I often find myself sort of frustrated with humans progressing further and further into the digital realm. In many respects, it is accommodating and efficient. Things are more “on time” than they have ever been, with thousands if not millions of people working together across the world both simultaneously and harmoniously. I can Skype my brother ,who I don’t see very often, any time I wish. I always know how my friends are doing, and that is an immense comfort in many ways. Maps, books, music, art, news, games…. it’s always with me, just one touch away from the entire bank of human knowledge and activity. And it frightens me a bit.

These days every sort of interaction is being replaced with a digital equivalent, essentially desensitizing the average person. It distills true communication by replacing it with the immediacy of communication. I can give countless examples, of which I’ll share a few. It is very often these days that I will be friends with someone on Facebook before I am actually friends with them. Sure we met at a party, had some laughs, maybe a pertinent conversation, but because of Facebook now we are friends before we have really established too much about one another. And in a way, it gives me this feeling , like “now that we are friends on Facebook we are official friends, and don’t really have to work at becoming closer friends because everyone can see that we are friends, so what’s the point?”. It kinda adds this weird aspect that making friends is about collecting people on a list. It’s like everything on the internet is making us want to have things instantly. Friends instantly via Facebook. Business associates via Linkedin. Have a book delivered directly to my house the next day through Amazon. It is all about speedy completion of human goals that once took time or understanding to create. In this aspect it creates a lack effort. We are slowly trading over more and more aspects of our lives to mouse clicking in front of screens. I think this sort of thing leads to abuse of the environment, as well as one another. It detaches us from a physical and personal space and brings us into a digital one that lacks intimacy in my opinion.

Not only does this damage our human relationships, but it also hurts small businesses in many ways. Amazon is essentially becoming the new marketplace. I searched and you can order broccoli off Amazon. It’s absurd. We can essentially operate completely within our own private sphere and be average individuals. Food, entertainment, just about any sort of product,  even friends are all becoming online conceptions. If one were to work out of his/her home as well, they could be a total shut in while feeling the whole time that they were a part of everything. I know this may seem like an appealing idea to some, but I think it takes away from everything that makes us human if we slowly morph into these control systems for computers. If I’m waiting outside a class, everyone is staring at their phones. Like twenty people all on Facebook answering friend requests instead of talking to the person next to them. It almost makes social interaction look awkward when everyone is so absorbed with digital involvement. I don’t think technology is the devil, I just think that we are becoming far too obsessed with it. Technology is wonderful in the medicinal world as well as dozens of other fields. I just don’t think it should replace small businesses, social interactions and the overall focus of the human race. Personally, I say we should all unplug a little.