How Technology Is Affecting Modern-Day Lives
By Reyansh Jain, 6th Grade
How would you respond if I told you that the internet is playing in your mind? Yes, you heard me right. Regularly used social media apps such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are toying with your psychological vulnerabilities (consciously and unconsciously) against you in the race to grab your attention. And I want to show you how they do it.
Hijacking Your Mind
Like magicians, product designers for these social media giants are looking for our blind spots, edges, vulnerabilities, and limits of people's perception. So, they can influence our minds without you even realizing it, giving you the illusion of free will while choreographing your every move. Yelp's endless restaurant options can lead to decision fatigue, causing users to forget their original intent. Instead of asking "Where can we go to keep talking?" the group is distracted by the question "What's a restaurant with good photos of food?" The more choices technology provides, the more we rely on it to make decisions, forgetting our desires. This shows that the more choices technology gives us in nearly every domain of our lives (information, events, places to go, friends, dating, jobs) — the more we assume that our phone is always the most empowering and useful menu to pick from. But does it?
Taking Back Control
It's time to take back control and seek out more fulfilling experiences. The "most empowering" menu often differs from the one with the most choices. For instance, asking "Who's free tonight to hang out?" might only result in a list of recent contacts, rather than exploring local events with friends. Similarly, asking "What's happening in the world?" might lead to a menu of news feed stories, instead of uncovering unique opportunities nearby. It's time to start questioning the menus presented to us and utilize more empowering communication methods. As a society, we are becoming increasingly dependent on AI, and it may be time to reevaluate our reliance on it. However, we cannot control everyone's behaviors and actions, which has led to some negative consequences such as a decreasing attention span.
Drastic Decline
In the modern world, humans have the attention span of a goldfish. In today's world, it's hard to find a person who is not connected to technology in some way, with smartphones being the most popular device. These gadgets have become a necessity that's crucial to our daily survival. It's a rare sight to see someone waiting at a bus stand or a train station without being glued to their phone, either talking or scrolling through social media. It's become so normal that we no longer expect strangers to initiate conversations or exchange compliments. This lack of interaction is causing people to become more isolated from their society, and we are slowly losing touch with reality as we find ourselves in a crowded room, yet alone in our little corner.
Destroying The Future
Studies have shown that social media and technology use can lead to social isolation, depression, self-harm, and suicide among young adults. Additionally, technology has made multitasking possible, a useful feature, that some individuals tend to overuse. This results in a constant overload of information, and notifications can decrease our attention span and focus. The overuse of mobile devices can also cause phantom vibration syndrome, leading to anxiety and stress. However, it's false to assume all technology is inherently negative.
Beneficial Tech
Technology is often perceived in a negative light, but in reality, it has brought about numerous advancements in medicine and healthcare, including the development of vaccines. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, technology played a crucial role by enabling virtual meetings and online learning to occur. However, it's essential to remember that technology can become problematic when it turns into an addiction.