There was a time when meeting someone at a shopping centre involved patiently waiting for them to arrive. Nowadays, you just grab your phone and text them or check their shared location using one of the many apps out there. Do you remember after first meeting someone having to ask them to write their phone number on a piece of paper? All we have to do right now is add them on Facebook, and if this fails, we just resort to “googling” them. Technology has redefined the way we stay in touch and the way we socialise.
Mobile phones were intended for staying in touch with people, be it family or friends, while away from a landline. This inherently is not bad: it allows us to go anywhere and still remain connected. What’s more, in case of an emergency, we are able to reach out for help and, as a parent, tracking your children in today’s world is certainly comforting.
Equipped with cameras that ensure you can capture any memory on the go, these devices serve as day planners or personal organisers and allow for constant interaction with anyone anywhere via email, text message or any other digital way of communication.
Move aside! Unless you want to get run over by a distracted mob of mobile users, you better watch where you’re walking, because they certainly aren’t. Source
There is nothing bad with accepting and embracing technology as part of our lives. However, overusing and even abusing mobile phones is a common picture, especially for today’s youth. These inanimate objects have become as important as the people around them, or even more so in some cases. It’s not uncommon to see people go ballistic over a lost phone.
But what’s even worse is how we isolate ourselves from anything that happens while using these devices. This is why the presence of a mobile device within a group of people interacting face to face has proved to interfere with human relationships negatively, especially when discussing personal and meaningful topics.
Recent research carried out shows that mobile phones are not as benign as we thought they were. Although there is a lack of assertive evidence that they cause tumors and cancer, given these devices operate using magnetic fields, studies indicate that they might affect our living cells.
As if that were not enough, the constant ringing, vibrating, alerts and reminders are enough to put users on edge. A study conducted in Sweden has determined that overusing mobile devices is closely related to mental health issues in young adults. Where women suffer from stress, men have symptoms of depression, and both genders alike have problems sleeping. Ultimately anything that affects our health as individuals, also affects the way we interact with the rest of the human race.
We used to call people to socialise. Now, we just text short sentences. Are we so busy with our virtual lives that we have forgotten our real lives? I love technology as much as the next person but it’s time to give our thumbs a rest and reconnect: turn off your mobile, get some real ‘facetime’ and have a long, deep and meaningful conversation. You might be surprised.Main image source