How accustomed are we to technology?

Personally, without electricity, I feel like my life is at a standstill. And I don’t mind being engulfed in this poison because in my defense my childhood interactions have assimilated me to be this way.

I remember when I was young blackouts were a quick guarantee to playing outside till late. It was an automatic ticket that didn’t involve seeking permission nor being told when to get back home. We would play games that were more enjoyable in the dark, like hide and seek since the darkness made it difficult to spot your allies. This was also the time when the teenagers would come out from their cocoons and intimidate us with their experience in all games. It seemed like nothing else could keep us indoors except for electricity because as soon as the street lights would light up, we would all shout for joy and run to our houses as we bid each other goodbye. Literally. If you were holding a ball you would just drop it and go home since it was self-explanatory that we would pick up from where we left off the next day. For our older friends, we wouldn’t see them until the next blackout.

We were like robots responding to a program. The cartoons we watched, the music we listened to all seemed to satisfy our development needs in the presence of electricity.

I pity the generations to come. How will they learn how to play or when will they feel the pain of getting bruises in the playground, and associate with others in this age of technology. Children as young as three years are exposed to Youtube videos to distract them during feeding time. Baby Shark, a popular cartoon among small children, was recently declared the most viewed cartoon on Youtube. Millions of children all over the world know the song of this cartoon at heart. Some of us who have little toddlers in the house are also aware of this song because it is extremely catchy.

My niece who is turning five in November knows her way around any smartphone that is given to her. Many are the times she has taken me unaware pictures and I just marvel at how she remembers screen lock patterns and unlocks my phone to keep herself busy as she watches Peppa Pig. She recently learnt how to play Candy Crush and she defeats me at times. Whenever I come across a challenging level, she simply tackles it out for me. Children are brilliant indeed.

How alive do we feel when we share Snapchat streaks of our daily activities compared to meeting with friends for a hangout? How connected do we feel when we have conference calls with family members compared to having family gatherings?

Technology has made us a global village but at the same time has created a distant association within us. A bittersweet relationship with technology is what we have.

What's your relationship with technology RAIRgem?