Technology does not define us
The “kids these days” aren’t making a digital mistake.
Over the break, The Hallmark Channel was having a Hart to Hart marathon that I found myself watching because, let’s face it, Jonathan Hart was a dreamy, self-made millionaire and what’s not to love? Plus, who doesn’t like a good early 80s murder mystery show?
There was a scene in a select episode where the butler, Max, was on a date in the park and a kid rode by Max and his date on a bicycle. What the butler said next confused me and honestly it made me chuckle a bit. It was something along the lines of, “Kids these days don’t know how to slow down and take a walk. They always have to be moving faster and riding somewhere. That’s the problem with this generation.”
That line got me thinking that “the problem with this generation” is a saying old as time. The line was said in the early 80s, it was said before then, and it will continue to be said. It seems that older generations are constantly looking for a reason to reprimand the younger for the advancements the world is making.
We hear it all the time, how this generation can’t put down their cellphones, or how we rely too much on technology. We can all agree that we spend copious amounts of time on our phones and the majority of our work is done on computers or tablets, but is it really as bad as it seems?
Technology is constantly advancing and it will continue to do so, so why shouldn’t we relish in the technological world of right now? We should take advantage of everything that consumes this generation. There shouldn’t be a problem taking Snapchats in public, or posting selfies on Instagram, and taking those “What kind of dog suits you?” quizzes on Facebook.
These elements are unique to this very day so seek enjoyment in the commodities that we have in this decade. Our grandparents had their social trends and our parents had theirs. Why should we be chastised for ours? Grandparents enjoyed their sock-hops and poodle skirts, and our parents enjoyed their 8-tracks and mullets. The trends of right now are ones we will tell future generations about and they will laugh and ask how we ever survived without hoverboards and holographic telephones.
As long as these technological advances don’t hinder one’s ability to communicate acceptably in society, I don’t see the “problem with our generation.” If we move past the negative ideas associated with technology, we can be the ones who are going to use it to do and discover miraculous things.