Pooja Banga
Technology today is not just ruling the world but also taking up our space. Nowadays, we increasingly rely on gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops to make our lives easier, more convenient, and more enjoyable. Gadgets empower us immensely in many aspects of our lives and allow us to connect with different people from different parts of the world while sitting in the comfort of our homes. We can connect our laptops/phones/speakers and even control our home appliances with a single click, which is quite a boon.
Also, gadgets have made it easier for us to keep abreast of the latest trends, world news, and upcoming important events. Social media, instant messaging, emails, and video calls have redefined communication and taken it to the next level, where we can stay in touch with our loved ones, track each other’s location in case of an emergency, and even give interviews online.
While gadgets make our lives easier by simplifying tasks, they come at a cost. This same technology is destroying our privacy and affecting our relationships, causing them to go through a difficult time. Let’s look at some ways gadgets are negatively impacting and even ruining personal relationships.
Gadgets are replacing everything.
Since we check them as soon as we wake up, smartphones have taken the place of our alarm clocks and newspapers. Technology has turned us into such addicts that we use it all day, right from the morning until we doze off. Most people prefer checking up and scrolling on social media rather than having a chat with their partners. We get fascinated by the celebrities’ relationships and look for scoops every day instead of spending time with our loved ones. According to a study, many people choose to text, email, or talk to others rather than have a face-to-face interaction. That’s alarming!
Seeking validation
Today, people have become so obsessed with sharing their personal lives on social media that they constantly seek validation from strangers online for their posts, photos, and videos. As we scroll through our Facebook news feed, we often find selfies of couples smiling and giving cheesy relationship goals. They don’t just look to convince everyone that they are in a happy and healthy relationship; they mostly long for likes or comments. The likes and comments can be so validating that they might fall into depression and feel worthless if the post has fewer likes. toxic trait indeed!
Ignoring your loved ones
This is the most common problem experienced by millennials. Sometimes their partners/spouses keep their eyes glued to their phones/laptops and do not listen to them. We prefer capturing the important events in our loved ones’ lives on our phones rather than being in the moment and cheering for them. It has become an unspoken rule, and we feel that every moment needs to be recorded, but we fail to see the reality.
Lack of emotions
It’s becoming increasingly common for couples to communicate with each other through superfluous pieces of technology such as smartphones and tablets. While these gadgets have the ability to make us travel to dreamland, they lack the ability to convey “emotion,” which plays an important role in our daily lives. This is sabotaging the relationships and creating distance and misunderstandings.
Distraction
Technology not only distracts us, but also has the power to consume us. Today’s people frequently become distracted by their phones, which leads to accidents. There are even young people who have lost their lives while taking selfies in dangerous places. Addiction to anything is bad, but this addiction to gadgets is also causing distractions in relationships. While gadgets can certainly help loved ones stay connected when they’re physically apart from one another, they can lead to addiction, which leads to distractions and, at times, causes their partner to snub the other in favor of their mobile phones.
Loneliness
Gadgets have transformed our everyday lives in several ways, and they help save our time by helping us complete even the most mundane tasks in a matter of minutes. However, they are slowly becoming a major cause of loneliness, provoking us to feel detached and disconnected from reality and our loved ones.
While gadgets are empowering people in many ways, they are also leading to isolation and creating barriers with respect to face-to-face communication. Remember not to underestimate the importance of human connections and spend time with friends and family to build real bonds of love and sensitivity.
