Technology is something that has taken the world by storm. It now occupies nearly every aspect of our lives and we have come to depend on it. During the pandemic, is when I had a true realization of how far it has really come. Although not as beneficial as in-person classes, we were able to move school completely online. This was a very eye-opening time for me because prior to March of 2020, never would I have thought technology was capable of this. There are many benefits to the advancements of technology, but as the article mentioned, it has also desensitized me. Similar to Samuel’s Facebook experience, I find myself scrolling on TikTok at times and viewing a short video of somebody’s struggles they are enduring. However, instead of reflecting on what I have just watched, I scroll to the following video and continue to laugh at whatever joke is being made next. Now that I have become aware of this issue, I hope to find a way to stop it from happening.
Reference:
Samuel, Sigal. “It’s Hard to Be a Moral Person. Technology Is Making It Harder.” Vox, Vox, 27 July 2021, https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22585287/technology-smartphones-gmail-attention-morality.
My experience on Tik Tok is very similar. I find myself disconnected from empathy and therefore disconnected from certain emotions. This is scary to think about because although I like to think that social media helps spread awareness of certain things, this proves that some things will go unnoticed. The pros and cons of social media have been debated for many years. Since so many people use social media for communication this makes me question all of the things that are not communicated because people have learned to block certain things out. From now on, I will definitely be more aware of what I watch, read, etc. and the message these things are trying to convey.
I too sometimes forget just how far we as a society have come in terms of digital technology just in our lifetimes alone. It is incredible that our entire country could shift schools, medical practices, and businesses entirely online through various software programs like zoom. On the social media side of things, I also feel I have become desensitized to some things I see online. Subconsciously, the barrier of a screen between me and whatever negative event I am viewing online creates somewhat of a lack of empathy, and because new information is readily available one scroll away, I tend to just move on with my day. I wonder if this has an effect on interpersonal empathy in younger people who have grown up with social media. If so, it could be an alarming development that demands attention.
I totally agree about the desensitization that technology causes. I relate to the TikTok example that you used about seeing a heart-wrenching video and then forgetting about it two seconds later. I think that this has been prevalent in our lives since we were kids. One example I can think of from when I was little was watching TV and seeing commercials for worldly problems such as homeless dogs or orphans and then forgetting about it by the time the next commercial came on advertising barbie dolls. With technology becoming such a main part of our lives and exposing us to so much, we are desensitized and our attention spans have decreased.
Your TikTok example really connected with a number of classmates. Thanks for sharing, and consider how this might relate to the infrastructural component of TikTok’s material experiences, either for producers or consumers of the media. Are there affective experiences involved in scrolling through TikTok videos without pausing to reflect or empathize?