Evolution is a funny thing.

It can change things rapidly – or so slowly – that you don’t even realize it. Technology is a lot like evolution. It can swing one of two ways, either it can rapidly progress or it can move at turtle speeds.

Cellphones fall under the category of rapid. Over the past decade cellphones have progressed at lightening speeds. Along with the progression of cellphones came a loss of face to face communication.

In this day and age many people have created a hierarchy where technology is above humans. Many overlook this assumption, probably due to the fact that they are too engrossed in their phone screens, but the issue is still prevalent nonetheless. I won’t lie, technology is great in some instances, but it can prohibit an individual from seeing the bigger picture.

By bigger picture I don’t mean more pixels or gigabytes enhancing your screens quality, I mean life.|

We spend so much time behind the screens of our phones that we miss what is happening in reality. When was the last time you were at a social gathering and saw no one on their phone or laptop?

The answer is probably never.

Today’s technology has become a barrier that we need to tear down. Technology’s intended goal was to help enhance our daily lives, but what it did instead was take over them. How many hours a day do you spend using technology? How many times a day do you rely on technology to help you complete a task? I am guilty of all of the above. I can binge watch Netflix or YouTube videos for hours without reprieve.

Technology, especially cellphones in our society put us at a loss for feeling as well. Social Media can affect the way we empathize with others. Nonverbal cues are important, but those who spend significant amounts of time on social media have a hard time picking up on them.

Another problem is that people who overuse social media can start to prohibit their individual thought. Having ideas are important, it’s what makes things like Harry Potter come to life. Without original ideas we would live in a world that’s dull and non-unique.

I’m not saying technology is all bad, there are actually some really good things that have resulted from technology. The issue lies with the matter of people not being able to decompress due to spending hours on their phones.

Viewing content on the internet can be stressful and can affect the way an individual processes information.

Yes, technology has enhanced our overall life, but at what cost? Can we even put a cost on individual thoughts or ideas? I can’t think of a number, nor should we. Being engrossed in something as frivolous as technology is not worth all the energy that we put into it.