OPINION: The modern problem of technological dependence

The opening of an Apple store in Beijing. (Photo courtesy of Jake Ji/Flickr)

With the release of the iPhone 5, it becomes increasingly more evident that we have a growing attachment to technology. In the past, we could have completed simple tasks without an $800 tablet in hand—we could look at maps or search through a physical contact book manually. But, in recent years, we have become completely dependent on technology for almost everything. Forgetting our cell phone on our way out the door in the morning seemingly has become the equivalent of losing a kidney; you will, however, still survive considering you may have access to another piece of technology you consider crucial—your computer—later in the day.

Basically, by removing that single piece of technology, you feel as if you lose connections to the rest of the world. In forgetting that phone, Twitter, Facebook, Flipbook, weather and news have all been stripped from your access. Missing, too, is your contact list. You try to remember one of your best friend’s numbers and you cannot remember if it started with a 571 or 703 area code. Or maybe you just saw your friend fall down face first into someone carrying a cake; too bad you cannot take a picture because your phone is at home. This has become a detriment to the human mind.

The phone has evolved since its early days. Alexander Graham Bell first built a prototype that later replaced the telegraph as a means of communication. Fast forward several decades—a few years ago, you might run back home after a date and immediately punch in your best friend’s number. You did not have to repeat the number in your head twenty times to memorize—your friend’s phone number was something you just knew. You dial the number on the rotary phone and squeal in joy, telling your friend that your boyfriend gave you his class ring.

Back then, you had to remember her number—along with all of your friends’ numbers—so you did not seem like a nerd carrying a piece of paper and pulling it out at the payphone in the diner. Today, you just need to hold down a button and bark orders at Siri, having her call your best friend. Or, you can have her send a text via dictation, if you would prefer.

But do you actually remember your friend’s number?

Having a sense of direction has also seemed to become a thing of the past. After giving directions to those who ask, they often nod, smile and then some walk the wrong way or drive onto 95 south when they should be on 495 north. Naturally, many of them resort to pulling out their phones, looking at the map and finding their own directions to the destination.

Socializing in person has also dwindled in light of the big social networks. I can get in touch with friends and family that are hundreds of miles away in seconds. I can look at pictures of my nephews in the blink of an eye, but it’s sad to think I have not seen them in two years. Friends you have in the real world might rather chat with you via Facebook than grab coffee and enjoy the crisp autumn air. As humans, we have to socialize to keep our minds healthy. Physical contact with a friend cannot be replaced with typing words and throwing pictures into the internet.

Thinking about our technological advances brings up the 2003 re-make of the late-70s show “Battlestar Galactica.” Humans on far away planets, after many leaps in technology, created intelligent machines to serve them. The abuse of these machines caused them to rebel against their creators and try to annihilate them, much as technology today slowly deteriorates our mind.

We can see the beginnings of such a distinct dependence on technology now--we can extend a hand, flick our wrist, wiggle fingers and have the information presented to us in an instant. There is no need to remember why historical events transpired the way they did if we can find the information online in seconds. There is no need to remember phone numbers, email addresses or home addresses. We are becoming slaves to our technology; we have to try to break the chains in order to restore our brains’ almost infinite capacity.

Opinions expressed in this column are solely the beliefs of the writer. 

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