Technology is used every day, all around the world. It has various uses ranging from social media, gaming, and educational purposes, all of which change the way we live and interact with other people. But is there an underlying problem associated with the "benefit" of instantaneous answers, or talking to "friends" halfway around the world that you've never even met? When we go out to dinner with family, how much time do we spend talking to them? The picture that was once painted of friendly get-togethers, talking about our week with family, etc., is now replaced by a social awkwardness that is caused by the overuse of technology. It has become a permanent thing in and of our lives, unless something is changed.
In saying this, the overuse of technology poses a major concern with quality of life itself. Most teenagers feel that the ability to surf the web provides them with never-ending entertainment, neglecting to see that their familial relationships are weakened every time they decide to play video games instead of playing with their brother or sister outside. This problem doesn't just affect teenagers and children, but it also affects adults. Studies show that 15% of Americans alone utilize online dating websites instead of meeting people in real life; that's over 48 million people! This desire for people to meet online instead of in person could likely be caused by the overuse of technology. Had those 48 million set down their phones, got up from their computers, and drove down to a nearby coffee shop, they could have met someone through pure, simple, conversation. This reliability on technology for the most basic of needs, human interaction, causes people to be less confident in their ability to socialize in person.
People also fail to see that sitting at computers and watching T.V. on a daily basis causes weight gain, diabetes, heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, eye strain, scoliosis, and a load of other health problems.
