Humanity is more dependent on electronic and digital technology than ever before. So many things that we used to do manually can now be accomplished with machines. It’s got to the point where many of us can’t imagine how our grandparents and great grandparents survived in times past.
To demonstrate just how dependent we are on technology, consider each of the five things discussed below. Could you go more than 24 hours without them? And if so, how easy would it be? Your answers dictate just how dependent you are on electronic and digital technologies.
Table of Contents
1. Your Cell Phone
The first item on the list has to be the cell phone. Billions of people around the world own one. And for many of us, barely an hour goes by that we don’t use them for something. Some people have phone in hand literally every waking moment. It’s insane.
What do you do with your phone that you could do through other means? By the same token, what phone tasks can you not complete any other way? If you are like most people, you depend on your phone a lot more than you realize.
2. Lithium-Ion Batteries
A close second goes to the lithium-ion batteries that power our cell phones, computers, etc. Indeed, a fair majority of electronic devices offering portability are powered by lithium-ion cells. Disposable alkaline batteries are still out there for things like flashlights and TV remotes, but the things we use on the go require rechargeable batteries. And according to Pale Blue Earth, lithium-ion batteries rule.
3. Social Media
How about social media? Could you go more than 24 hours without checking your pages? For a lot of us, social media is the key to communicating. We use our social media channels to keep in touch with family and friends. We use them to share family photos and vacation memories. We use them to keep track of the companies we do business with.
Even businesses rely on social media. In fact, social media has become one of the most powerful forms of digital marketing around. Marketing professionals are more than happy to explain why your business will not succeed online if it’s not on social media.
4. 24 Hour News
Though not necessarily a technology in and of itself, the 24-hour news cycle is brought to us by the technology we have. And for some of us, that news cycle is somewhat of an addiction. We have to check our favorite news feeds at least once or twice an hour. We subscribe to podcasts that keep us up to date on current events. Going even just a few hours without the news leaves us feeling like we are disconnected from the world.
5. Digital Cameras
The last item on the list is the digital camera. It is considered a separate item because it doesn’t necessarily have to be attached to your phone. Why include it? Because some people have a bad habit of taking endless pictures featuring subjects that don’t matter.
Only within the last decade has it become acceptable to photograph your food and post it online. But why stop there? We take pictures of everything and everyone. Our obsession with photography has led to an equal obsession with videography which, in turn, has led to an obsession with online influencers.
From batteries to cell phones and online videos, digital and electronic technology runs our lives. It would be curious to see how many of us could make it for just 24 hours living at the turn of the 20th century.