The recent evolution of technology has enabled activities that were previously thought to be impossible; our grandparents never dreamed they would have the ability to communicate with friends, play a game, and lay in bed at the same time. It is almost a given that everyone has a smart phone, a computer, and a television.  These advances have defined our era: but are they reversing the evolution of humanity? People barely speak to each other unless through text on a screen, and kids rarely play outside because they have the ability to watch TV or use social media. Eventually, we will end up just like the people in Wall-E: obese and antisocial.

Social media is meant to connect people who cannot speak in person, but it is ripping apart people who actually see each other. While never looking up from a screen, people miss valuable opportunities and lose the ability to properly communicate. Instead of actually enjoying the company of friends while hanging out, people usually end up posting photos of themselves and friends on social media to put others under the impression that their life is far more interesting than it really is. Instead of truly living life, they post a false one online.

Not only has social media proven to be an overused method of communication; the privilege of texting has also been unnecessarily abused. Nothing is ruder than when someone is talking, and the listener pulls out their phone to text someone else because, obviously, the person they are currently hanging out with is not good enough company. Even when looking at people on dates, one sees they are texting others instead of enjoying each other’s company.

Even children are affected by technology taking over our lives. Kids barely play outside anymore because why would they go outside when they could play video games or watch TV? Not only are their social skills impacted, but the rate of childhood obesity is rapidly increasing.

Not only is the average weight of children being affected, but the mass (and girth) of adults is also ever-growing. Worldwide obesity has doubled since 1980. America has been a main contributor to the technology boom, but it is also one of the most obese countries in the world. These numbers could be completely independent of each other, but it is more likely that the obesity is derived from laziness due to sitting on the computer or watching television all day.

The positive aspects of technology, of course, outweigh the negative, but it is the negative effects that are influencing our society the most. For example, medicine and agriculture are great for health, but computers and television ruin it by decreasing time spent being active. Social skills are impacted by a lack of verbal communication, and opportunities are missed by spending time glued to a screen instead of experiencing the world.