Technology was brought to life to lessen the strenuous process of work and be a hand to us humans. Over the years, technology has revolutionized our world. It has created amazing tools and resources, putting useful information at our fingertips. The internet, web and social media platforms were born to bring us all closer together regardless of age, colour and distance. This project was created with the philosophy that much academic information should be freely available to anyone and the essential part of this is to allow ourselves and our world to be better, by integrating the learning and information that we acquire from one another to form a unified global society. Connecting the world through various ideas, perceptions, beliefs and the likes was the main deal until this great evolution of technology had gone beyond our imaginations.
Modern technology has made it possible for the discovery of many multi-functional devices that is indeed useful in our lives. With all of these revolutions, I, myself is fascinated on how the world works differently compared in the past generation. Before the advent of digital technology, doing things was truly laborious. Today, with web and internet all the work is much simpler. The Web has become a part of our everyday lives – something we access at home, on the move, on our phones and on TV. It’s changed the way we communicate and has been a key factor in the way the Internet has transformed the global economy and societies around the world. With the invention of Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and other social media platforms that connects all the users, it is now possible to interact, share and exchange feedbacks with other people. Irrespective of the location our messages gets delivered on these platforms in nanoseconds. Yes. This is how amazing our modern technology is. With your gadget on your hand, all the work is done, update your status, and be connected to the world.
In Sherry Turkle’s “Connected but Alone?” she emphasized how technology has impacted our lives especially in communication. Technology has changed everything, from what we do, to who we are, tech had been the greatest factor of this all. Because of this evolving generation, machines are not the only ones who upgrading, humans as well. But just like any other machines that have been left out due to the modernization and globalization, the people of this universe are also suffering from a disease that technology had caused. It is a disease that is continually growing and developing and if we will not make any action, we will eventually forever be connected but alone.
Twenty years ago, the internet was an escape from the real world but today, the real world is an escape from the internet. The present realities of this generation of gadgets is that we are facing an alarming situation whereas we tend to focus on connecting to everyone else but the sad reality is, we are practicing to disconnect and customizing our lives with what is trending and what is new. Going with the flow with the way of living of other people, being too dependent on the status that social media had been implementing and most especially we are so drowned to the fact that we need to realistically fake ourselves in order to connect. Charging to connect is new game rather than connecting to recharge our spirits.
It is fascinating that we are so in love with communication, but the real deal is, we are actually losing conversation just for mere connection. Uploading stories on messenger, having a lot of followers on Instagram, updating the universe regarding your feelings and happenings in life on Twitter, and exploding notifications on Facebook are just some connections that we are so addicted about. We all wanted constant attention that we do all kinds of stuff just to maintain the image that we have created. We opt to think that our devices are our greatest and the best companion that we could ever have. Because despite the people that surround us, the longing and desperation to hold our gadgets became innate to us. It sad how technology no longer make us united when to begin with, it was created to make us closer to one another.
The failure to communicate adequately adds up to the reasons why global issues have emerged. Some examples are poverty, climate change, economy and security. One of the major challenges in our time is climate change. All of those shifting weathers that ruins the food production that is one of the reason for poverty, the rising of sea levels that increase the risk of flooding and the scope of such impacts of climate change do not just affect a certain community but affects globally. The conflict between countries that causes war is also one of the global issues that had emerged long ago. Gordon Brown, (2009) stated that “What we see unlocks the invisible ties and bonds of sympathy that bring us together to become a human community.” All effects would have been prevented if all the countries involved could have communicated well. Security and peace that could have been achieved if there would be a good communication happening between countries. All of these global issues could have been prevented if only there were a good communication. A communication that would benefit the majority and will result to a better global society.
Moreover, Shirky (2012), emphasized that what matters in today’s communication “is not technical capital…it is social capital.” This is exactly where I believe that effective communication does not just include the way we use the words but also covers several other skills such as non-verbal communication, ability to speak militantly and the ability to understand your own emotions as well as of the other person that you are communicating with. Our idea was to bring dynamic content and foster more discussion and communication through better social media tools. Knowing all of those attributes will help a certain individual to attain a peaceful global society.
We may call to mind that technology was made for ourselves and to the world to be an instrument in order to achieve great things for the betterment of the globe and all people. Hence, communication from real connections is what we need so let us all rise to face the beautiful gifts of life with enlightened minds that we are the reality, no posting, no liking, just living!
References
[TED]. (2009, July 22). Gordon Brown: Wiring a web for global good [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7rrJAC84FA
[TED]. (2012, November 16). How social media can make history – Clay Shirky [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASZJE15E0SY
[TED]. (2012, April 3). Connected, but alone?|Sherry Turkle [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4
