One emotion that has become increasingly prevalent in our society because of technology and the media is boredom. With the ever growing presence of technology in our daily lives, our lives are centered around constant stimulation and instant gratification technology gives to its users. I’ve experienced this same feeling constantly throughout my life, whether it’s waiting in the airport, waiting in the car, standing in line at Disneyland, or sitting in class. The question is: what is causing these emotions? Had boredom always existed in our society? In a recent Vox News interview with author and professor Susan J. Matt, this topic is further discussed, with certain pieces of information integrated into my own opinion on this issue as well.
To me, boredom never existed before the presence of technology. People still experienced empty moments, but accepted them as a part of being human, and learned to deal with these situations and experiences. From my own experience, I can’t handle being bored for more than five minutes, complaining to those around me, or reaching for the cure to my boredom: technology. Loneliness is another emotion unable to be dealt with in many of our lives, also with the increasingly prevalent use of technology in our society. Back in the days without technology as our constant companion, loneliness was expressed as solitude, seen as a positive, meditative experience, giving it meaning and value. However, today, whenever we are lonely, we can always pick up our cell phone and engage in a technologized social world, escaping from these negative emotions and feelings.
Technology is always there for us, anytime of the day. It beckons us with the promise of fulfillment and excitement, promising instantaneous entertainment, social networking, and a variety of outlets to pass time. Personally, I feel that technology has caused us to lose many vital emotions and experiences in our screen-filled lives. Unfulfilled moments, such as those without entertainment or companionship, can spawn creativity and ideas that occur when one is still with oneself. Could technology be hindering our creativity and keeping ourselves and our society on a superficial level? I think that technology has made us less independent, resorting to the technology we possess to live our lives. Connecting back to my post from last week, technology can cause us to develop habits of narcissism and self-love. We try to promote the best version of ourselves, as well as editing our images to perfection, to give people a bigger sense of their self and self importance.
To me, technology is almost like a drug addiction, constantly needing technology to fuel our lives. We don’t know how to handle the feelings of boredom anymore, resorting to this “crutch” to keep us entertained. During spring break when I went to Mexico, while I was waiting at the airport, I looked around me and saw at least ¾ of everyone staring straight at their phones, completely disengaged from their surroundings. It fascinated me how much technology can pull us away from reality, and how often we resort to our cell phone when bored. Unfortunately, I’m a victim of this too, constantly pulling out my phone whenever I have a moment of not doing anything actively. For example, whenever I get to class early, I pull out my phone to check social media or play a quick game. I do this same thing anytime I’m in the car, no matter how short the ride is, in between and while doing different homework assignments, while I’m walking to different classes, and in general, whenever I have some free time. I’ve fallen into the trap of instant gratification and constant entertainment, unable to deal with boredom when technology is unavailable, taking away my focus and attention span in daily activities.
Technology has consumed us. We are living in an era surrounded by the constant presence of media, altering the way we live and the values we have. I believe that many people can benefit from a controlled and restricted use of technology to allow us to feel and experience vital emotions that are part of the human experience. Connecting this post with my other post truly allows me to realize the double-edged sword nature of technology. We must find a balance between these two aspects, as well as accepting and understanding our relationship with technology.
Something that's very interesting in my opinion, is how boring a phone actually is. Of all the things that we can do or think about when there's time to stall, looking at a phone is probably one of the most boring ones.
ReplyDelete"Oh, what am I gonna do? Stare at a wall?" Well, NO, but you can think about things, things that could arguably be much more interesting than a phone. It's just that a phone is easier to access than those tangents brains go on.