Technology in our lives

            Over the years through the course of human history, human lifestyle has gradually evolved. From living in mud houses, to the building of brick houses, construction of steel bridges, to skyscrapers. The evolution of man lies primarily in his constant need to change his way of life. As new discoveries are made certain aspects of our lives are made to change such as food, clothing, means of transport and even form of entertainment.
            Those of the past are commonly said to have been healthy and intelligent. This is mostly attributed to the fact that the only form of entertainment in those days involved some form of physical or intellectual activity such as playing sports or reading during leisure times. This was one attribute of people who lived in the early 1700s, no wonder that era is known as the industrial revolution. This was due to the invention of machinery to be used in industries.
            The question is have these inventions been helpful or harmful to us. In an age where technology controls almost every aspect of our lives it seems we have rather become the slaves and the technology our masters. Man has become consumed by his own inventions that he cannot live without them.
            Since the invention of the television, our leisure time has been reduced to endless hours spent in front of it. Children spend endless hours in front of the box instead of participating in activities that will develop them physically, emotionally and intellectually. It was originally invented to send information across the world, taking one step ahead of radio to allow a person to visualize what he hears. That idea has now been a bit distorted. There are now more shows on entertainment than there are on educational and social programmes. Thus it's had a growing effect on people to serve as their form of entertainment. Thereby making us slaves to the television. Though it does have its perks it's use is being abused by people.
            The new and upcoming generation have been consumed by this age of technology. Their idea of a leisure time is playing video games, watching endless hours of movies or spending time browsing on the net.
             In the past, leisure times were spent either being involved in active play such as sports or passive activities like reading and listening to the radio.
              Reading is more beneficial than watching a movie because when you read your mind gets to visualize what is being read. You get to exercise your brain since as you imagine what is being read. Certain brain cells are stimulated to function which would've otherwise been dormant. A wide variety of ideas then continuously begin popping into your mind. This makes it important for people, especially children to read because it helps them to develop intellectually. Unfortunately these days people hate to pick up a book to read. Kids will prefare to watch cartoons than to read a book involving a story of the same cartoon.
               Moving pictures are the result of someone's imagination which they've displayed for all to see. This person's imagination is then taken to represent the book. The whole world then adopts this person's idea into their mind as the only way the book can be done or made without trying to read and visualize it for themselves. They'll rather watch someone's depiction of it. This is detrimental on people's minds, making them become conformists and narrow minded.
                All in all, technology has helped us in a number of ways helping us to improve upon our way of life. However as the saying goes too much of everything is bad. Thus a balance should be created in our lives in order not to deprave our humanity and not make us slaves to the technology we create.