Love can be found anywhere in the world. We see in relationships how two people, or more, can love each other, as well as being able to love ourselves. This can be the same for technology because we love the way it feels to “bed rot” and scroll mindlessly through Tik Tok after a long day. Technology consists of the Internet, as well as phones and computers that ultimately connect us to the digital world. However, the connection between us and technology has had detrimental effects on our mental and physical health. Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and sociologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, illustrates the dark truth about technology in her essay “The Empathy Diaries.” It is the idea that we enjoy losing ourselves to our connection with technology and Myli Petrocci, a first-year student at the University of New England, highlights that we should feel freedom outside of our screens. There is a sense of convenience with always being connected to our loved ones and another first year student at UNE, Katie McGuire, makes this point, while also arguing that technology is causing anxiety and depression. Being born in the age of technology has made me come to the realization that technology impacts individuals differently and it is the way that we use it that shapes who we are as people. Even though we can connect with others through technology, our constant state of distraction and stress has resulted in negative effects on mental health such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
Like many people in today’s world, technology has become a part of our daily rituals. We wake up, we check our phone, and when we are at work, we are aimlessly scrolling through our emails, and even while we are driving, we yearn for more screen time. It has become addicting to check our phones out of habit, and I bet that you have already looked over at it to see what notification you have received. I do not consider myself as someone that relies on their phone for a sense of belonging, but for me to feel like I fit in with others around my age, I have become someone that compares myself to others. Petrocci makes the same point by saying that “I used to care so much about social media, checking likes and comments, counting and analyzing, and the most frequent habit was comparing. It’s hard not to compare yourself when people put their whole being on social media, only sharing their most impressive attributes.” The reason we are in a constant state of distraction is because we are always comparing ourselves to others, even if we do not intend to. People tend to show only certain aspects of their lives on social media to get followers and have others like them. This concept makes me question how many people like us for who we are or simply like our posts while making fun of us behind their screen. This toxic relationship between people and social media has made me realize that I too have fallen down this rabbit hole. I could talk for hours about other people’s posts, but I would never say anything about them to their face. Constant “shit-talking” and screenshotting people’s post to spread around causes me anxiety and makes me feel like I am on edge. The presence of technology has been engrained in my very being even though I understand that it is not healthy for me.
The ability to converse with others comes with practice, but what happens when we stop talking to each other? The younger generation has specifically been targeted with the constant need to text each other, rather than speaking in person. McGuire shares her own personal experience by saying that “It has become rare that you see a kid or my age group without their phone or a form of technology at places like restaurants or the dining hall. This restricts the ability to have genuine conversations and develop relationships. I find myself turning to my phone instead of thinking and finding interest in a conversation.” As a college student, McGuire continues to experience how her and others avoid conversation by hiding behind their screens. People are scared to make eye contact these days because they are always distracted by their phones, resulting in them preferring conversation over text messages. Turkle argues that “these days we find ways around conversation. We hide from each other even as we’re constantly connected to each other. For on our screens, we are tempted to present ourselves as we would like to be. Of course, performance is part of any meeting, anywhere, but online and at our leisure, it is easy to compose, edit, and improve as we revise” (344). Avoiding in-person conversation allows people to present themselves in a way that hides their faults and insecurities even when given the opportunity to speak with others