I used to see Technology as something
I wanted to use as little as possible. But recently, technology has developed
into a bigger piece of my life. A few months ago, I exchanged my simple, key
board phone, appropriate for texting and calling, for a Smartphone. Constant questioning
and pressure from my friends also influenced me to make a Facebook account. These
two additions of technology in my life seemed miniscule at first, however
overtime they began to influence my everyday routine tremendously. Checking Facebook
and texting my friends has now become a daily routine. Even when I go to school
and talk to my friends, I sometimes go home and text them the same day for
hours at a time. Before I got a phone, if someone told me he or she texted their
friends all the time after school, I would have wondered, is there really that
much to talk about? However, anyone with a phone would probably agree, there really is that much to talk about.
Similar to most people who own a Smartphone,
I have also experienced the extreme time commitment that accompanies technology.
In the video called Bendito Machine,
the addictive qualities of technology develop quickly within the seemingly tribal
and culturally centered community. As the people realize the different uses of
the Bendito Machine for exercise, entertainment, and knowledge, more and more
people begin to utilize the new technology. Both large and small aspects of
their lifestyle begin to change, including the way they dress and spend their
time. Similar to the Bendito machine, my Smartphone has become a main source of
entertainment, and communication.
I did not realize how much time I
spend using my phone until it broke a few days ago. During those three,
unfortunate and endless days when I lived without a Smartphone, I realized how
many hours were actually in a day, when I wasn’t looking at my phone ten times
every hour. It seemed to be a revelation to me: when I don’t have my phone next
to me, homework takes less time.
Although technology consumes a lot of
my time, I don’t know if phones should be considered a bad thing. Technology
seems to serve as a distraction and time
waster, or at least that’s what a lot of grownups tell me, however I believe it
has not added anything extra to people’s lives. Technology simply gives people different
ways to do what they naturally want to do. Humans have a desire to communicate,
listen and tell stories to each other, and Face book, Smartphones and other
technology have created an easily accessible way to talk to friends and family.
Communicating is a natural, human characteristic. Although technology has
altered the way people talk to each other, it has not necessarily added new
concepts to the human lifestyle. Technology makes natural human activities more
accessible and it enhances the human desire to play games, and look at other people’s
lives.
Smartphones have an addictive quality to humans
because they make human activities easy to access. People do not have to travel
somewhere to see friends, meet new people, or do fun activities. Simply sitting
on a couch and clicking a few buttons provides communication and feeds the human
desire to be constantly entertained.
Although when I broke my phone, I suddenly
had more time to do school work and other fun things like that, I still had the
desire to communicate with people. Without my phone, I felt sort of lonely as I
did not have an instant source of entertainment or a constant way to talk with
people. However, during those three days I simply learned to ignore the empty
feeling. I think phones have made people realize and develop their natural lust
for communication and fun activities. Although some may argue technology gives
people a way to waste their time, I believe technology gives people a way to
simply be human.
