The impact of technological progress on communication Essay

My generation faces many challenges, some from our past, some created in our present and others that will significantly impact the quality of our future. Due to the fast paced evolution of our past, we face global warming. One of our greatest present challenges is conquering our fear and eradicating the threat of both domestic and international terrorism. Our future challenges are numerous and complicated ranging from our reliance on nonrenewable energy, the healthcare crisis, obesity in our country and finding a way to pay off our national debt.Though in my opinion, the greatest challenge that my generation will face is finding a way to keep up with the speed of technology while still retaining a sense of humanity.
Technological change is occurring at an exponential rate. We are the most educated generation in the history of the world, but still struggle everyday to stay relevant. Technology is taking over jobs leading to a loss of job security. The jobs of today are disappearing and we must navigate and plan a path that will lead us to a future with the potential for technological advancement. We have to create, maintain and grow both our personal and professional relationships through social media, the internet, emails and texting. This change is occurring faster for our generation than any of the previous generations combined.
Due to the rapid technological advancement and access to the internet, our generation is losing their basic human communication skills. We have lost the social skills of simply talking on the phone or face to face. Today we communicate by texting, emailing, sending photos or using our social media. This has led to an increase in a lack of common decency shown to one another. Cyberbullying is common as people choose to anonymously hide behind their computers to express themselves. The internet has influenced the way my generation deals with social peer pressure, self acceptance and body image. We are the generation of selfies and a me first attitude. We have developed a lack of compassion for those in need as we have been overexposed by the media to traumatic images and have somehow become numb.
To succeed in the future, we must keep up with technology but retain our humanity. In order to be successful, we must be purposeful in this process. We must maintain a sense of responsibility by making mature choices and showing empathetic behavior while being exposed to an overwhelming amount of irresponsible behavior that is promoted by the various sources of media. We must have strict time management and find a way to learn and be competitive through all of the distractions. We must carefully plan for our future and develop our personal social skills by stepping out of our comfort zone, learning a new language, visiting a new place or helping a person in need. To help my generation, I will practice the character traits that I have chosen to live by, empathy, stewardship, integrity, beneficence and perseverance, both online and off.