Humanity. We have created and developed technologies and machinery that has enabled us to do things that our ancestors of centuries past may have barely if at all ever envisioned possible.
We have sent ourselves to the moon using what we call spacecraft, eliminated diseases and viruses through medicine, and connected nearly the entire world with a tool of communication called the internet.
With every new technological invention and development comes two choices in how we use that technology. Within atomic physics we may possess the ability to provide free energy enabling life to thrive like never before on the earth. But also within atomic physics we have reached a point in history of possessing the capability to destroy the planet that we have never known.
With the internet we can communicate, learn, and discover relationships and friendships and work together no matter where we are physically located. But with this powerful tool for sharing information we can also utilize the virtual world to waste hours watching pornography and participate in the practice cyber-bullying.
Technology brings about both the best and the worst of humanity. The way in which we use the tools we have accentuate what we think about and how we think in regards to how we use things to shape the way we live. Some look at a tool and consider how it might be used to help others live better, others look at a tool and consider how they might use it for their own betterment. Seeking one’s own betterment, in one sense is not bad, but in doing so we often neglect to recognize or we ignore the unforeseen impact our actions may cause in seeking our own personal profit.
The more intertwined humanity’s way of life has become with technological devices has contributed to shaping the way we think and the way we live. In 1980 the average American home had 3 computing devices. Today the average home has 25. Certainly, computers have provided a certain amount of freedom from time-consuming tasks which can now be performed in a matter of milliseconds by a computer. In our fast-paced world of super-computing power we are connected instantly with the world and can share everything happening in our lives with those we call “friends” online.
I would argue that the instantaneous capacity for communicating and sharing information with one another is an incredible mechanism for building relationships. But as individuals at the helms of our machines send information to one another could it be that we become, at least a little bit, less human in how we interact? When more and more of our communication is happening through text-form we are utilizing a severely limited form of true relational communication. We start dating through text, breakup through text, arrange meetings through text, and many conduct most of their daily conversations with others through text. If you’ve ever attempted to use sarcasm in humor through text, you likely understand the limitations of this form of communication.
With our increasing dependency on machines in our daily lives and lifestyles, what the world need now is our humanity. The more attached we become to our cell phones and tablets, the less time we spend interacting with one another. True and genuine humanity – understanding who we are and our connection to one another – is needed more than ever.