How Technology can be an Impediment for Millennials

I am not aware of any critical mass of individuals living in a society at any time in history that has survived the times living in total isolation from their immediate community, its values, and communication practices. And, as importantly – the ability to learn from his own mistakes over time. The smartphone has been handicapping the millennial generation in this regard.

The smartphone has been handicapping the millennials, so the saying goes. Why do you say that, professor? Let me explain why by giving you a real-life example that has changed the way I interact with human beings of the opposite sex.

When I was a kid, I struggled to converse with girls face-to-face. I was so shy and afraid to speak with a girl one-on-one. I had a terrible fear of rejection back then. Even though these feelings are not foreign to young boys, I know today that my levels of shyness (and therefore my inability to speak with a person of the opposite sex) back then were probably higher than most boys who were shy in my generation.

Like most kids in their teenage years, I was unprepared to engage in interpersonal communications with a female. I still remember this beautiful girl named Peggy, which I honestly had the hots for her. She was beautiful, pleasant, and to my fortune, she seemed to like me. The fact that we never ended up going out on a date had nothing to do with her interpersonal ability. It had everything to do with mine. I failed to initiate a meaningful conversation with her to have the chance to ask her out on a date. It was my total loss, and I knew it.

However, my inability to break the ice and carry on an honest conversation with a girl made me stop and think about why I wasn’t successful in my love endeavors. I spent some time thinking about this question and then BINGO! Eventually, I’ve learned what girls like out of my struggles. “They like to talk,” for the most part. I figured. Well, if girls want to talk, then I need to be a good listener.

Look, I didn’t need to have a smartphone to make me feel better or learn how to speak with a girl. My humanity helped me with enjoying my later teenage and young adult years by merely stopping and thinking about the obvious. For most of my adolescent years (up to the age of 16), I struggled with speaking with girls. Some might consider the former as being a “bad” life experience. Well, I see these former struggles differently today. I thank God for how things ended up working out in my life in that regard and for having the ability to face the problem and find a possible solution like a man.

When I was 16 years old, there were no smartphones. My parents happened to have cell phones back then, which was unusual for Brazilians back in the ’90s, but they were not smart. I didn’t have the opportunity to go on-line to make me feel better for my inability to speak with a girl. Because I had no technology, I had to face the problem and develop two essential life skills – Critical thinking and Listening.

Today young people rely too heavily on technology. Too many millennials would instead use their iPhones or smartphones. Texting is the preferred way to communicate among millennials nowadays rather than deal with a situation in person.  Can’t talk with a girl tonight? Go to a smartphone, watch a video with girls, and feel better. Can’t find a date to go to prom. Go to the smartphone, chat with girls on Tumbler, and move on.

 Don’t have any friends? Go to the smartphone and log into Facebook and chatting! The problem is that text messaging won’t teach a person how to speak with a girl like a man. Avoiding (or the inability) to speaking with a real girl will not be replaced by watching a video about girls. Not having a date for prom can’t be replaced by chatting with strangers on Tumbler.

What if I told you that if a person faces a problem in life and decides to ignore the issue and move sideways, eventually, they will walk in a circle and be bossed around for life? With or without technology.

All this technology that is supposed to make our lives better is having a tremendously negative impact on the lives of millions of teenagers and young adults today. It is, handicapping them by discouraging them from facing real-life problems for the sake of technology.