As I visited Chef Burger a couple of days ago I noticed that in three out of the five tables available at the fast-food restaurant, people were using their phones while waiting for their food. An especially concerning case was that of a man who was constantly looking at his phone even as he ate his meal. Currently, we live in a world where technology is almost unavoidable and part of our daily lives. Particularly social media, a platform created mainly to enhance communication, makes many teenagers and adults feel increasingly more lonely. Which generates the following question: are we forgetting how to communicate with the people around us?

The answer, worryingly, is almost certainly yes. Technology and social media are making teenagers speak less with one another. We are definitely losing the communicative skill despite having needed it for thousands of years. Some historians place the beginning of the human story when we learned to converse amongst ourselves, and yet it seems like our voices are becoming obsolete. TCS students are unfortunately not the exception, and with a single glance at the main hallway before the first bell rings in the morning, you will notice that the students using their phones outnumber those chit-chatting before school begins. The more our students use their phones, the less social we become and the less time we spend with friends and family. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Nowadays most teens own some kind of phone such as Samsung or Apple. Instead of talking personally with someone you simply just send a text message.” Most teenagers prefer to send a quick WhatsApp message than meet and see each other in person. Technology is making us lonelier.

We use technology for everything. From games to movies, virtually anything you can think of is accessible through the internet and the apps that we can download on our phones and computers. In spite of that, everything in excess is negative and most people are abusing their technological consumption.

Technology might be so deleterious when used in excess that, according to The Independent, we might be in peril health-wise. The British journal reads, “Recent research indicates that this may be the next biggest public health issue on par with obesity and substance abuse.” It is easy to bypass the benefits of a physical life in order to indulge in the sweet hazard that is using technology all day long, but the consequences could be dire. Obesity and mental issues are only some of the effects hypothesized by scientists so far, and the list could be expanded rapidly. If we are not careful, and if we do not measure the time we spend looking at our devices, our health will suffer.

No one calls into doubt that technology is tremendously helpful and that our lives have been eased by the tool. Nonetheless, it is a double-edged sword that can potentially stab us in the heart, both literally and figuratively. Our health can deteriorate, our relationships can be perpetually damaged, and we may not even be able to enjoy the delicious burgers of the aforementioned eatery if we do not cutback on the hours we spend using our devices. No one is recommending that you stop using your phone altogether, but do be conscious of its usage and how that figure compares to the time you devote to those who are near.