Times Have Changed and So have our Interactions!
Times have changed and so have our way of living, our values, and our belief systems.
The times before the internet made a foray into our world were simpler times. Lives were less
complicated and we were using more things that were natural.
If we go back in time, humans have lived through an era before machines and gadgets were in-
vented. Those were the times where nearly everything was done physically. Then came the in-
dustrial revolution which brought in mechanization and simplified lives.
Consequently, physical activity reduced as machines did a lot of the work. As technology ad-
vanced, we were introduced to new gadgets that further simplified our lives.
As lives became simpler with gadgets and devices, our physical activities reduced, we had more
time on our hands for work and pleasure. While some used time, technology, and efforts produc-
tively to grow and prosper, many others wasted the extra time they had.
Obesity, mental health issues started making headway in our society. The human weight which
was not too much a cause of concern earlier because of physical activities, suddenly became one.
The reason was that lifestyles had become sedentary. Normal day-to-day chores did not require
one to exert too much. As a result, people had to include exercises in their daily routine to remain
fit.
Communication in those times was meeting people and having face-to-face conversations. Or
picking up a phone and dialing friends and family for a casual chat.
Technological innovations continued at a fast pace and we were offered newer and better devices
that further enhanced the quality of life.
One of the most revolutionary inventions was, The Internet!
The internet changed all aspects of our lives. It helped address the problem of communication
between people located geographically apart. Email and other means of communication soon re-
placed fax machines, etc. to offer a much better mode of communication.
The era of the internet also brought in several other changes. It provided us easy access to infor-
mation. The internet helped people make better decisions that are based on data instead of just
going by one’s intuition.
And, then there was the next BIG Revolution!
Enter, Mobiles!
Mobiles were simple devices meant to provide a means of communication on the move. The first
mobiles that arrived facilitated only calls. They advanced a little adding on the feature of mes-
saging.
So, communication was either through calls or text messages.
Fast Forward to Current Times!
Mobiles have become “smart” and we have a plethora of smartphones with extraordinary fea-
tures!
When smartphones first arrived, they were fancy devices that did what mobiles did. But they got
smarter with time. And, now our smartphones can serve as cameras, phones, help us text, send
emails, use social media, apps, etc.
All these innovations further reduced our physical activity and interactions. We prefer to sit in
one place and complete all our activities with a small handheld device! Whether we want to or-
der food, need entertainment, play, communicate, network, pay bills, do banking, everything is
possible through our smartphones.
The direct impact of inactivity is the growing cases of obesity across the globe. And, the result is
the rising number of gyms to help us lose weight. The irony is that we will reach the gym driving
a vehicle and try to park it close to the gym so that we do not have to walk too much, just to
reach a place where we need to work out to lose weight!
So this is how we have evolved through different technological innovations.
Through each of these stages, our mode of communication has changed. Face-to-face interac-
tions and conversations were first replaced by phone calls, then texts, and now we prefer to
communicate only through messages! Smileys and emoticons have replaced real smiles on our
faces. Even when people go out for dinners, etc. they are neither interested in the food they are
eating nor the person seated across the table from them.
Smartphones have become the lifeline of our lives!
And, what are we doing on our mobiles?
Looking at social media, playing games, and sometimes working!
Even games like Tennis, etc. that was played outdoors can now be played with a simple gadget
like the “Wii.” So, kids can sit at home and play any game of their choice through simulations.
They do not get any physical activity!
Their social interactions are limited! It would be better to say, social interactions have been re-
placed by social media interactions!
The virtual world has taken them away from reality!
Today everything that we knew of life has changed!
We have moved from natural to synthetic. We have adopted a plastic life where everything is su-
perficial. Unfortunately, this lifestyle does not align with our intrinsic human values and systems.
And, this is the reason for the exponential rise in the number of mental health cases in recent
years. Not to forget the degradation of the environment.
Technology and innovation are essential parts of our lives. They indicate our progress and they
offer tools that simplify lives. But, what has happened is that we have allowed technology to
control us! And, this is the root cause of all problems. As long as we use technology to make our
lives easy, everything is fine! The minute we cannot do without technology, there is a problem!
You can test this fact on yourself. Just switch off your internet for two hours or keep aside your
mobile and all gadgets including television for one hour. And, check how you feel!
If you do not feel something is missing and are comfortable with everything around you, you are
among the lucky few who is not controlled by technology.
I have seen my own son’s reaction if the internet does not work for even 10 minutes. He raises
heaven and hell! He is so disturbed as if a catastrophe has fallen! And, this kind of reaction is not
unique to him, this is a common reaction for most people his age. We are leading lives where
technology is the driving force for everything we do.
Along with all other things that technology has brought us, the one that has become a dominant
factor in our lives is—-Social Media!
We wake up in the morning with the mobile in our hands and start fervently scrolling up and
down to check what has happened on our WhatsApp groups or social media platforms.
We feed our minds with all kinds of irrelevant data at the start of the day when our minds are
clean and most receptive. Consequently, we find that we are unable to think clearly, we are hard-
pressed for time, and of course, stressed.
We do not associate the state of our minds with something as trivial as WhatsApp messages or
social media interactions. We believe we are communicating with friends. But unfortunately, this
communication sets the tone for the rest of the day!
This is just the beginning of the day! As we proceed through the day all our activities are inter-
spersed with our participation on various social media channels. We are interested in posting up-
dates, checking from time to time, how many likes or comments we have received, etc. Or we
get into unnecessary discussions and debates on WhatsApp groups.
Life has become more complex because our goals are influenced, to a large extent, by what we
see on social media. We are now people who want instant gratification, immediate results. We do
not have the time to wait! And, then social media is full of get-rich-quick schemes. We get en-
tangled in them and when we realize that we cannot get rich with all these schemes, we start
judging ourselves and our self-esteem goes down.
If we look at life before social media came into being, the competitive feeling existed at a very
low scale. But, social media has also made humans more competitive than ever before. This is
because social media has become a popular arena for the “war of likes.” Social media users are
busy accumulating stuff or behaving weirdly just to get attention in the form of likes, comments,
etc.
In their frenzy to become popular on social media channels, many people no longer care about
right/wrong, values, ethics, principles, etc.
It’s almost like “All is fair in Love, war, and Social Media!”
Key Takeaways:
We are living in an era where technology is a vital part of our lives. While technology has simplified our
lives in several ways, it has affected our lives negatively too!
Thanks to technological innovations, our physical activities have reduced drastically, leading to health
issues.
Communication has become easier and faster. But, we are getting used to communicating using technolo-
gy rather than physical interactions. In other words, we prefer to express our feelings through emoticons
and text messages rather than words and expressions. It has negatively impacted our relationships. Relati-
onships and communication are the cornerstones of emotional well-being. And, so we have rising cases of
mental health issues.
We need to use technology in a balanced manner to make our lives easy but do not lose ourselves in a
technological muddle.
Read complete book on Amazon:
Social Media Tomfoolery by Kanika Saxena
Link: https://www.amazon.in/Social-Media-Tomfoolery-Watch-Deception-ebook/dp/B098LLPN6Z
