I once had an odd but very vivid dream. It wasnt only until I woke up, then I realized how brutally real that dream, sending cold shivers down my spine.
In the dream, there was a painting. A very clear painting on a very large canvass depicting many shades of gray. There were many people in the painting, but they all looked cold and aloof; many of them had on formal suits. They did not look at or communicate with each other - all of them were looking at some sort of tablet or handheld computers, regardless of whether they were sitting, standing or walking. The walls were a pale gray shade, the floors were gray square tiles; the entire canvass was a cold shade of gray overall.
That was my dream.
In reality, it appears that most of the modern world has become such? Singapore itself has become such, too. Whether you walk on the streets, or sit in a cafe, it is a very common sight to see people staring intently into the handheld computers or tablets, sometimes communicating with friends through various apps, sometimes watching movies.
No one really acknowledges each other, no one looks around and notice if an elderly or infant falls down until they hear a loud "Ouch!". Which, by the by, due to the constant condidtioning by gadgets' viewing, our reflexes have also dulled. When someone falls down, bystanders seem to take a moment to grasp what is really happening, before dashing over (in an almost robotic-gait) to help the poor sod up.
The Beauty of Technological Advancements
No, I do not deny the beauty of technological advancements.
In fact, our living standards have improved tremendously because of technological advancement. Look at what we can do alone at home - watching programs on computers and television sets, recording or editing programs; communicating with our friends from the comfort of our homes, reaching out to overseas contacts easily. Look at the machines around the house to help with washing of clothes, washing of dishes, cleaning of the floors etc.
Whether for work, leisure or even commuting, it is technological advancements that has enabled us to have it easy.
Medical technological advancements have brought about new methods of painless, more effective treatments for diseases which in the past might have been fatal. Scientific technological advancements have made it possible for many to attain the impossible, as well - making banking, making purchases, records management etc so much more efficient.
It has also made the world appear smaller, since we can now send out mails in a split second, and see our overseas counterparts on video conferences or video cameras, and chat with them as though we were really just sitting across from each other holding face-to-face discussions. No part of the world is too remote- updates, photographs and videos are widely available and circulated all over the internet.
The next few sections shall focus / are mainly related to internet technology.
The Downside of Technology
However, like all great things, while they have the "pros", there are also bound to be the "cons" to take into consideration.
Firstly, with the dependence on ease of use of technology, people become more complacent. They become complacent such that they no longer use their brains for a lot of things, such as simple calculation and thinking / recollecting of simple solutions. It is easy to just turn to the calculator or search "Google" for answers one needs. People also become complacent in the sense that they take it for granted that their systems will be able to capture all information and function efficiently at all times. Which is why once the machines or systems malfunctions or breaks down, people panick.
Secondly, with technology taking over storage of information, monitoring of information, banking transactions, housing transactions, etc, there's also the risks of online crimes, or rather, technological crimes. Besides the simple hacking of systems to obtain confidential information or obtaining stolen funds, people also make use of this computer technology to send virus to destroy others, wipe out systems of their targets, or perverts may use internet technology to lure preys out to date-rape or cheat them.
Thirdly, yes, safety issues that I would connect to the above. Children and females, especially, are usually the largely-targeted groups. Besides the risk of them accessing unsavoury materials online, they also may fall prey to psychopaths seeking for rape / molest victims. Similarly, adults are often the victims of internet scams as well - mysterious lottery winnings, mysterious lawyer contacting someone about a dead relative's estate etc.
Fourthly, over-exposure to certain technological devices cause harm to one's health. The radiation from cellphones and computers damages one's brains from prolonged use; and not to mention the effects it has on our eyesight if we stare at the screens for too long. People have been known to suffer from even fatal consequences from prolonged usage of computers (not the main factor, but a general contributory factor along with stress and lack of sleep probably) and gaming.
Social Issues Associated with Internet Advancement
Last but not least, technological advances relating to computer usage leads to a fairly serious social issue, I feel.
To start with, as my dream clearly painted for me - the coldness, aloofness and lack of communication people are used to these days. They would rather be chatting with their friends on Whatsapp, Facebook, WeChat etc even when they are outside, so this isolates them from making new friends in their immediate surroundings. It is not rare to note these days, too, that amongst a tableful of meal companions, most of them are staring at their phone / Ipad screens instead of talking to one another. Children have been known to flee to their rooms to chat or play games immediately after dinners, instead of communicating and bonding with their family members.
Next, the reliance on internet contacts' approval has become very important. For many people these days, especially the younger generation, their first thoughts is to update their online blogs, Facebook or Instagram etc, hence the moment they reach a restaurant or overseas, their cameras start clicking away, nonstop. They need to impress their friends with the food they eat, the countries they visit, and the people they are with. Those who have little or no updates because they seldom go out, spend time getting fascinated and envying their friends' busy, happy social lives. They take negative comments very seriously, which is also why cyber-bullyies often targets the weaker victims and torture them with mean, abusive words till the victims could take it no more and get depressed. Most people hide behind their online personas, and may not be who they truly are, or whom they make themselves to be in the internet-sphere.
Trust is another issue for internet users. Besides the online scams and dubious work-from-home schemes largely in place these days, news and tabloids seem to tread on very fine lines now. We can no longer believe everything we read online, whether it is news articles, blog articles or commentaries. Too many people give unsupported opinions, too many differing views; we need to take what we read with a pinch of salt. Most news are posted by citizen journalists, most are still regulated as propaganda, but it makes cover-ups harder too. Everything makes headlines these days, including brawls between neighbors or secret affairs between two ordinary, common-folk lovers.
Finally, let's touch on language. Whenever someone texts or Whatsapps these days, they seem to enjoy using shortforms such as "u" for "you", "lovely TTM" for "lovely to the max", "wru" for "where are you". Even when they type sentences, it goes in broken, shortened forms such as "He ok?" or "Tonight eat what?". Well, okay, nothing wrong since we are all living in a hectic city leading a fast-paced, hurried life, right? I mean, who has the time to slowly compose a beautifully-phrased, fully-functional sentence? Oh well, but the problem is, when people constantly types this way, on a daily basis, sooner or later it shows in their formal work emails and reports. It is not good, not good at all to forget the roots of good English we were once taught in school, only to degrade the standard to such now. It reflects in the way we write and talk to people too, which is why we often hear complaints from fellow Singaporeans ranting that foreigners do not understand what they are talking about.
Really, honey, it is not about what you are talking about; it is about the way you talk.
Conclusion
To end this off, I would like to express that, while technology is good and certainly serves good purpose, we need to refrain from being too dependent on it. When there is a need to take a break and let the tired eyes rest, do it. When there is a need to inform our Whatsapp friends that we are having dinner, so that we can focus on our dinner companions whether at home or outside, just do it.
Technology is just a tool, like money, like power, like love. When it is being used wisely, it brings about positive benefits for sure; however, if misused, it becomes harmful and brings about negative effects.
No comments:
Post a Comment