49) Social Media

On Google, I searched this photo shown below.

Social networking is everywhere. (Thanks to high-speed internet.) It is addicting. I have FaceBook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Always on our phone checking if we have any new notifications. (How many FaceBook likes did I get? Who saw my SnapChat story? Who liked my Instagram picture? How many views did I get on my Tweet? Did I get a message from LinkedIn?)

​Obviously, our mind is always distracted by our phone. For example, go out anywhere and observe how many people are using their phones.

Reconnecting with your old friends has faded already. For instance, these days high school reunions are meaningless. Why, so? Social media defines the highlight moments of people's lives. One quick touch of a button sees everything. (A lot easier than reaching out to people for a get-together hangout.)

The use of new technology has spoiled us, even myself. They have made us save time. (I missed those past moments, where I took the time to find and solve something without using technology.)

Netflix destroyed video rentals stores, like Blockbuster. (No more having the time to walk inside with a friend, and patiently select which movie to watch.) E-mails are more convenient than writing letters. (No more dealing with my mistakes, like adding whiteout or starting over. No more neatly handwriting to a loved one.) E-books have already been growing. (No more asking a librarian for a book.) Wikipedia is the new encyclopedia since 2001. GPS, like Apple or Google maps, are clearly easier than using traditional paper maps or printing out your direction from Mapquest. (No more asking a stranger for help in directions, once you get lost. Instead, GPS remaps your direction.)

New technology has made us intellectually lazy. How, so? It has made us become less social, interactive, and outgoing. Also, technology has given us many different ways to communicate with each other, such as email, text messaging, social media, Skype, FaceTime, and many more.

I am very grateful that my close friends and I still calmly face-to-face connect with each other. (This is the old-fashion way. I enjoy having deep conversations.) As a moment of silence occurs, we quickly check on our phones. Welcome to the Information Age.