Should we participate in ‘Shut Down your Screen’ week?
About Author:
Hi! I am Kashish. I am a cheerful girl studying in grade 8th. I love to read books and spend time with my friends.
Albert Einstein once said that “ I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation full of idiots.” Well I’m sure that ‘feared day’ is very close. Technology helps students gather information, kids to stay entertained, adults find a new relaxing factor and grandparents find a new ‘buddy’. However I believe that we should shut down our technology for a week, to see if it benefits us.
To begin with, I think technology and the internet should never be the first source of information. People tend to take in way more information than needed, which could harm them. Mitchell Kapor said: “Getting information off the internet is like taking a drink from the fire hydrant.” Hence I think other sources of collecting information should be preferred and used.
Furthermore, nowadays, people are so obsessed with technology that they spend most of their time indoors. Staying to much at home and not interacting with the outside world, in person, would make them socially isolated. The results of a recent survey held in Greengates International School, Mexico state that- “Seven out of ten people prefer staying at home and not participating in social events.” This clearly tells us that only three out of ten people are actually socially active.
In addition to the previous claim, staying indoors and not being physically active can have a huge impact on our health, negatively. A survey informs that-“Seventy three million people or one- third of USA’s population is obese, and this is a result of over usage of technology.” By letting technology creep into every single corner of our lives, we are – weakening our memory, unstabilizing our focus, straining our vision and affecting our hearing.
On the contrary, people also believe that internet and technology is one of the ways of spreading awareness. Many people write post on social networking sites, regarding social issues. Their purpose is to spread awareness and ask people for their support. Many campaigns have been launched through social sites and have succeeded greatly.
To add on, people also think that being on a social networking site is a good way of being social. Individuals get to interact with other people present in other corners of world. There is the presence of loved ones via some sites like Skype and Google Hangouts. This is one feature of technology that makes everyone fall for it.
Technology is queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with other. Technology has proved to be a boon to a mankind, especially to the modern world. Do you know what it has been planning to do over the time? Over the time, it’s been planning to betray and then eventually rule us. But would you like technology to control your life? Definitely not. Taking a break from the internet, mobile phones, will increase interpersonal interaction and strike physical and mental equilibrium.
In a nutshell, technology harms us more than it benefits. However, by shutting down technology, you weaken its power and strengthen yours.