Technology

We live in a time when we can be in constant contact with our friends and family. Even if we are not physically with them, we can talk to them. However, while this has changed our world for the better, we are constantly being manipulated by those around us and by ourselves to stay updated. We check our email, Facebook, text messages, etc all the time. Why? Because we have to? Sometimes the answer is yes, we absolutely have to be updated and be in touch with those around us. But do we really need to check social media every 10 minutes? Do we really need to be texting our friends every single detail of our daily lives? We have become accustomed to this lifestyle, but when we want to break away from it, we are manipulated to stay connected. Your friend asks you if you saw “that picture on Facebook” and if you did not, you must either go look or never be up to date with what has happened in the last 30 minutes. While it sounds ridiculous, this is what our generation has grown accustomed to, and we are manipulated by our friends and by ourselves into thinking that we must know every detail of our friends lives, even if it does not impact us at all. You could say no and stop checking social media, but you will always be pulled back to it in order to stay connected. I find myself wanting to put my phone away sometimes so I do not have to be texting people all day, but I know that I could miss something truly important and I do not want to offend anyone. This manipulation is subtle and at times does not seem like manipulation because we want to be in close touch and up to date, but we could not stop if we tried because we are manipulated, and we manipulate ourselves.