Are People Too Dependent on Technology?

Jenna Gibson

Opinions Editor

For as long as I’ve owned a phone, I’ve been behind on having the most up-to-date models–whether it be the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 7 plus. I’ve never been a fan of the newer iPhones; I still use an iPhone 6 SE (which is programmed like an iPhone 6 but is the size of an iPhone 5). With the introduction of the iPhone X, which is planned to be released on November 3, I realize how far technology has come, and I think that the advances in technology have occurred because of society’s dependence on these technologies, most specifically phones.

Although I’m an avid user of my phone,  and other electronic devices, I think that people today—and not just the younger generations—have become too reliant on technology. Nowadays, you can hardly find anyone who doesn’t have some sort of technological device on their person. Most people have at least one social media account, and people are becoming more and more focused on their technological lives than their real ones. Sure, there are some exceptions to this—not everyone keeps their phones attached to them at the hip. However, a large majority of people have become inseparable from their phones—myself included.

I think that the new iPhone X and all its added features make people’s dependence on technology even more obvious. When I first saw the commercial for the new iPhone, I thought it was a parody. I thought that there was no way that people could want to be that connected to their phones. But, alas, it was real.

The weirdest new part of the iPhone X is the face recognition feature. Users no longer have a home button to click to turn on their phone screen, nor do they have a password they have to manually type in. Now, all it takes is a face scan, and immediately one is logged into their phone. This is somewhat creepy to me because now iPhones have the power to distinguish someone’s face from millions of others.

Other new features of the iPhone X include interactive emojis and wireless chargers, as well as more durable glass on both sides of the phone, not just the screen.

I think that the iPhone X is going to make people even more antisocial than before, which I know is hard to imagine since you already can’t really go anywhere without seeing people flock to their devices. Actual face-to-face human interaction is becoming less and less important through the iPhone X.

Although I do think that improvements in technology are good, I think that only is true to a certain extent. Technology makes it incredibly simple to track anyone. You can basically find out everything about a person through their social media profiles. Although I am also part of this, since I am a 20-year-old college student, I think that everyone should strive to use their technology less.

No individual really needs the iPhone X, with all of its cool, updated (albeit unnecessary) features. The new updates have made me see how much people really depend on technology, and although it’s without a doubt that people—including myself—will just get more invested in different technology as time goes on, I’m still going to try to limit myself from being on my phone 24/7.