Society’s Dependence on Technology

It’s apparent in our society that we use technology in many aspects of our lives, to the
extent where we cannot live without it. From the way we connect with each other on our mobile
devices, to a form of entertainment, advances in technology have taken over the world. Although
technology provides instant communication, society has become too dependent on technology
because people have the tendency to use it every minute, and are dealing with psychological
factors with the separation from their devices.
From a survey by CASA Columbia, 70% of teenagers ages 12-17 spend time on social
media in a typical day, which totals to 17 million teenage users. This displays how altered our
communication has become, and in a way we are becoming less social because we no longer
have to meet up with people in real life to find out what they are doing.
Another issue with social media is that it can lead to addiction. Certain tasks we need to
finish during the day become ignored, as our focus is diverted toward our phones. It affects our
motivation level in our productivity, and we lose a sense of our time as we procrastinate.
In my own life, social media outlets inhibit me from getting my work done, and I would
find myself scrolling through Instagram and Twitter for hours. I know I could be doing
something more productive, as social media absorbs all my attention away.
These outlets also made me think that procrastinating was okay. I would completely
disregard the assignments I had to do, and my focus was on what my favorite celebrities were up
to.
In addition, technology can negatively affect our well being.. For instance, the overuse of
mobile phones and other devices can increase psychological factors, such as low self esteem,
impulsiveness, sensation seeking, and a highly extroverted or introverted personality.
It can also worsen already existing disorders including social phobia, social anxiety
disorder, or panic disorder. We can see how the attachment towards our technology can
deteriorate our minds and impact us mentally for the worse.
From an interview with family and marriage therapist, Sharon Gilchrest O'Neill, she
explains that when we are waiting to receive a call, text, or social media notification, our bodies
and brains identify it as anxiety, as we are continuously anxious about not knowing what’s
happening with our technology.
We have formed a dependence on technology that is detrimental to our lives. We struggle
to live in the moment, and we are on our devices most of the time during the day. People are
affected negatively through this, and find their well being damaged from the pressure and
anxiety that technology brings.
Even though there are advantages to technology, it does create problems for people in
their personal lives including how they use their time. The purpose of technology should be
improving the efficiency of the aspects of human life and not replacing them.