Technology has been both a blessing and a curse in the lives of the public. While it definitely has it’s advantages that make life easier and more convenient, it can also deprive people of the basics in life such as human interaction. Millennials live in a bubble in which all they know is technology and life without it is foreign. The older generation often speaks down upon this technology driven culture and refers to their time as more of a golden era. Both sides have their reasoning on why their generation is better which is natural. The question still stands though, is technology an advantage or a disadvantage in today’s society?
Old timers came up in a generation where the main way to interact with someone was face to face. Sure, there were phone conversations but human interaction was definitely stressed more so than it is now. If you wanted to talk to someone, sooner or later you were going to have to approach them and have a conversation. This made everything more authentic and straight forward. A lot of people in this generation have become introverted and stuck in a zombie like trance looking at their cell phone. These people interact with others mostly over the web and never really develop a healthy personality. Also, technology can also become dangerous because sometimes people create a completely false persona to lure an unknowing victim to them. When too much information is provided over the web, it can lead to identify theft, robbery, etc. Lastly, almost everything having to do with technology can be hacked. This leaves people’s personal information, finances etc. at risk constantly.
The advantages of the olden days are countless. Children and adults alike were naturally more creative. When thinking of ways to keep each other entertained and have fun, they actually had to go outside and find their own fun. This was an advantage because in this generation, if someone’s phone or tablet dies, it seems as though people don’t know what to do with themselves. People are so reliant on technology without realizing that it isn’t real life and it can be taken away at any moment. Social media was supposed to be something that brought everyone together, but somehow , it made everyone distant. Countless people carry out fake personas behind the confines of a computer screen, fooling the general public.
On the flip side of things, human being’s natural instinct is to progress. You can’t fault a society for finding newer, more innovative ways to interact with each other. The older generations tends to condemn the youth and refers back to their times as superior but they’re forgetting one thing; the only difference between them and the millennials is that they didn’t have access to the things that millennials have and if they did, they would have been the same way. In other words, you can’t fault a generation for being more progressive and having more things, because that is what the youth is about, progressing.
For every disadvantage that technology brings, there are about five advantages. With technology and social media, people all across the country and the world are accessible. Communication is made at the click of a button and things like Skype and FaceTime make it even easier. Information is way easier to get to and search engines like Google seemingly have all the answers of the world at our fingertips. Education is available more conveniently with online classes. Entertainment is extremely better with all the video games, movies and music available as well. Technology has revolutionized the health industry by limiting doctors mistakes and also made traveling quicker and more comfortable. It is without question that technology has made the world a better place.
Naturally, every generation will have it’s two cents to say about the one that comes after it because experiencing change is hard. This circumstance is no different. Technology has made some people out of touch but it has also made life easier. Like with everything else in the world, too much of it can be detrimental. This should not be attributed as a negative towards technology but rather the people who abuse it. Everyone is different and while some people have chosen technology instead of their social life, others have used it to strengthen it. Everyone is one call or click of a button away and being away from home and family is easier with things like Facebook. Technology has not weakened society but rather strengthened it and pushed it forward. It is up to the people to use it in moderation and still enjoy an authentic human experience.