With the aid and support of technology and all the good it has offered for society, many people have pointed out that modern technology has created fear and anxiety, especially for the younger generation of missing out on fun by constantly being able to monitor and see what other people are doing across social media platforms. Creating a sense of fomo or fear of missing out, many people cite the modern technology of phones as toxic and problematic in creating this fear in the younger generation, but I am not so convinced this is the case.
While I can understand the potential harm and danger that can come when constantly being connected and online due to the prominent usage of technology, I do not think that fomo is the whole reason as to why the younger generation is constantly connected to their phones and technology. Instead, I think another big reason as to why people, especially the younger generation, are always attached to their phones is because of the constant availability we are expected to uphold in our current day society due to recent technology.
Being constantly connected, this creates the false notion that people must be constantly available and ready since we have the technology to connect. And even beyond friendships and relationships, this truth, I believe, extends far to other things in life as well, like jobs, careers, and school. In pressuring someone into constantly being readily available no matter the situation, this creates great stress and pressure on people to try to live up to the standard, leading them to be constantly attached to their phones and technology just in case they are needed.
As a student, I can relate to the pressure of being constantly available both within my academic and personal life. To move past this, I think we need to try to create boundaries with our technology, but also with our lives as well, to help learn and recognize how being readily available is not and should not be the standard of life.
