6 Things That Technology Has Stolen From Us
Do the following exercise when you can: look around you in a crowded place (the subway, the doctor’s office, a restaurant) and count how many of the people present are immersed in their mobile or tablet. You will be amazed at what you see!
Surely the percentage of “technologized” will be more than 80%. All engrossed in social networks, in messages, in videos, in their emails…. And where was life? far behind facebook, youtube, whatsApp, gmail, android and apple.
The most alarming thing is that the new generations born from the year 2000 onwards live with technology and know how to use it very well. A 1-year-old knows that to use a mobile he must move his index finger up and down. A 2-year-old girl asks her mother to see how she came out in the photo she just took of her in the park. And so the examples continue …
It is true that it has also granted us thousands of benefits, it is not a question of going to live in the middle of the mountain or a Buddhist temple. But everything has a limit and there is a very fine line between using the devices for what is necessary and being dependent on them.
Technology has stolen important parts of our life from us, some of them are:
1-Your own thoughts. We don’t spend time alone with ourselves. We do not meditate with the pillow. We are not left wondering what happens to us or what decision to make. When the mind is not so stimulated it can roam freely and help us solve problems, have brilliant ideas … Little by little, technology is killing our creativity and imagination.
2-The experience of getting lost. How did people do before when there was no GPS? he would ask a passerby, try to decipher a map on paper, or he would get lost. Nothing better than being in a city and discovering what is not included in the tourist guides. This hardly happens because we immediately go to the mobile maps. Sometimes you have to get lost to find what is essential.
3-The opportunity to interact with strangers. Going back to the example of the trip, in the past you asked a person who seemed to be a resident of the area and perhaps they even became good friends. We can also apply it with our inner circle. Through a screen, feelings cannot be understood no matter how much we use emoticons or music, for this we need to be “face to face”.
4-The sound of silence. The western world and the big cities are full of noise. Tranquility and balance are found in silence. We can connect with ourselves, enjoy the absence of annoying noise and begin to know the precious silence.
5-The energy of the environment. It is scientifically proven that devices such as the television or computer fill a room with bad energy. Therefore, it is advisable not to keep them in the room or turn them on before sleeping.
On the other hand, we are so used to taking pictures of everything we see that we miss the real opportunity to enjoy the scenery. Through the eye of the camera or the mobile screen, you cannot appreciate the grandeur of nature, the aromas, the sounds, or the emotions.
6-Relaxation. Before the mobile existed, people communicated from time to time if they lived far away or visited each other if they were close. The anxiety produced today by sending a message and not being answered instantly generates a great amount of stress. And not to mention seeing the two accents in blue on WhatsApp or Facebook’s viewing time! We can go crazy.
We carry the phone to the bathroom, sleep with the device attached to the pillow, leave it on the desk in the office or on the school bench. We can’t wait a second for it to finish ringing to answer. By reducing the use of technology you will be calmer and more relaxed.
And finally, by using your mobile so much you are missing the details and the joy of living with intensity.
When was the last time you saw the sunset, the rain fall or the birds fly?
