Ipods, iPads and more: We rely on technology too often

I was filling out an application a few nights ago, and one of the questions asked “If you could trade places with any other person for a week, with whom would it be?”

Without even thinking twice, I typed this question into google.com. As soon as I hit enter on my keyboard, I realized two things:

1. I didn’t even try to answer the question myself.

2. My dependence on the Internet has truly reached new heights.

As I exited out of Internet Explorer, I learned a lot about where we, the “technology generation,” stand in today’s society.

Although many of us have accepted that we are the technology generation, we often push this aside as not being a problem. However, I’ve realized the past few days that this indeed is a problem. By using technology for most aspects of our lives, we are losing a number of skills. The skill to creatively design, to write letters, to develop our own ideas and even to talk on the phone are overshadowed by the luxury of computers. What more is left?

We have forgotten how to not only think for ourselves, but how to spend time without using technology. Often times when I log onto the Internet to check my grades on Carmen, I unconsciously type in facebook.com and end up there instead. The sad part is, I know I’m not alone.

Many of us have become so accustomed to using the enjoyable aspects of the Internet, we often use those web sites more so than the important ones. We need to realize that life goes beyond the Internet, iPhones and iPods. These objects of technology are there to aid us in life, not be our lives.

This is much easier said than done, even for myself. I will probably continue to use technology in the same manner for quite a while. But I hope reading this will help others realize what I have the past few days: The level of dependence we have on the Internet and technology is unhealthy and intensifying with younger generations. We need to become aware of how we are, and at least attempt to decrease how often we use these objects.

Perhaps in doing so, we can show younger generations that they can live in today’s society without being how we are, and they can fill out applications without initially making the mistake I did.