Technological advances become a crutch for society

So there I was, standing eight inches away from my enemy. Strategically planning my attack, my oppressor sat there cold, blank and rigid as if I were no threat at all. In my right hand I held my weapon of choice—a 7-inch, stainless steel, double-bladed . . . can opener. 

Yes, my enemy was a 4-inch-tall can of tomatoes.

As I strike the first blow, I clamp the can opener to the side of the tomato can and begin twisting the blade around. With each clockwise turn of the can opener, I find that I’m not accomplishing anything. My blade isn’t even making a dent in the can. Talk about defense. I am determined to open this can because I really want to make some salsa and I can’t very well do that without tomatoes. 

Okay, I am not going to let a can of tomatoes outsmart me. I strike again. This time my blade slices into the can, but as I twist the opener I realize the blade is only cutting once I pinch it to the side of the can. Great, both the can and can opener are against me now. Time to unleash all my frustration. I will not lose to two inanimate objects. I dig the blade around the edges of the can, slicing about 4 centimeters at a time, until I have made a complete circle. Finally, the can opens. Victory!

My 10 minutes in the ring with the tomato can opened my eyes to how heavily my generation relies on technology. In fact, our society has become dependent on technology. We no longer need to handwrite a letter to our relatives living thousands of miles away; we can simply get on our computer, type an email and send it around the world in a matter of seconds. Driving 10 miles to a movie store to rent the latest blockbuster is replaced with services like Netflix where we can rent a movie without ever leaving our home. We don’t even need paper books. No, we can read an electronic version of a book on our Kindle, iPad or Nook. 

Technological advances have no doubt made it easier for us to live. Everything is basically just a click away. But is our dependency on technology an advantage or disadvantage? Does our instant communication connect us or drive us further apart? Are computers, televisions and iPads entertaining us or transforming us into introverts void of human interaction?

I say technology is what you make it. It can be the silent shackles holding you in isolation from the world around you, or it can be an effective tool helping you explore endless possibilities. You decide.

To me, technology is a beautiful advantage when used in moderation and for the right reasons. As the world becomes more digital, I choose to limit how dependent I am on technology and to value life’s simple treasures. Technology will be an aid, not an addiction.

In fact, next time I decide to make salsa, I’ll use an electric can opener. 

Kasi Dickerson is a journalism major and the Feature Editor of The Pine Log.