about how many friends they have on Facebook. Don’t get me wrong, this is not me bashing technology. Technology and its developments are great and powerful. They have made us see and reach places that we couldn't even imagine a few years back and have brought people closer regardless of geographical boundaries’. It’s been phenomenal, no doubts. However, this is me telling of how too much of a dependency (which is a sad reality of our updated lives, today), is ironically making us more lonely and anti-social and we’re ultimately losing at the end of this process.
A person’s life comprises of real connections, interactions and experiences, or, that’s how it used to be. There was a time when we actually wanted to go out, meet people and have heart to heart conversations with our loved ones. But now we’d just drop in a ‘HI, WHATS UP?’ to stay connected. This is all but in name a ‘relation’ you’re trying to keep. Let’s not fool ourselves with this image of us being ‘social’, it’s an illusion. We in a lot of ways are modifying the kind of relationships’ we have with people, which in fact, is taking away from the real delight of being ‘social’. Agree or disagree, we’re all becoming ‘social’ recluses. Majority of people, be it teenagers or even those from yesteryear generations (yes, they’re catching up on technology too) have this growing constant need to be in touch via social media, to satisfy their urge of superficial interactions. Even when sitting with friends and family, it’s not an uncommon sight of seeing people checking their Instagram, or Facebook or texting others. We’re growing distant to each other and the quality of human relationships and conversations is deteriorating drastically. Furthermore, this obsession is also affecting our ability to spend time with ‘ourselves’. We don’t seem to be comfortable in ‘solitude’. We knowingly or unknowingly always want to be connected and fill empty moments with random conversations with even more random people. We are happier chatting to strangers while sitting in front of our glorious laptop screens while giving out an impression of ourselves that is more often than not untrue.
So, what one should take away from this is, let’s not make interactions and connections through technology a part of your every waking moment. Real connections are what impart long term happiness. Go around, observe people, have conversations over a cup of coffee, read a book, find a hobby and better yourself. Social networking is crucial, but it shouldn't be the dictating force that guides all your interactions with people. That’s selfish. Moreover, take time to feed relations which will stand by you or have stood by you (your 3 AM friends or your family) because they make your life worthwhile.
