Are We Too Dependent On Technology?

From the mid-19th century onwards, there has been a massive upsurge in the advancements of technology. It is hard to deny that this increase in technology is directly proportional to our dependence on it. Our ancestors used to be hunter-foragers who roamed the world, collected food for themselves and their tribe, kept close contact with nature. They had zero technology in their lives, and it was a simple, happy time. Humans had enough. However, the humans of today can never live like that for one simple reason - technology. We would not be able to adapt to the world, having been in touch with technology from the first moment we opened our eyes. The answer to the question, “Are we too dependent on technology?”, can simply be answered with a quick glance around us. In restaurants, trains, roads, offices, even in our own homes, people are found with their heads bent over devices with a soft blue light on their faces. We spend hours and hours on those devices, forgoing physical contact with people, and sacrificing interpersonal relationships. In the 16 or so hours that we are awake, about four hours are spent using some form of technology. That’s 25% of our day! A major reason for our dependence on technology is social media. Social media is designed and programmed to be addictive, and this has been admitted by the higher-up officials of many platforms. While it is true that social media is a wonderful form of entertainment and contact, can that excuse the lack of productivity and feelings of anxiety and depression that it imbibes in us? Technology is good - up to a limit. Too much of anything is bad. Technology has the power to positively alter our lives, and are a boon for the weaker sections of society. But it shouldn’t overtake us, and the only way this is possible is by us reducing our dependency on it.