Social media is starting to take over our lives. That is a FACT. The world is at our fingertips now; everything has been made easier with only one press of a finger to a buttonless screen. To some people this is considered a bad thing. They say that we're not taking the time to appreciate the world around us; that we're replacing real, lifelong friendships with people we've never met online. To an extent that is true. Perhaps we spend too much time texting and we forget to look up. We don't notice when someone walks past us or when someone is yelling hi from the other side of the street.
Now let's think of technology this way. In the business world, staying up to date with it IS a big deal. If you're looking to just start up your own company of any sort, the Internet is a good way to promote yourself. If you're looking into becoming a musician, then YouTube is a good starting point so that you can gain an audience. If you're trying to become a fashion blogger or a writer, then Google has you covered. Whatever career you want to pursue, one thing that has to be considered is how people are going to find you. You can still print out business cards and start telling all the people you know in town, but sometimes it's good to get world wide exposure.
Smartphones can be the best thing ever to have. Ask Siri where the nearest restaurant is, or work on an email while surfing the web. You can play games on them while listening to music, books, or podcasts. There is a lot you can do with phones these days. And the models just keep on getting bigger; everything is becoming more advanced. I remember the days where the only features a cell phone had was calling and texting, and maybe a couple games that were already installed. Now these days there's an app for everything- music, games, business inquiries, finances, email, etc. To top it all off, you can video chat with people just by taking out your phone or computer and using Skype or FaceTime.
With everything that these smartphones can do, our memory is starting to fade. We rely on Google for almost everything. If there's a word we don't know how to spell, ask Google. There's always something that our mind blanks out on, and the only way we know how to fix it is by asking Siri. Before I ever got my first iPhone or iPod, I would always ask my parents if I didn't know the answer to something- either that or I would just look it up on the computer; that was the only thing my family had when I was around the age of 7.
In addition to memory shortage, it's safe to say that our eye sight might be at risk as well. If you're guilty of using your phone or computer during the night or just for 8 hours a day straight, then that can lead to headaches and dryness in the eyes. You would be going through your 2nd or 3rd bottle of eye drop medication if you never took a break from staring at a screen. Let's also not mention lack of sleep and exercise if you're spending every waking moment using some piece of technology.
Technology and social media may be good for some things, but it DOES put our health at risk if we're not being mindful of how much time we spend using it. Take the time to appreciate the world around you and limit the amount of time you spend on the Internet. It's not the end of the world if you miss one text or phone call, or if you miss a live stream that your favorite celebrity is hosting. Spend time with friends and family, because they are the ones who deserve the most of your time; the Internet will always be there and will continue to expand. You won't miss a thing if you just put it away for an hour or so.
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