Our generation has some amazing potential.
We have tools that our parents and grandparents could only dream of, and groundbreaking technology seems to be at our fingertips with newer, smarter gadgets coming out one after another.
This is all grand — but there is a catch. The current generation may not have the social skills to create a connected, interwoven society.
We have many options to take the easy way out in communication, which eliminates the need for face-to-face conversations.
Email has replaced the need to make phone calls. There is no need to dial a number when an individual can answer at their own convenience via the Internet. If an immediate response is required, text messaging is the perfect solution, as many people today always have their cellphone in hand.
However, these methods eliminate the personal touch that may play a key factor in getting a message across.
Penmanship of all forms will be lost within a decade. There will no longer be a need or demand for cursive, print or any handwriting because all messages will be typed on a keyboard or audio recorded. There is no telling if children will know how to address an envelope in years to come. Bills can be paid online, and more families are opting for e-Christmas cards, so it seems that stamps are quickly fading out of fashion.
Crossing campus, it is hard to spot a student not using his or her cellphone, whether texting or talking. In class, students sit with laptops open, but not with Word documents up and ready to take notes. Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest screens fill lecture halls.
Hours in class are not well spent on social media networks. Even with these sites at our fingertips at all times of the day, many students still opt to browse through them at the expense of missing information given in class.
Whatever happened to living in the moment?
In the world of technology, the “here and now” may not exist. Constantly checking the latest news feed and tweets doesn’t count.
And neither does texting; although it may be instantaneous, it still doesn’t have the “here” factor.
On a college campus, we live in a bubble.
This is not the same type of bubble that sheltered children exist in, but rather one where the only news and information we care to know about is what is happening within a three-mile radius.
Social media has only expanded this bubble into a virtual world, where being friends with someone is only official once they’ve accepted your request.
It is no one’s fault that the world is continuing to evolve just as it has always done. Traditions and customs in societies change, but it is a shame that people will not have the same level of social connectedness in years to come.
Daily interactions can be avoided with online classes and other outlets, as we now can avoid having to immerse ourselves in seas of people.
As long as we use these tools for the good that they were created instead of distractions from boredom, studying or awkward social encounters, it is perfectly acceptable to invite the latest technology into our lives.
Young people constantly think that we are too busy to use traditional methods of communication. Frantically running from one thing to the next, I am not excluding myself from this generalization.
There are always just a few too many reasons why we are unable to hold meaningful conversations with our neighbors or reach beyond a text to talk to a friend.
Technology is progressing faster than most can keep up, and society is inevitably changing. As our world continues to progress, make eye contact, remember strong handshakes and continue adhering to social guidelines.
Abby Wolz is a health science freshman at UF. Her column usually appears on Thursdays. You can contact him at opinions@alligator.org.
