Technology: Bringing people closer or pushing them further apart?

HAVE you realized that technology claims to bring people together.

March 27, 2014
Technology: Bringing people closer or pushing them further apart?
Technology: Bringing people closer or pushing them further apart?

 


Rayan Arab

 


 


HAVE you realized that technology claims to bring people together, as a person from Japan can easily speak to someone in Denmark, but is it in fact pushing people further apart?



We can no longer have conversations with our families, because their eyes and fingers are too busy with smartphones, Ipads, laptops, or some other electronic device of varying sizes.



Technology is taking us forward yes, but in a negative way!



Studies have shown that in the past decade, people’s communications skills went down by 40 percent, and people’s communication skills will continue to reduce by more than 20 percent in the next ten years. These gadgets are the reason that the majority under the age of 23 will be unable to communicate effectively within the next 10 years.



It gets worse! By 2030 humans will no longer need to speak, and the gadgets will speak on their behalf. In fact, the gadgets will become teachers, doctors, and businessmen, families will separate, suicide rates will increase, and drug abuse rates will be higher than it is right now.



Technology is becoming the enemy, and if we do not put our BBs, Ipads, and laptops aside for a few hours a day, and verbally communicate with one another, we will be the victims and human relationships will severely suffer.



Did we reflect on how much time checking e-mails, Whatsapp messages, Facebook and Instagram posts, and tweets is eating out of our day? Isn’t technology taking our time and attention away from having a meaningful conversation with a friend, visiting an elderly relative, playing with our children, or just taking a walk in the park which is good for our body and soul?



Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us to be wary of how we spend our time.



He (peace be upon him) said, “A man will not be let go on the Day of Resurrection until he has been asked about four matters: His life and how he spent it, his knowledge and what he did with it, his wealth and how he earned it, and his body and how he used it.” (At-Tirmidhi)



There is no doubt that each of us will be asked about what we brought forth in this life for humanity.



His life and how he spent it:



We will be held accountable for how we chose to spend our hours, days, weeks, months, and years, as they quickly pass us by.



{Did you think that we had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to us?} (Holy Qur’an, surah 23, verse 115)



We were created to worship Allah alone, to build and protect the Earth, serve humanity, and spread Allah’s message. We will be questioned about every detail of our lives, small and big.



The days, months, and years are passing by; flying by. After that, we will stand in the presence of our Lord, to answer how we spent our time; what we have done with our lives. On this day you will not regret missing an episode of your favorite television show, you will regret not praying the voluntary late night prayer, not treating your neighbor better, or reaching out to your blood relatives more.



Did we waste away our lives sitting in front of the television day and night, flipping through the channels while clicking away at our smartphones, computers, and other forms of addictive technology?



How much time was dedicated to reading a good book, revising verses from the Holy Qur’an, teaching a young child something useful, caring for an elderly parent, writing an informative article?



A large percentage of college students do not know how to use body language while giving presentations due to the excessive use of technology’s gadgets. Speaking of communication, when was the last time you sat with your parents and had a pleasant verbal conversation with them, lovingly looking at their faces that have begun to wrinkle?



One of the most beautiful of Islam’s teachings is that the older your parents grow, the better, kinder, and gentler your treatment of them should be. In Islam, parents should be treated and respected by their children better than a king and queen.



Overall, technology has its positives and negatives, and that all depends upon us and how we take advantage of it. If technology is being used in the right way, such as downloading and reading e-books at low costs, and responsibly managing our time, then it is considered a great blessing.



However, if it is being used in the wrong way with the wrong intentions and without maintaining time management, then it is considered one of the worst blights that have afflicted the human experience.


March 27, 2014
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