Even though I am a chemical engineer major, I often enjoy watching and analyzing people’s behavior in my free time. What people do with their free time can say a lot about their personality, yet this doesn’t impress me the most. What captivated my attention the most is people who often sit all alone at the cafeteria. Somehow, I can’t seem to read those who are often called loners.
People who sit alone show a different characteristic than those who sit together. These loners often eat or study by themselves. I’ve even noticed that some do the same thing I do and analyze other collegiettes. They do seem to enjoy their time alone. On the other hand, those who have company, often seem to be too into their phones, reaching out to those who are far away and ignoring those who are close, who can be touched, felt, and allow you to have a real connection without the need of a cell phone.
With all this analysis, I can understand that humans often care more about the people far away and forget to pay attention to those who we have close to us. As human beings, we prefer connecting via social media than connecting on a deeper level as speaking looking eye to eye. Since the creation of smartphones, we just don’t care anymore of connecting on a deeper level. This makes me wonder whether we control technology or if technology controls us.
This question really makes an impact on my life. As human beings, our destiny is to be the author of our own lives since we have the freedom to do whatever we want to do, even when sometimes it’s not the best for us. Yet, somehow technology, especially smartphones, have made us their prisoners. Can we go out and have fun without the need of having our phones on our hands all the time? Can we have a regular day without the need of having to be in the social media world?
If you answered yes, I congratulate you. You have mastered the art of balancing in between the real world and the technological world. However, if you answered no, I got some news: you may be addicted to your phone. Addiction is addiction regarding whatever is holding you down. Using your phone doesn’t make you a bad person yet life is all about balance an action called homeostasis. People who are addicted to their smartphones, usually see life through the lenses and filters of their phones cutting themselves from the real life.