Technological Dependency in the 21st Century

Sometimes we don’t know how hard it is to go without something until it is gone. We take our luxuries for granted and don’t truly appreciate them. Sophmore, Stephanie Christen, knows exactly how that feels. She was recently out of commission for a whole three days, while her cell phone was broken. Being in the 21st century in American society everyone is so connected to their phones and technological gadgets that those few three days can seem like a lifetime. "I didn’t realize how dependent I was on my cell phone," said Christen and I’m sure most of us can relate to that as well. It is such a convenience to constantly have our cell phones by our side, but it also restricts us from solving some problems by ourselves and just being able to get away and not be "connected" to everyone and everything.

Majority of college students have a cell phone and it is typically their main or only source of staying in touch with their family and friends. So, when we don’t have our cell phones for a few days, it really is a hardship. "I don’t have any other way of people reaching me than through my phone," added Christen. It is a weird concept for us and we feel disconnected from the norm that society creates. It is harder to get in touch with friends and you can possibly even miss out on things, by not being informed through phone. Students always have their phones with them wherever and whenever they go. It is a comfort to students to have their phones for easy access to not only family and friends, but also for safety resources, which is very reassuring to everyone.

Our society is very connected to the luxuries of technology. "I feel like I can’t live without it," said Senior Krystal Martinez. Youth these days are getting cell phones as early as six years of age. What a change from just as recent as fifteen years ago, when cell phones weren’t hardly even available. How did past eras ever survive without them? Well, they seemed to manage just fine and life was very different from what we know now in our high tech age. In earlier times, phones were a privilege to have and only the elite could afford them. Now they are readily available and in large supply. Some people even have multiple cell phones and those that don’t have phones are seen as some sort of outcast.

While Christen experienced a disconnection from her family and friends last week, she truly realized how much she depends upon her cell phone, but also knows she can survive without it. With technology taking over and becoming the future, the people who totally rely on it, sometimes lack or loose social and communication skills. The impact technology has on people is overwhelming. "You loose emotional and personal connection through a phone," agreed Stephanie. Whereas communicating in person, we can truly see and feel what we are saying through facial expression, feelings, emotion, emphasis, etc. Remember phones are great to have, but don’t loose that personal connection either.