I grew up on the computer, playing my Nintendo DS, PSP, watching movies and old cartoon reruns. As a child, I would have never thought technology would have the impact it has had. We have created a society where people are dependent on technology to communicate.
The harsh truth is that we have lost face interaction with one another, but the irony is we love to FaceTime one another. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable through technological devices but not in person.
Allow me to clarify what Generation Z is. If you were born between 1995 and 2010, welcome to the club. Generation Z, who are we? Who are you? And I don’t mean who you are on the inside. Chances are you don’t know, but you have an idea of who you want to be. Kendrick Lamar poetically stated, “Technology bought my soul.”
The more pressing issue concerning Generation Z is the fact that technology has slowed down the number of words people use a day. Think about the number of meaningful conversations you have daily.
How many of those conversations provoke thought? If they do, how do you utilize the English language when talking? Do you find yourself using abbreviations, such as “LOL” and “smh,” when you talk? This is where it becomes problematic.
As someone who is a part of Generation Z, it is crucial to understand that we are two steps behind the generation before us. Our communication skills are poor unlike our parents’ who were able to articulate what they mean and how they feel when they speak. But are we to blame?
We were raised during a time when we were given too much information to digest at once. Instead of thinking and asking questions, we talk. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, we just talk.
You’re probably thinking I contradicted myself due to my earlier point, but I didn’t. Is a conversation really conversation if it’s pointless? Time is valuable. It is the only commodity that we can’t get back, so why waste time when it’s going in reverse?
The real issue is real life. Do you know what it means to live? If you don’t, then put your phone down, close your laptop and take a walk. The world is much more than the worlds we’ve created on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. Are you really having fun, or do you want people to think you are? Is Instagram and Twitter fame enough for you?
Chances are it’s not, but the internet has made you too insecure to follow your dreams and tap into your potential. Our generation has lost all sense of who we are and what means the most to us. And therein, lies the real problem.
