Going out of the house without a smartphone can cause discomfort for a large number of people these days. Most folk would get lost during road trips if all GPS devices would suddenly stop working.
The advancement of technology has made our lives so much easier, but does it influence our ability to function on our own?
Is technology distancing us from other people while at the same time works on our continuous underdevelopment? We’ll try and reach a conclusion in the article ahead of you.
Is it up to us?
Those that enjoy superhero adventures surely remember the phrase “With great power comes great responsibility”.
It is a part of human nature to build things that will facilitate our daily lives; since the first time our ancestors used a rock to hunt for food, all the way to an 18-year-old having his pizza delivered by a drone.
It seems like with each step of advancement in technology human population is required to use less of our mental and physical abilities.
But do we really need to know our calculus when we can use calculator app on our PC, smartphone, or even smartwatch? Are our spelling and grammar going to get worse if we stop proofreading our texts and search online for the best essay writer Australia, UK, USA, or some other English-speaking country has to offer?
The answer to these question is the same – our kind did not get this far by giving up on what we have learned over the ages, we enhanced our knowledge, used it to build more sophisticated tools. It’s a fair argument that millennials are better informed than baby-boomers, however, eloquence and access to information are not the same as intelligence.
Would Newton come up with the gravitational theory if he had an iPod? Probably yes, but who’s to say? A recent study conducted by a team of psychologists and Kaspersky Lab experts came to the conclusion that many of the modern-age population suffer from what is called “Google effect” or digital amnesia.
This is not yet an official medical condition, however, the symptoms include relying on computers to obtain general knowledge information, tendency to forget or never remember a piece of information if it’s available online, and lastly – instead of remembering information brain remembers the location where the information is stored.
Therefore, it’s safe to assume that Sir Isaac Newton would still be the same genius even if he was using our technology. Perhaps it would take more time for him to pick up all the pieces, but the result would probably be the same.
Is there a safe use?
Most researchers agree that technology influences our ability to perform, whether it’s work, school, or a hobby project. The secret lies in our use habits, especially during the work process.
The studies indicate that using a smartphone or similar devices in the middle of an operation can cause a distraction which could lead to the inability to continue what we started. In short, our focus is challenged.
Some experts claim that gadgets can cause addiction, making us not owners and users but slaves to our own devices. If you’re tempted to check your emails or notifications during work or talk to your friends or colleagues and you can’t resist the temptation, that’s the initial signal for concern.
Further concern over the influence of all the hi-tech tools and information we receive raises the fact that overusing digital platforms for any form of interaction leads to disability for social interaction and social withdrawal, too.
Spending too much time facing pixels can turn human contact into a strange and difficult endeavor. On the other hand, using technology when we needed it, and recognizing the situations where gadgets are really effective can make our lives better.
Conclusion
Perhaps people that lived centuries ago had to be more resourceful in order to survive. The technology that we possess allows us to enjoy life much easier.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that gadgets can make us stupid. The best piece of advice would be to only to use technology responsibly and only when it’s really needed.
Why walking all the way to a store if we can order food online. But why googling for an answer if we can come to a conclusion using logic and some head scratching.
Author Bio
Lauren Adley is a writer and editor at Essay Writing Lab and Writix. She is dedicated to her family, work and friends. She is keen on reading, playing the guitar and traveling. She is interested in educational, marketing and blogging issues. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter and Google+.
Leave a Reply