Have we become ‘Mobile Slaves’?
I recently posted the following question on social media networks: “Have we become mobile slaves?” Most of the answers I received showed that we are being willingly enslaved by technology. We can hardly spend fifteen minutes without checking our mobile phones in search of any piece of information regardless of its significance.
We follow other people’s lives even if they do not mean much to us. We no more dine without photographing our food first. We immediately take a selfie once we bump into friends, even before saying ‘hello’.
We are documenting everything as if we are shooting a documentary about the extinction of a rare animal, forgetting what has really become extinct is true socialization and non-social media network communications! Though it may appear true, this entire world is virtual. It is more like a short bulletin about other people’s lives. Such follow-up really wastes valuable time that could be invested in things of actual benefit.
This virtual world has created its own virtual stars. Everybody is dreadfully longing for fame through it. Everybody is becoming a replica of this or that person who became a celebrity thanks to social media. People who have done nothing have become famous by posting some makeup scribbles and stolen international designs. Most women are dreaming of becoming like those celebrities and receiving free gifts and trips.
All dialogues are revolving around them and around ‘monitoring’ their lives. We no longer get involved in long debates without interrupting them with Snapchatting, posting a tweet or uploading a photo on Instagram. We have become enslaved to the mobile phone – we are already addicted to it and cannot do without it.
These devices are literally and unintentionally stealing us away from our loved ones – they are burning away our time, as well as making our interests very superficial. Constant follow-up of life around us through social media networks has brought mankind absolutely nothing good.
People are becoming more envious and spiteful than ever. A complete generation has become obsessed with ‘documentation’ regardless of the real value of what they document.
Clinging to ‘reading’ and looking up information is becoming more like jihad in view of all the shallowness and silliness everybody is growing to like. The majority are now seeking meaningless laughs and useless joys and insipidity at the expense of deep meanings.
Our time is being robbed without feeling it, our minds are becoming atrophied without noticing it, and unfortunately, this virtual world is stealing us from our real one!
—Translated by Kuwait Times
By Arwa Al-Waqian