Technology becomes too much

By: Ashly Higgins 

We might not realize it, but technology can have a devastating impact on our social health if we don’t practice moderation. Although technology has helped advance our society in remarkable ways, it has also harmed us in ways we often don’t see. Before Twitter and Instagram we played board games. Instead of walking around with our eyes glued to the device in our hands we talked and made eye contact with other people. But that all changed when technology became an integral part of society.

What does integral even mean? Well, according to Merriam Webster integral is defined as being necessary to the completeness of the whole. So if technology is integral to society, then society cannot function without it.

That’s a scary thought for me. During a winter storm in January, the power went out here in South Carolina and my family and I were stranded. We didn't have electricity. No electricity meant no internet, no cable, no refrigerator, no microwave. No technology.

It was then that I realized how technology had infiltrated my life. We've become so dependent on technology: phones to communicate, refrigerators to store food, cars to park themselves. It’s kind of ridiculous.

I realize how awesome technology can be. I personally suck at parallel parking so I one day hope to own a car that can parallel park itself. That would be awesome! Even though technology can be super cool, it can sometimes be too much.

I encourage you to put your phone down every now and then and take a step back in time. Go back to a time when technology wasn’t everywhere you look. Step back to a simpler time and play a board game.