The Love Hate Relationship

 Technology and how it stole my heart... and then lost it...

I think in about fifth grade is when I got my first phone. For some reason when I think about the idea of a fifth grader having a phone it feels like it should be illegal or something. What does a fifth grader even need a phone for? My parents had good intentions when they got it for me. They wanted a way to contact me and know where I was, but what they didn't think about was all of the things I would find. Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, all of these app made a mark on me as I was growing up. 

Social Media is great in so many ways. It has enabled so many people to share their experiences, create new jobs, and stay in contact with so many people. When social media was created people never expected anything bad to come from it. Even when I first made my accounts on social media I didn't think anything bad could come. When I was younger social media seemed so pure. Unfortunately, middle school and high school brought lots of damaging experiences, for me and so many others. The first thing that happened was the addiction. I was constantly on my phone and unable to do anything without checking my phone every five minutes. Because I was on my phone so much I was constantly starting to compare myself to those around me and feeling as if I was missing out on things when I wasn't invited or couldn't go. By the end of high school I was emotionally drained. My love for social media and my addiction to it was slowly fading away. Today, I try my best to stay away from social media. I usually only go on when I am posting or when I have a message from someone. Futurama definitely didn't prepare the world for what technology would really be. 

After watching Futurama, I am shocked at how they predicted the future to be with new technology. I don't remember even seeing a mobile telephone. Most of the things they predicted were big picture community changes. It reminded me of the movie WALL-E where everyone is in an extreme version of the future where technology does it all. It reminds us all of the dangers that can come. Only, the Futurama didn't end with any of the negative impacts because at the time there seemed to be no negatives. WALL-E in the beginning was promoting technology as "everything you need to be happy." Through the movie they share all the damage and negative that can come when everyone relies on technology.

Many people around me tend to rely on technology. In some ways technology is helpful. For my mom, it allows her to see what I am up to and also helps her find new crafts and things to do around the house and where we live. She doesn't rely on it for much more than the how-to videos and articles. For my grandma, technology is helpful for quick contact in case of emergency. For others technology is not so positive. I see many people constantly on their video games and on their social media rather than being with the people who are right next to them. The in-person experience seems to have faded because of technology. Hopefully soon, people begin to realize that there is more to life than an online appearance.