Grasping onto Tradition and Humanity
My roots
I grew up observing my grandmother. I watched her take a piece of paper, grab a black pen, apply pressure to it, and create these beautiful and meaningful swirls that I later learned were cursive. She wrote out cards for all occasions. At the time, I was truly mesmerized and captivated by this. I now understand that my culture is responsible for having instilled in me an appreciation and value of tradition. I carry on with this old-fashioned trend of handwriting cards to stay connected to my roots. However, with each year that passes by, I feel this part of my culture slipping away with increasing technological advancement.
Dilemma
Keyboards have become the new pen and emojis, the stamps. I feel conflicted by how effortless it has become to send texts that can supposedly encapsulate genuine feelings. Are these technological means able to convey meaning to such an extent that they can replace the former? I am not entirely convinced. Are we in some ways accepting that we don’t want personal relationships with one another while believing that technology can project exactly what we are feeling? Don’t get me wrong, technology serves a positive purpose in allowing us to communicate with one another by the press of a button. However, the problem lies in becoming so dependent on technology to communicate. Eventually, we will forget not only how to communicate without technology but begin to set a new standard for communication altogether.
Technology to Communicate
I understood sending condolences to be something thoughtful, delicate, not a post on Instagram. I understood holidays to be about love, giving, and gratitude not a photo opportunity. However, more and more, I see that even though implicitly, the traditions I grew up with are slowly fading away. I wonder if this is just the start of a large-scale change we are going to see. I don’t think it’s implausible to imagine that someday future generations will try to contact Santa Clause by text or set up a Venmo to receive payments from the Tooth Fairy. Technology is constantly becoming more pervasive and I fear these changes may just be the start.
Caution
As we continue to emphasize technology as being the foundation for society, the more I believe we will stray away from the original roots that ground us both culturally and socially. Surely technology enriches each of our lives in significant ways. However, we should exercise caution in revolving our world around technology, as we may lose sight of what makes us human. To be human is to be able to connect with others in a meaningful way. The machine’s established character limit and script it provides fail to meet this definition. Technology forces you to make decisions that infringe upon genuine feelings. Your feelings are bound by a set of coveted phrases and your words are defined by auto-correct. What you produce in this technological environment is so strictly confined that it ends up being like a finalized cup of coffee that has been removed from its origins and has been run through a filter. In that process, the grinds and elements of humanity are left behind.
Image obtained from Squarespace
