Technology undergoes several innovations and developments that significantly impact our lives in a number of ways. We gain power with the development of technology as it has improved thecomfort, ease, and enjoyment in our lives. Communication is a lot quicker and simpler as technology makes it easy for us to connect with citizens of any city or nation with only a click. Technology has impacted our lives significantly.
But here a question arises – ‘Is society making the right progress as technology quickly takes over the world’?
A few days back a video went viral about a young boy who stopped the school bus when he was traveling to school and saved many lives because the bus driver suffered a heart attack and lost control of the vehicle. This young boy put on the brakes when he saw the bus was swearing off the road. He noticed the driver was having a medical emergency and immediately sprang from his seat, took the wheel, hit the brake, and gained control of the situation, protected not only the lives of the passengers and bystanders on the road but also of the driver. It was unexpected that only one boy dared to step in and assist the driver, while other kids in the bus seemed unaware that the driver had lost control of the bus. Why didn’t anyone else notice what was happening? Further investigation of this incident found that except for this boy, everyone else was on a device, none of the other passengers were aware of what was going on since they were too busy using their phones and ear pods on their ears.
In another incident, a man lost his mother even though the son was in the next room, where he was meant to take care of the elderly grandmother, but instead of responding to her plea for assistance, he was absorbed in internet browsing. When his father got home and visited the elderly woman’s room, he saw she was laying on the floor with items thrown around that shows she had been trying to raise the alarm. With ear pods on, the grandchild seemed oblivious to everything.
We hear so much about the consequences of too much use of mobile phones or screen time, but one thing no one has considered till now is the Loss of Situational Awareness. It’s a shortened way of indicating that someone wasn’t paying enough attention, or was careless. Observation, orientation, decision-making, and action are the first four steps of situational awareness. We fall short at the initial step because we fail to notice, which prevents us from being oriented, leading to a choice and an action. The majority of great acts in society are the result of keen observations; nevertheless, if we are immersed in the mobile world, we risk losing awareness of our surroundings and becoming insensitive in emergencies.
In one case the boy did not have the phone and was aware of what is happening in his surroundings and another case the boy lost his grandmother in the next room as he was unaware that she needs his help. We can compare these two incidents and can judge that without our knowledge, human freedom is being restricted due to the rapid growth of technology. While walking on the road, traveling by train, bus, or plane, or even in the market, we will not find a single person who is not busy scrolling up and down on mobile. We can say that slavery appears in disguise and has adopted more modern forms. This widespread obsession with gadgets is alarming for humankind.
If we do not become aware of our surroundings, observe, and begin the adventure of life, there will be no distinction between an inanimate thing and we the living. Despite your education and good intentions, you are worthless and harmful to have around in an emergency if you are unaware of the circumstances.
