Technology and Today's Generation

Canary in the Coal Mine?

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By Richa Pramanik

Did you know that 93% of the teens aged between 12-18 years go online regularly? Either they
send or read emails, play online games, engage in instant messaging etc. On average, 250
million hours is spent EVERYDAY on watching movies and TV shows on Netflix! The facts are
perpetual but the powerful impression that technology has created is our point of focus. The
extent to which technology has impacted our day-to-day life is indeed mesmerizing and at the
same time, ALARMING! The manifestation of technology in our lives has always been a topic of
debate for a long time now.

Well, the situation is not all black as it is painted. Over the past two decades, the world has
immensely dwindled due to technology. Today, everyone is connected via the internet. The
entire globe has become richer (although only the top 1% holds 54% of the global wealth). Even
the education institutes did not succumb to the ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ situation created by
COVID, exclusively due to technology. The availability of laptops or computers along with an
internet connection made the online mode of classes a viable option.

● MILLENNIALS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

The negative effects of social media have always been lurking around the corner, and the
gabfest has been very precisely exhibited in a docudrama called The Social Dilemma. Several
experts from the domain insinuated on the darker shade of the Social Media. The platform
which was once designed to chime with the world is now causing a ruckus among the youth.
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Studies have revealed that on an average the Indian millennials spend one-third of their
working hours on social media, which roughly translates to over 1800 hours per year. 41% of
the respondents have confessed their incapability of having a conversation with their friends
and family without scrolling through their screens every 5 mins.

Source: The Graph contains Data from around the globe.

Likes, comments and subscriptions are what today’s generation is thriving upon for social
acceptance. The exorbitant life that people display on their social-media-handles obscures the
reality, infusing an ‘inferiority complex’ among many teenagers. The number of ‘likes’ a person
receives on their pictures or the number of followers a user has determined their self-worth
and validation today. These destructive practices are resulting in an under-developed instinct of
self-assertion that is stimulating depression and anxiety among today’s generation.

"It is a little ironic that reducing your use of social media actually makes you feel less lonely”
~Melissa G. Hunt

● THE GAMING WORLD

Did you know in 2019 the Gaming Industry generated revenue of whopping $120.1 bn! As of
September 2020 PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and Gameboy were the Top 3 gaming consoles
which sold around 157.68, 154.9, 118.69 mn units respectively. The acute fixation on video
games has compelled the WHO to address the circumstance as a ‘Gaming Disorder’ which
requires to be remedied similar to the Alcohol or Gambling addiction. The obsession is
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exorbitantly high as today’s generation is spending more than 7 hours a day on gaming alone.
The increase in download speed and the advent of 5G has plunged the online gaming industry.

The impact of such dysfunctional behaviour is distressing. The millennials impair their social
skills and disengage from their family members. They do not exude a healthy work-life balance,
and some of them might also be resigning themselves to insomnia. Once you renounce sleep to
stay indoors in-front of the screens, there is no harking back!

“Sleep is our biggest competition” ~ Reed Hasting, CEO Netflix

● DIGITAL TRUTH VS LIES

The internet is immensely opinionated, and today’s generation is very susceptible to

misinformation. It is crucial to restrain the manipulation of facts caused by technology. Either it
is the U.S polls of 2016 or the Brexit vote in the UK, news has been personalised in a way that
resonates with the perspectives of particular cultural narratives or demographics. Studies show
that about 64% of adults in America are convinced by the fake news that encircles the digital
media. Today, millennials are suffering from the misinformation epidemic and are unable to
sniff out reality from hoaxes. It is impeding their critical thinking ability which in turn is making
them incompetent for their future job prospects. A report from the Reuters Institute at Oxford
University claims that the Genz has the disposition to consume news only as a source of their
entertainment. They may be extensively “online” but their literacy towards processing quality
news is zilch! The information conundrum might not revamp since technology fashions a new
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challenge every second. It is therefore vital that the education system upskills their ability to
ensure the quality of information and outlaw the gibberish.

“Genz is Digitally Native but Digitally Naive”.

● CTRL+C, CTRL+V

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have." ~ Maya Angelou

Did you know, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 5.4 million
students have undertaken online courses as an alternative to attending lectures in-person? The
Genz is substantially “computer literate”. They are graduating on the mantra of ‘Copy-Paste’
which not only inhibits their knowledge but also obscures their creativity. Today’s generation
has downright blotted out ‘daydreaming’. They are unable to lay hands on new things to
explore and instead have their heads inside the screens to zap out the monotony.

The unprecedented situation of COVID has uplifted the use of technology, although students
had handed over their originality long ago. Emoticons have superseded emotions, and ‘likes’
and ‘shares’ manifest our views more accurately than a heart-felt conversation with our loved
ones. (Even Birthday wishes have descended to Gifs!)

Technology has unleashed the locked-in areas and, instead of hogging on it, millennials should
exploit its benefits to gain better exposure to their creativity levels. Tools like Photoshop,
Autodesk etc. should enrich the catalogue of their artistic minds. Technology fosters
communication across the globe and, instead of engaging in drivelling content; the young minds
should throw themselves in the whole gamut of human interaction. The online world has a
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plethora of information which can spark innovative and original ideas. The Gig Economy is one
such case-in-point. Today’s generation should train their minds in a way that technology
renders to enrich their creative juices and not become their surviving pillar.

● THE WAY OUT

The very fact that technology has become an indispensable part of our lives should encourage
the young generation to invest their time in it responsibly. Instead of indulging in playing
games, they should learn to use the game developing tools viz. Unity, GDevelop etc. Create a
J.A.R.V.I.S (Iron Man reference), don’t become one. Teachers exhibit a very crucial role in the process.
They should enlighten the young minds with ways to be more creative. Inform them about the
copyright laws to protect their originality. Teachers should promote the idea of “self-love” and
remind them to limit the acceptance of social media so that they do not undermine their
validation in society.

The young generation should learn the ways to overpower the attention-extraction model that
most of the applications are built-on. For example:

1. Turn off unessential notifications.

2. If a news article stimulates powerful emotions, transcend to other sources and get the
facts checked.
3. Gain an understanding of evaluating the sources of information and learn to structure
self-induced decisions rather than getting bound by them.
4. Cap the screen-time on all devices and abide by it.

In a nutshell, today’s generation should acquire the skill of maneuvering technology in a

responsible manner.

“So, do it! Get out of the System. The world’s beautiful. Look, it’s great out there.”
~Jaron Zepel Lanier
American computer philosophy writer.
(The Social Dilemma, Netflix)