So most people know about the ongoing “joke” today that every person has their own FBI agent essentially stalking them through their phone. What if I told you that this was proven as a fact? Would that put you over the edge to throw your phone on the ground and smash it into tiny pieces? Probably not...but why? It’s because we are already brainwashed and too far into this hole of obsession with these tiny devices that we hold in front of our faces every second of every day. Do you think that it is a coincidence that distracted driving is the leading cause of accidents in today’s day? I mean, how difficult is it to put your phone down for 10-15 minutes while you go from one place to another? Or dare I say an hour!! These devices that we justify to be in our day-to-day lives are specifically programmed to cause accidents. Okay fine...not directly. But, technology is programmed to keep us engaged for hours on end and leave us wanting more. We are not supposed to be able to put our phones down for 10 minutes because that is the technology companies’ goal. Although we want to believe that they are not ill intentioned, it is difficult to side with them after looking deeper into the situation.
This past weekend I watched a new movie called “The Social Dilemma”. It is very highly ranked in the U.S. and has been rising in popularity for weeks. This movie really allows you to take a step back and also instills in you a deep mistrust in technology. It is a documentary and has different people from technology companies talk about their experiences and opinions about the companies. They explain how what they went through shaped their opinions on technology today, and how corrupt the whole situation really is.
I got some insane conclusions from this movie, one of which is that we are truly addicted to our phones. This is probably not a shock to anyone. But, what is probably a shock to you is that these phones are not programmed to be an assist to us and help us connect with people. Every little detail, from the color to the way the notifications pop up on your screen constantly, is designed to leave you wanting more and to intentionally leave us addicted. As much as we want to believe that these companies care, they do not care about our declining mental health. Listening to former employees from these companies talk about them is truly eye-opening. It really leaves you with a weird feeling like: Should I throw my phone away?--I don't want to have someone stalking me and knowing that I went to the beach for a week straight and then give me bathing suit ads.
I recommend watching this movie and then making the decision for yourself. If you watch the movie, let me know your thoughts:))
I've actually seen some articles about this movie floating around and was really curious what it was about!! But yeah, I totally agree with a lot of this. I think the fact that we've grown up with such fast-changing technology has made it difficult for us to live without it. Most kids have a smart phone or device before they're even able to understand what it actually does. It's sad how addicted we are to our devices :( I'll even admit that when my phone gets lost I freak the hell out. But this definitely did leave me thinking and I think I'll have to check this movie out!!
ReplyDeleteYes, the movie is really eye-opening!! And I totally agree...when I see little kids out to dinner with their parents and they have headphones on and an iPad it scares me. Is that really what our society is now? I mean yeah it is, but that's so scary...They can't even sit quietly and have a nice conversation with their own family.
DeleteI dont think I'd smash my phone either. It helps if you put your phone in the glove box, but it can be tempting sometimes. That movie looks really interesting - Ill definitely watch it.
ReplyDeletehmm interesting...I've actually never heard this before, yet it's such a simple solution. I myself don't get distracted too much since I'm a pretty new driver--as we all are. But, I feel like the people that get distracted feel like they have mastered driving and that they can multitask, and then accidents happen, because maybe YOU can multitask, but who says there won't be a reckless driver swerving into your lane.
DeleteVery true - multitasking is dangerous...
DeleteIt's crazy nowadays when you are at a red light and you look around and everyone is looking down. I personally have come to resent my phone over quarantine, but it's the only way to stay in touch with friends since we see them much less often now. I probably won't watch the movie, just being honest lol, but I enjoy the conversation being had.
ReplyDeleteI watched the Social Dilemma too... it presents some pretty scary truths about the world we live in and how much power social media has. I also notice that, if I'm just talking about something near my phone, my search engines and ads will suggest things related to what I was talking about. Even if I've never searched it or expressed any interest to my phone regarding that topic, I still get ads and suggestions about it a lot. I think they should make a sequel to The Social Dilemma and talk about that. Scary times!
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