Digital Nation!!!!! We're the "Tech Babies"!

After watching the documentary Digital Nation and reading several articles on technology and how much of an impact it has had in the lives of younger generations like my own, I realized that too much technology can possibly be bad for your brain and just your health in general. Many people are researching the positive and negative effects it can have on the human mind and body. The two main points that are talked about here are the effects technology can have in our everyday lives, and how technology is changing the relationships we have with others.

In the article "No Cellphone Vacation", I read that more and more hotels, resorts, and travel companies are offering certain packages that allows travelers to be away from their digital devices. Several aspects that they focus on are the amenities offered to the travelers like having kayak lessons, spa treatments, and other form of  therapy-like sessions. I personally like the idea of having a no cellphone vacation. As difficult as it may seem to unplug ourselves from the everyday dependence of technology, clearing our minds from the digital media that we always find ourselves using can be refreshing and healthy!  :) In the documentary Digital Nation, the idea of living in a fast paced world is talked about. Sure, technology can have its advantages like it allows us to communicate and receive things faster than normal, but it seems that we still are oblivious to our surroundings. A woman described her family as being "all in the same house, but all in different worlds." I find that very sad because it can relate to many families in that all the use of technology is becoming more of a distraction and an addiction than ever before. Many relationships have changed for the better and for the worse because of it.

The topic of relationships was also discussed in both the article and documentary. The documentary has said that many relationships from the virtual world have blossomed into relationships in real life. It may be useful for distant relationships and it supposedly could save money as well. However, there could also be many cons to letting digital media take over our relationships. One such is technology becoming an addiction. Some families can't even talk to their other family members because they're so attached to the internet/technology. In "No Cellphone Vacation" a man by the name of John Peters was interviewed about his addiction to his phone, and he said that being on the kind of vacation that he was really helped him open his eyes about how his much his actions are affecting his relationship with his wife and daughter. His daughter is four years old and she had asked him while on vacation where is phone was. Mr. Peters was surprised and a bit sad when his four year old daughter asked him that question. It made him realize that even young kids can see a difference in someone when that person is addicted to using something all the time. And when that person isn't using whatever it is that they're addicted to, the other person will just ask about it because now it is normal to them, and they've become somewhat desensitized by it. For some of us, having technology/digital media in the middle of our relationships can actually enhance them, and unfortunately for others of us it can really make things worse.

There is no doubt that technology has had a huge impact in our everyday lives. Digital Nation and other articles have said the pros and cons of using it and also made the reader/watcher think of the question "How much is too much?" I think we can definitely benefit from the use of technology in the future and learn from it. However, I also think that we may need to learn self-control again when it comes to using digital devices that can interrupt our everyday activities. It's up to us, the younger generations, to see how far we'll allow technology to rule our lives.