The Barrier of Modern Technology

      As an engineer, I often wonder if I am contributing to modern society's lack of human to human communication. Of course this is a subject very much talked about, and that is why I feel the need to address it in my own regards.

Its come to my attention, that a majority of the people I surround myself with, are immersed in their touch screens. It's hard to remember when phones were still connected to land lines and there was this idea of the "home" phone. It also worries me sick to my stomach how young children now are given tablets/iPads/electronics in general to keep them busy. I'm not saying that technology is bad, it's a field that I wish to forward. I'm trying to deliver the message that technology is nice for the convenience factor when the certain technology is not a life necessity. But, technology should not be so used in our daily lives so much that we have to rely on them.

Every morning I take the bus to school. On the way there will always be people who have their eyes stuck on their phone screens (seriously never looking up even once). So much of the surrounding is lost. It's as if the whole world was just in a simple rectangular mechanism. Not to mention walking and texting is also dangerous. I have many times almost ran over a device wielding pedestrian while riding my bike.

When I go out to dinner with friends, there is always the awkward moment when they check their phones. Then, I feel obligated to check mine as well just so there is not a weird silence involved. It feels like we dedicate so much time to keeping up with social media, that we forget our close friends. We try to have a large number of friends, instead of sticking to a few close friends. Socializing is no longer largely a group of friends, but being in a Facebook group chat.

I've watched my siblings grow up immersed in their games and screens. It's hard to make a connection with them and ask them to go places with me, because their technology has become far more interesting than their sister. A side of me is still incomplete. I remember how riding my bike through the neighborhood with childhood friends was the happiest events that occurred. There were forts we built, castles we lived in, and unbreakable bonds. More imagination is loss through upcoming generations. The forts, the castles, the kingdoms are now all encapsulated in thin devices. Perhaps I am wrong, but we've replaced the priceless with pricey.