Technology Made Me Lazy

When I think about my lifestyle only one word comes to mind: lazy. I am an incredibly lazy person. Very much like the Sanrio character Gudetama, I like to spend a lot of my free time on my stomach not moving from my position on my bed and rolling from side to side like a beached whale.

How did I get like this? I think that part of the reason I am so reluctant to leave the haven that is my warm and cozy bed, is technology. I spend an inordinate amount of time on the Internet. I, like many people of my generation, make connections via social networking systems and have my eyes forever glued to the screen as I scroll through thousands of comments and posts. The beautiful thing about this lovely pastime is that I can do it from the comfort of my own home and I do not even have to leave the warm sanctuary that I have created by wrapping blankets around my body and rolling them around myself like a snug little burrito.

I am not the only one that tends to shy away from physical activity in favor of spending time using modern technology. Youtube, Netflix, Playstation, Instagram and so on: there really is no end to entertainment when it comes to being connected to the World Wide Web. Perhaps it is due to our obsession with technology that the majority of people these days are less inclined to put down their wireless devices and take a breath of fresh air and look around.

How many times have you stood in a crowded place in complete silence with almost everyone hunched over, staring at the screen of their mobile phone with fervent interest? This is a day-to-day activity that is happening all around us in every part of the world. It seems a bit strange if you think about it. Humans are naturally social creatures. We are one of the few species on Earth that has been given an advanced form of communication in order to interact with our fellow man. Yet, despite all this, there is absolute dead silence in a busy space.

Fifty years ago, this same space would be alive with chatter. There would be a low hum of people conversing with random strangers, asking about their day or even exchanging small talk with their friend. Instead, we find ourselves so absorbed with the contents of what is happening online that we ignore the world around us.

Children these days are far more interested in staying indoors and connecting via screens rather than making face-to-face connections. Maybe it is the reason why this recent generation of new employees tends to lack social manners that previous generations found to be common sense. They tend to be somewhat awkward when it comes to expressing themselves and fumble through basic business communication. However, what they lack in this they make up for in technological know-how.

My niece, for example, is fifteen years old and can work any Apple product with her eyes closed. Yet she has problems when it comes to direct communication. Her eye contact is lacking and she also tends to fidget because she is uncomfortable communicating this way. She is young, that is true, but in the future she will need to overcome these habits if she wants to procure a job.

It is safe to assume that technology has made us extremely lazy. It has made us lazy not only physically, but it has stunted our social and mental growth as well.

Evalyn

Vocabulary

haven (n) ? a place of safety
inordinate (adj.) ? unusually disproportionate; excessive
fervent (adj.) ? having or displaying a passionate intensity
with ones eyes closed (idiom) ? to be done easily with little to no effort
fidget (v) ? to make small movements that usually show uneasiness and discomfort
procure (v) ? to obtain; especially with care or effort