Our addiction to technology is burgeoning and we can't help it!

Human life has witnessed a transition from waking up hearing a rooster's crow to setting up an alarm on a clock and now on your smartphone. Glancing through the transition of communication means, it all started from conversing in person, using pigeons, writing letters and postcards and now we have an endless means for instant messaging.

If you think closely, the one word that serves as the root of this transition is “Technology”. In the present day, all of us start and end our day checking our smartphones. Probably, the millennials cannot even imagine their life without a smartphone. Any question raised is immediately searched on Google and ta-da, you have millions of answers!

What is this fuss all about?

Before you lose your patience sensing that you already know what you have read above, let's get straight to the point. I have written this piece to make you acquainted with our addiction to technology and we cannot avoid or ignore it. If you are not a fish of the vast “Information Technology” ocean then let me tell you it is not only the internet but a number of other technologies that you interact with in day-to-day life.

So, let's get started...

Our interaction with different technologies in everyday life

First, let me make this clear that I won't be discussing each in a segregated manner as they are interdependent and interconnected.

Introducing the most familiar one, yes you guessed it right, the “Internet”. Right from communication to making payments, from shopping online to social media, we have it all because of the internet. Let's dig into some history...

It all started in the 1950s, yes since then! However, the "world wide web (www)" came into the picture during the 1980s, escalating its reach in the 1990s and not to mention the inflammatory response in the 2000s. To understand it simply, it is the network of computers that communicate through digital data (0s and 1s) in small packets. 

Read more about the pros and cons of Data: DATA – Climb the Mountain or Drown in the Ocean

You can think of the Internet as a base of the most intersecting technology with the ones which we will discuss further.

Moving on to the most used device, “smartphone”, there are approximately 2.5 billion users at present. Based on the “Mobile Technology” where the name itself expresses the meaning of being mobile. Depicting in layman's terms, it allows you to move around without being connected through the wires. The next best example is Wi-Fi!!!

Going back in the past, we had mobile phones (with buttons on them!) just to make a call, send a message and how can I forget our favorite game “Snake”! Just so you know, it was very expensive back then. Only the richest could afford to possess and use a mobile. With the progress in mobile technology and the smartphone revolution, we have billions of people possessing and using the smartphone. They are just as tiny computing devices allowing you to make a call, send a message, click pictures, play games and have tons of other applications (based on Android or iOS) to assist you with your daily tasks. Thanks to the 4G network, things happen really fast!

I'm sure, reading until here would have made you realize that we are immensely addicted to technology or I would rather now use the word “dependent”. And this is not the end, we have a lot more to go...

Moving over to the human-machine interaction...don't scratch your head too hard, we all have had it. While using your PC or your smartphone, you must have made some gestures using your hand movement or voice to operate a function and that comes under the human-machine interaction. The most common example is showing your palm to click a selfie or just say capture!

Have you ever lost your way while driving? What do you do? Just open Google maps and find your way out! This is where you make use of GPS–Global Positioning System. Do you know how that works? There is a network of about 30 satellites orbiting around the earth which helps in locating your position and navigation. Read more here.

Now, moving over to the most fascinating form of technology which we love using the most–Siri, Google Assistant and the list is growing. The software works on your voice command and is really great! I'm sure most of you reading this post have used at least one of these assistants. Before revealing the technology behind it, let us look at some more examples.

All of us do Netflix and chill and visited Amazon.com at least once for sure. If you have noticed that there are movie suggestions on Netflix and product suggestions Amazon either based on your previous activity or search history. Have you ever wondered how? Your favorite pastime-playing video games are smarter than you (just kidding)! So, ever gave it a thought, how?

Breaking the ice, it is nothing but Artificial intelligence. Even the maps involve AI as well. Human-machine interaction and AI are closely related. 

Interested to know more about the best and worst effects of AI? Read here: The best and worst effects of Artificial Intelligence on humans

Did you ever think that you are using Artificial intelligence in your everyday life? Now, you will!

Coming up next is your smartwatch. Access some basic phone operations, calories burned, heart rate, etc. and I do not need to list the features. Because we are meant to discuss the technology behind. Its Internet of Things shortly known as IoT. Sounds like jargon to you? No worries, it's nothing but the interconnection of hardware and software through an obvious medium called the Internet.

Digging a bit more into it, have you heard about the smart home concept? The one where you can control your air conditioner, lights and other appliances using your smartphone. Even this is the gift by IoT. Even driverless cars and Google glass are examples of IoT applications but well not from your everyday interaction!

And the last one...Do you use Google Drive or One Drive? What an obvious question, of course, you do. So, my friend, that works on Cloud Computing. This is where your files are on the cloud storage and not your personal device so you can access them anytime anywhere with a simple login!

So, now you know that it's not just the internet but you interact with many other technologies every day!

The conclusion

Learning these technologies also infer that they are intersected and not perform individually. It's the 21^st century and we are so obsessed that they are now inseparable and inevitable for survival. We have some places in the world that belong to the Wi-Fi-free zone; you go there relax but have to come back to the pavilion! It is true that digital living comes with a fee but can't stress enough on its privileges! Still evolving so keep yourself updated from time to time!

That's my first blog post here and do share your thoughts in the comment section below...