Technology is in the saddle and rides mankind

Technology is an interesting phenomenon. In my early teens I became consumed with the Internet, and the concept of instant messaging. Since my parents were from an older generation, (my father was born in 1941, and my mother in 1960), I was able to get away with a lot in the beginning. I didn’t have any objections from them when I first began to dabble in online games and instant messaging with my friends because they simply did not understand what I was doing, or what I was up to. However, soon it became clear through my behavior (spending upwards of 5 hours a day glued to the computer, and being very grouchy from a lack of sleep due to extensive computer usage) that I had an addiction to MSN (instant messaging).

I remember being completely consumed with messaging my friends and “staying in the loop”. My parents began to forcibly limit my computer usage time, in an attempt to break my addiction. I used to cry to my parents that they were ruining my life, because I would be the only person at school the next day that didn’t know what was going on. In response to my cries, my mom would say to me “Lacey, it’s not good to be available to people 24/7.” This phrase has stuck with me every since. Technology can be a great thing. Social networking sites are excellent in helping communities come together, and many great things can come from this type of technology. However, my mom’s wisdom still seems to hold true.

When you are available to the public 24/7 through several mediums, many issues start to arise. You become consumed with keeping up to date with text messages, emails, facebook, and other social forums. Other people begin to expect instant responses from you at all times, because they KNOW that you own a smart phone and that you have received their message via text/email/facebook etc. Mass amounts of time can easily be wasted managing all the above-mentioned methods of communication. Unless you are disciplined enough to turn off your phone/handheld device/computer, you will be constantly bombarded by people. I sometimes wonder if this type of technology, although wonderful at times, is the reason why there is a much higher incidence of “mental breakdowns” and “burn-outs” among Canadians today. Technology is supposed to make life “easier”, however, it seems to me that often it is the cause of increased stress on individuals. Like many things in life, balance is key. Too much of anything, including technology, is going to cause problems.