Western Courier

Issue date: 10/9/09 Section: Opinion

Skylar Patridge/cartoonist

Technology has its advantages, making life faster and more convenient for everyday Americans. However, behind all of the laptops, cell phones and iPods, laziness is taking a toll. More than 30 percent of U.S. citizens are obese, making the United States the fattest country in the world.

Each device has its advantages and disadvantages. Cell phones, e-mail, Facebook, eBay and GPSs are all making life much easier. Heck, you can even have sex over the phone or Internet. However, technology is also making us lose some common sense and courtesy.

Cell phones make life convenient but they can also make us forget about the good old days. How often do you call a friend or significant other when you are outside their house instead of going to the door to get them? The answer is probably more often than not. Technology is making us more lazy and impersonal.

E-mail is a great way to reach people; however, some are using it as a cowardly way of confronting others. Confrontation is just one example of something that is best when done in person. E-mail and texting to resolve a personal conflict is just using technology as a mask and giving people something to hide behind.

Communication is one of the basic elements in life and the more technology advances, the more basic communication skills deteriorate. Take Facebook chat for example. You may be talking to someone, but you are only reading the words. The interaction is not real and even worse, you are forced to interpret the meaning behind the other person's words.

Technology is so advanced that you could do everything from your home. Working out using a Nintendo Wii, shopping on eBay and having things delivered to your door, and in some cases even work can be done from the comfort of your home. All of these things may sound appealing, but in reality it is destroying old ways of life.

GPS is another great invention, but it is also another piece of technology that could potentially set us back. GPS devices give you turn-by-turn directions, and if people don't know how to get by without using a GPS it can cause problems. Having a map or atlas in your car at all times is a great backup plan because devices do break.

Technology drives people to be tuned in but actually it is making us socially inept. What people need to understand is that you should use technology to your advantage, but you still need to have the common sense and knowledge to get through life without it.

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