“You have the world at your fingertips.” Bet you’ve heard that one before. Maybe from a teacher trying to encourage students to study harder for exams, or from your grandparents telling you over and over again how lucky you are to have so many choices, compared to, “back in their day.”
Either way, that phrase is true. I’m talking literally. That little device you have in your hand or pocket – that is the “world at your fingertips”. Not to quote your grandparents on this, but what you hold in the palm of your hand is the answer to almost any question you can think of, the key to any opportunity, the knowledge of any subject, and the connection to any person.
What you hold in your hand is a world of possibility. The smartphone: the device which allows you to surf the net, connect with friends and strangers, solve (almost) any problem and find any information. That device offers you a world of opportunity. It gives you the power to make your voice heard, to access knowledge on any topic, to share your story or make a real difference.
The possibilities are endless. That little device empowers you to do so much! You can raise money or raise awareness for important issues, share your ideas, share your music, learn any language, start a business, fight for the environment, learn about other cultures and countries, manage your finances, find work, find love, expand your knowledge! These days, basically any qualification can be obtained online, and really very few can say that they don’t have access to an education. With all the hours we spend, vision locked on that little screen, you would think we were doing something worthwhile with our time (and data). But no. Very few of us can honestly say that we spend time on any of the above.
Instead, we’re posting selfies, editing Instagram pics, mindlessly following superficial celebs, hanging on their lips with every scandalous photo and every shallow tweet. We spend hours on social media, sharing every insignificant detail of our lives with “friends” we hardly know, somehow feeling that our sandwich deserves its own Facebook post and “yumyum” hashtag. We measure our worth by the number of likes on our profile pic and comments on our status. We fill our days and minds with useless information, clicking every shared video of “You won’t believe what happens next!” and article on “10 Shocking Facts about Coca-Cola”.
Ask yourself this: what are you occupying your time with? Are you using your opportunities, expanding your mind, making real connections, or just posting another #boredom selfie?