Are we becoming technological zombies?

Mikel Ryan B. Lorenzo

The world is constantly changing and so is the society where people are
persistently adapting to these changes. Throughout history, men have always sought for
better ways to meet and fulfill human needs, and man’s access to knowledge have led to
its application in order to improve the quality of life. This application of knowledge is
commonly termed as technology. Immersed into technological devices, plugged
earphones in order to shut the noise from the outside world, and hours of scrolling through
the latest social media posts. These indicate society’s addiction to technology where
people live most of their lives in the digital world. This directs to the impression that
humans have evolved into zombies in this technological era where technology, which
should only be considered a convenience, has now become a necessity.

Technological advancements have hastily and unarguably made a great influence

in the function of the society with which the structures and definitions of family, education,
lifestyle, and so forth have been fundamentally altered. In fact, the invention of
technological tools have brought benefits to many over the past years. Infrastructures
were built in short periods of time, traveling from place to place has been convenient
through the availability of transport vehicles, and communication has been a lot easier
through smartphone technology. Furthermore, one of the major technological advantages
is the availability of the internet which has paved the way for instant access to
information—a digital library. It has also helped in online communication providing a great
deal in business productivity and the introduction of online businesses or e-commerce.

Technology have steered positive changes in human lives, however, it also

possesses its own share of negative outcomes. In effect, technology has become a drug
in the society bringing addiction to individuals who got hooked into it. Many people have
become obsessed with technology and closer to becoming slaves of the screen.
Nowadays, most people cannot even last a day without using a technological device such
as a laptop, television, or most especially, a smartphone. Based on the Global Digital
Report 2019, 4.388 billion people are internet users worldwide resulting from an increase
of 9.1% from the previous year, while number of social media users worldwide is 3.484
billion with a 9% increase compared from the previous year, and 5.112 billion people are
mobile users with an increase of 2% from the previous year. The number of people on
the given data indicate the need for the use of digital technology in the modern era,
however, one of the primary disadvantages has instigated a loss of direct contact among
people. Most people have become sluggish given that there is less exposure to any
outdoor activities and become prone to illness because of less physical activities or
exercises. It is undeniable that technology is taking control over people’s lives as an
addiction. As a result, creative thinking skills have weakened because of the reliance to
digital access. For educational projects, complete dependence to the internet leads to
intellectual piracy where authenticity is always a question. This lifestyle has affected
people’s ability to comprehend and process information.

Several positive outcomes may be attributed to technology, however, there also

exist disadvantages. Let us re-impose self-discipline and realize the meaning of true living
in this world by breaking away from becoming technological zombies.