The Journey of Human Digitalisation

In today’s era, digitalization has impacted our lives to a greater extent. Digitalisation has occupied our minds in such a way that we are not able to think and resolve any issue independently. Our addiction and reliance on this Google world are unexplainable.

Most of us have been actively embracing smart technologies and their benefits since the journey of digitalization began. Actually, the journey of digitalisation probably started long ago, before we even realised. However, the dominance of technology over human values and human vulnerability is fast-paced now. Due to unknowingly pressure of survival to the fittest, the competition among individual’s mind for the survival of livelihood is on rife.

Indeed, the whole world is benefited by the digital transformation but simultaneously we need to gradually know the side effects of this digitalisation.

Deterioration of social and moral values:

It can be witnessed while travelling with any public transport like bus, train, auto, metro etc..almost everyone is just glued with their smart devices whether it is smartphone , tabs, ipads etc. and disconnected from all around them . Face to face interaction is just diminished not even they bothered to see if some mishaps occurs, where the attention requires the most as a human being.

Our new generation is very social in Instagram, facebook and other social media platforms not even bothered to talk within their family, they are not even bothered to be aware of what’s happening within family.

Decline of memory retention and problem solving abilities:

Over reliance over smartphones or any smart devices for almost everything that comes to our mind has decreased our memory retention capability. We find ourselves more comfortable reading about topics digitally rather than reading through books, newspaper or magazines.

Over dependence upon Google and AI for everything has depleted our cognitive skills.

Technology has amplified our impatience:

With the fast paced life, we are becoming more impatient day by day. We are not even willing to watch 1min Ad in videos. We watch videos at speed 1.25x or 1.4x and almost comfortable with the same.

At its worst, this impatience leads to frustration, more arguments, aggression and even violence and creating a negative atmosphere around us.

No meaning of family:

The meaning of family seems to be fading .Our next generation doesn’t even feel the need of family. The smartphone is the only companion left behind. The concept of family is diminishing everyday. Nobody needs family, need people around them just a smart phone has fulfilled the purpose of family. Emotion, feelings and sentiments are now expressed through Instagram, facebook and other social media where likes and comments over profiles are satisfying one’s mind, heart and soul and builds a sense of virtual companion ship.

Once the elderly people used to hold the central position of the family and now they are leading a long lonely life where no one has a little time to show love and affection to elderly people. They are just living long lonely life suffering from poor mental health . However, some have well adapted themselves with this advance technology and equipped themselves with online contents but still lack of real connection is deeply felt.

The real warmth and affection once shared within family members are rarely seen and relations, feelings and emotions are now validated with screens and through online platforms.

Often today, I find myself more impressed and magnetised by the people who can sit and chat with me without glancing at their smartphones every few minutes, an increasingly rare species.

On top of everything, we are rarely aware of this face-paced technology's gradual but real effect. Otherwise, if we don’t stop and think, we might find ourselves surrounded by AI—not just for getting things done but also for emotional support and conversation.

This could be our near future where real human connections are replaced by artificial ones, making it harder for a healthy mental wellbeing.

 

Bindu Trigunayak