Over the past few months or so I have thought more and more about the influences of technology on culture and people. Just over the past decade crazy advances in technology have occurred. At this point in time just about everybody has a cell phone, a computer, and maybe a tablet. Now of course not everybody has a cell phone, but many do and I think I can also say that at least 50% of those who have cell phones have smart phones. They also rely on them quite heavily. I remember back in 2008 when I first held an iPhone, I remember thinking it was really cool, but I didn't think there was much of a reason to have one. I thought that you wouldn't really need all those features in normal practical life.
Less seven years from the time that phone was released in 2007 we now wonder how we live without our smart phones. How did that happen? How does something that seems maybe useful, but completely unnecessary later become so "necessary"? The labeling of an item as a necessity is merely a result of the changing of our minds ability to understand life with or without the said item.
Cell phones, computers, laptops and other advances in computer technology are quite useful. They help us to accomplish things faster and easier. They make it possible to accomplish certain feats and gain more knowledge. However, the overuse or incorrect usage of such technology isn't good for anyone.
I don't really have a cell phone, but from my observations of others that do I have come to the realization that cellphones are really a bother. At any moment of the day and even the night anyone can get a hold of you. That is nice for important things and predicaments of emergency, but that also means that whenever you hear your phone ring or ding you feel compelled and obligated to look at what it may be. If you don't believe me just try and not look at that notification on your twitter, facebook, and whatever else. Most likely its not important anyways.
I also have another hypothesis about the affect of cell phones and technology on us. I feel like we may be becoming more forgetful and easily distracted. Here is why; when you are reminded at the right time when you need to do something by your devise why do you need to exercise your brain's ability to remember? When we are so easily distracted by the ding of a notification, how do we not get distracted when it comes to anything else? I know this for myself really. I think that our giving in to all the distractions online is changing out mindset to a point where we have a hard time focusing on anything. Is it causing us to get distracted easier when reading God's Word or hearing the sermon at church? Have we given control over to our devise?
I'm not saying we should all get rid of our cell phones, tablets, and computers, but I'm saying that we should evaluate how the presence of such devices affects our lives and mindsets. Are we being distracted by our devises when we are focusing on something that is actually important, like living for God? Do we control our live, does God control our life, or do our devices somehow profoundly change us into someone we don't wish to be? Are we controlled by the very things we control?
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