Don’t let technology take over your lives

We can search for information that interests us on Facebook, Twitter or Google. Sport, celebrities, fashion; you name it, the Internet has it.
But here’s the problem: People are completely immersing themselves in their electronic devices, scrolling through social media, surfing the Internet or chatting with their friends. The devices in their hands are now their world.
I doubt the goal of information technology is to suck people out of this world and place them in a virtual one. Isn’t it supposed to just enrich people’s lives, not take over them? Where are the children who love to play in the parks? It is worrying to see small kids who should be running around or hogging the see-saw playing with their phone or tablet instead.
Where are the vibrant and noisy family dinners? My mum bans phones during meals and I am thankful for this because it gives us the opportunity to bond with the family. Recently, I sat down with a family of four – parents and their two small daughters – for dinner. The parents were so immersed in their phone they didn’t notice one of their daughters crying. When the mother did notice, she just took out another phone and placed it in front of her child. The mothering role was passed on to the phone.
While information technology connects people around the world, we must keep in mind that the real connection is with the ones you love. Let go of your electronic devices for a day, enjoy the beauty of your surroundings and get to know how your family’s day went. Don’t ever let technology take over your life.
Tan Jia Yi
The Star Malaysia/ANN