Modern technology - is it always good for us?!

Recently I was reading an article about the younger generation and the influence of the internet on their daily routine and life in general. They had a case study where they wanted to find out what happens when the internet and all modern forms of communication are not available and almost all were kinda dull after some time. The time frame for the study was 30 days and the consequences and results were kinda shocking, not sure though if I can find it again because it was in the magazine at the plane on my way to Vegas. What kinda stunned me was the fact that I should ask this question to myself as well.

Is all this influence of the modern communication any good for us in general or does it lead to the road of insanity in the long run. Are we still able to say for sure what is good for us and what isn't? I mean a few years ago we exchanged phone numbers, now we ask for twitter and facebook instead or msn / yahoo / skype. Of course it is by far easier to stay in touch with friends all over the world, but isn't it a certain isolation at the same time as well? We are surrounded by friends, yet they are thousands of miles away and we can still talk to them or exchange messages.

Basically I can always use work as an excuse, because it is part of my job to stay connected and be online, using various tools of mass communication through the internet. But at the same time it is also important to get out and feel some fresh air, meet people instead of looking at avatars. The more we want to tell ourselves that the technological development is for the better, the less we pay attention to traditional values and isolate ourselves from mature nature. The generation conflice becomes more and more obvious and I am not sure if all of that is for the better. Sure I appreciate the tools, but from time to time there is that itchy feeling in the back of the head asking "Why the hell are you doing all this?". I am yet to find an answer, just hope I will find it sooner or later ... rather sooner though.

We all fear the weapons of mass destruction that are still left over from the past and even though the risk of another world war is pretty small, it is still part of the daily routine in certain countries and regions. But what about the weapons of mass media? They are almost as dangerous because they destroy the free mind and deliver easy information, already predefined without the need to think twice. Of course it is your job and duty to think if all of that is correct, but for most the easier way looks by far more promising and they don't even bother trying.

The information is easily accesible for us nowadays on the internet, but would you rather read a book to learn more about a specific topic or head over to your computer and search for it on google? Keep in mind that a click on the mouse button is by far faster than reading 500 pages ... you could even hurt your fingers when you go from one page to the other! After all it is always a matter of perspective and you will have to find the right balance between traditional values and modern technology. A strong tendency to the one or the other will always lead to a certain isolation and not all socialising is good in the common sense.

Unfortunately this is not something that the mass media will tell you because it doesn't bring them any profit, in fact it could actually hurt them and the last thing you want to do in our current society is to scare off potential customers. You still have to think for yourself if everything and most importantly you have to be honest as well, otherwise it doesn't make much sense to look into the mirror and pretend to be someone else. I for one know that right now I depend too much on modern technology, let's hope that is just a temporary situation and can be fixed in the long run. Oh wait, I have7 new emails, 3 retweets and 4 facebook updates ... oh cool, also two messages on skype as well!