Technology: Your Mobile Life

In this modern age, technology allows for greater convenience than ever before – so much so that everything and anything can be accessed everywhere and anywhere. Board a train at any stop in Singapore and you'll be hard-pressed to find someone with his or her eyes not glued to a 3.5" to 10" screen, swiping and flipping away, keeping up to date with multi social media and news channels all at once. Technology has given us the luxury of greater accessibility and convenience has never been had before. Literally, technology’s omnipresence and widespread use has made it an integral part of daily life and a need for all. Keep up, or be left behind.

iMessage, Whatsapp, Viber, LINE – familiar with them? The phenomenon of instant messaging applications and social media networks has taken over sunny Singapore by storm. As of now, 14 million photos are uploaded daily and 3.5 billion pieces of content are posted weekly on Facebook while up to 3 million Twitter messages are posted up per day. The latest news, trends, gossips and happenings are all within control for the common man who has access to internet on-the-go. Nowadays, it is a common sight for one to be consumed by one’s mobile device, even in the company of friends or family. Technology has made life easier, but at the expense of face-to-face interaction.

Even as the convenience of technology creates temptation for us to constantly keep up with social media, forcing verbal communication into taking a backseat – even to the extent of creating a socially awkward generation today – we must not forget that technology has also redefined and revolutionised communication for the betterment of society. Today, communication is wireless, breaching all geographical boundaries that our forefathers had to overcome with much difficulty. Satellite communication and social media allows information to be accessed globally while the evolution of communication systems facilitates an easy exchange of information – dropping an e-mail or texting is all in a matter of seconds. Also, we can now converse with and literally see our loved ones and friends overseas through mediums such as Skype and Facetime, allowing us to better maintain healthy relationships anytime, anywhere.

Albert Einstein once said, “It is appallingly obvious that technology has exceeded our humanity”. But has it really gone beyond the point of control? In this modern age, technology runs in the veins of society, playing a vital role in every sphere of life. It is our mobile life. We have seen how technology is a double-edged sword when it comes to redefining communication, and that is merely one positive impact from a plethora of others that technology has on society.

Consider how it has automated industrial and manufacturing processes, how it has changed modes of transportations to be faster, safer and more reliable and how it has provided us with entertainment like never before – this is just to name a few. Definitely, there are downsides but the key to extracting the wonders and benefits of technology without compromising on humanity lies in moderation. Ultimately, it is up to us, the users of technology to strike this balance between mobile life and reality.