Are We Becoming Smarter with Technology but Poorer in Human Understanding?

 

Are We Becoming Smarter with Technology but Poorer in Human Understanding?

Recently, we hear about many people who are otherwise good in their actions committing suicide. A few days ago, one of our friends, who was so innocent and very meticulous in her work, suddenly took poison and ended her life. I mean, is it so easy to give up our life? Are we not thinking about what will happen to the people around us who love us? Is it peer pressure, financial pressure, or mental or physical pressure? With technology and science growing rapidly, so much is possible, but is it that we do not want to make the effort to look for solutions, or have we lost our patience to deal with all the issues around us? Just imagine, if we, as ordinary people, do such things, what should special people who face challenges every day do? Around 5.3% of people have hearing loss, and overall, 15% of people in the world face special challenges. Should all of them give up, or should they learn to fight emotionally, use technology in the best possible way, and move ahead?

The worst part is that we only talk about negativity, crime, or some calamity, such as a fire, flood, plane crash, plane hijacking, or shooting, and social media spreads such news on a large scale. Politicians, celebrities, and people with influence often seem to believe, or have been taught, that publicity can be created through sympathy for bad situations and then working on them. We are also responsible for this situation, as we go with the flow. How many of us make an effort to ignore such negativity? Instead, all such news has become routine in our everyday lives, and we have accepted it.

We once had a director who came to interview our hearing-impaired children because he wanted to make a film about them. There were 25 kids who had 80–90% hearing loss and were using digital hearing aids according to their requirements. They had all learnt to speak almost like hearing people and were pursuing graduation and higher education through the regular education system. The director wanted to find out from these kids what had gone wrong in their lives, what had made them emotionally upset, and what changes had taken place afterwards. He spoke to them for almost one and a half hours, hoping to find a point of sympathy that could help him make a story about these kids.

All these kids were so enthusiastic and positive. They said, “Of course, we have hearing loss and we do not hear like hearing people, but digital hearing technology has brought a revolution in our lives. We can communicate almost like hearing people. Our parents and professionals have taught us to face challenges and move on. We behave and speak almost like hearing people. We live life like any other child. We are independent and can face anything that comes our way. We do not have any issues with the hearing people around us. They have accepted us, and we have accepted them the way they are. If someone laughs at us, we do not feel bad, as that helps us fight and grow to become better.”

In fact, we told the director to make a film showing how hearing-impaired people are learning to live life with positivity. He was amazed by their responses. Rather than challenging the kids, he was challenged by them. After seeing their immense positivity, he decided to make a song for them called “I’m Listening”. He made them sing, and I tell you, all those kids did amazing work. They sang together and in rhythm. How many of us are excited to see or listen to such inspiring and positive stories? Our brains seem to be tuned to listen to crime and negative stories with excitement. I have tuned my mind to listen to the positive stories of such special kids. When will we all start doing that?

It is said that when we are born, we come into this world empty. As we begin to exist in this universe, our soul also exists. Our body, mind, and soul grow together. Our body grows in a positive way; we grow from a child to a young person, then an adult and a mature person. Here, there is no going back. Our soul also grows with our mind, but the mind is always surrounded by insecurity, questions, and emotionless feelings. Because of this, even our soul gets disturbed. Our selfie world, along with modern science and technology, has brought us to a level where we feel insecure about ourselves and the people around us.

I read something somewhere, and it was explained so beautifully. When you go to the market to buy something, you inquire about the price, ask about the warranty, and Google the professional, organisation, or company you are getting connected with. You ask at several places, discuss the pros and cons with a few people, and then make a decision. But what about you as an individual? Do you ask yourself what your guarantee is as a person? Are you reliable? Are you the right person who can serve others at the right time? Are you strong enough to work well over the years?

We need to ask ourselves what we want to do in life. Are we born only to flow with others, or do we have our own identity? Social media and science have been created by us, but are they helping us grow in the right way or depriving us of something important? Do we want our mind, body, and soul to grow in rhythm and bring us happiness, or is it the other way around? We need to understand ourselves and others rather than simply flow with AI technology, which may affect our ability to understand our own emotions, feelings, and the loved ones around us. If we learn to understand ourselves and others better, perhaps mental health issues will become easier to recognise and address.