Dangerous Technology

Two weeks ago the editorial in this space explored the problem of student apathy on campus and last week it lamented the shallowness of relationships on campus-two things that can constrain the growth of real community. If these concerns are truly widespread across the student body, we need to ask ourselves what is holding us back.

We may spend a majority of our days staring at the answer to this question. The computers, cell phones, TVs and iPods that our generation has been raised with are a part of what is pulling us apart. We are the first generation to be raised with the pervasive presence of these technologies in our everyday lives. Most of us cannot remember what life was like before the Internet or cell phones, so we do not question their value.

With every new technology comes good and bad, and the latest surge is no different. The problem materializes when we are so enamored with the exciting possibilities of what is new that we don't think about the dangers. The Internet is an amazing technology that is changing the way we live. It's shrinking our world by connecting us to people and ideas thousands of miles away with a click of the mouse.

But rarely do we consider how such a new technology may be slowly changing our lifestyles. While the Internet has made relationships with millions of people possible it is also weakening our friendships with the people we see face-to-face every day. The ease of talking on instant messenger or through a social networking site has masked the fact that relationships take work.

We can spend hours engaging in online communication, but that is no substitute for real communication. It may be easier to type out a conversation but it is no substitute. While at times the Internet can be valuable to communicate with friends and family that live far away, too often we use it talk to other students that live on the same campus. This kind of reliance on technology is weakening the bonds of our society and EMU community.

Instant messaging is only one example of the dangers of the technology that seems to rule the world. The solution to the ever-encroaching presence of technology in this world is complicated. We cannot completely reject technology because it plays a huge role in our world but we must examine its role in our lives very critically.

When we forget the value of simply talking to others face-to-face, a form of communication that has been around since the beginning of time, we lose out. Much of actual communication is non-verbal and a smiley face on instant messenger will never replace that.

How much time do we spend in groups of friends just conversing? The idea that we must always be "doing something" to have fun or build relationships is dangerous. It's time we begin to examine our own connection to others and how technology plays a role. Technology will only increase its presence in our world, but it is up to us how we let it remove the humanity from our daily relationships.

Shalom,

Dan