While scrolling through Twitter recently, a picture caught my eye. It was of Albert Einstein and a prediction he’s said to have made: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”
I took the time to reflect on his words. Even though Einstein died 60 years ago, these words certainly have modern relevance. Technology has already invaded our freedom to think and function as individuals. It’s up to people how they wish to spend their time, but the reality is we can’t escape all the eyes that are glued to smartphones. I too am guilty of it. The irony is that too often people are getting more engrossed in what is going on outside their home, and becoming completely oblivious to their real lives.
I often wonder why most social-media accounts are free to use. The recompense for the free service is paying with privacy. We are the product being sold.
What good is technological progress without moral progress? This was a question raised by Queen Rania of Jordan, who argued in an article earlier this year that the world is moving in a blink of an eye, creating the best of innovation, while also questioning whether this progression is improving people’s moral side.
Recently, I read about some European countries holding discussions to restrict visas to certain Arab nationalities as a result of unfavourable demeanours. It was disheartening to read about such behaviour. In one incident, some Arab youths filmed themselves stealing a goose from a lake, slaughtering it and cooking it. They were overjoyed. In another scene, an Arab family was seen littering a European city. What did they gain from this?
In the UAE, with its high internet-penetration rate, young people are yet to fully comprehend how beneficial technology can be when it comes to linking people. Today, it seems almost everyone is a journalist in one way or another, updating everyone on their lives, but if the story the person utters has no value, what good does it do?
When some Arabs travel abroad and post pictures, most of them are of delicious food, coffee or ice cream, and without fail they add a hashtag relating to the country they’re in – just to show off.
Undoubtedly, technology has changed our lives for the better in so many ways. But the amount of time we spend on it without reaping any real benefit saddens me. The western world is yet to have a proper understanding of the Arab world. Our weapon should be technology to reach out.
The day we find enough connectivity within ourselves, we will be able to spread that positive vibe to the rest of the world. When we modify our morality, it will allow us to keep pace with technological progress. When that happens, we’ll witness real progress.
Asmaa Al Hameli is a features writer for The National.
If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, contact Melinda Healy on mhealy@thenational.ae.
