What is existence? In my opinion the word “exist” means to find the purpose of one’s life or it could have several other connotations.
Every human being is said to have a purpose in life for the fulfillment of which, he or she exists on earth. However, merely being born does not serve the purpose of existence.
The most important aspect about existence is to live in the present to the fullest. It is said that the power of thought that is bestowed upon the human beings enables him to exist in a unique way.
One spends his whole life in trying to find out as to why he does exist on earth. In the world of competition, he/she just runs blindly and forgets to experiment with life.
Life is all about experimentation and taking risks. By not indulging in risks, we ourselves tend to risk our own lives. One does not know what course life would take at the next moment. Therefore, in each and every moment we must exist in a lively fashion.
Richard Bach said,’ I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy.’ This is exactly what existence means to me. Self-satisfaction is very necessary for existence.
Rene Descartes said,’ I think therefore I am.’ It is about what one thinks and about what makes one happy and satisfied.
However, in today’s scenario, the concept of existence has taken a completely new form. The respective form is that of the prevalence of the virtual world, the world of social networking sites. The technological revolution has wiped off the thinking capacity of the human beings.
Thinking is not only a philosophical concept, but also the basis of our existence. Humankind has evolved so much due to the cognitive and thinking ability that it is bestowed with.
The ability to work hard, to think hard and to come up with new ideas has been majorly due to the constant process of analyzing each and everything.
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Happiness has acquired an altogether a different meaning which rests in being a part of the virtual world. No doubt, internet has made the lives and the process of communication easier and hassle free. But, as every action has both pros and cons in it, this also has robbed us of our creativity.
Creativity is an inherent ability to put forth one’s ideas in a unique manner. This can only be possible when one sits and ponders over what special one has and that can be brought out.
Now days, whenever one needs to know certain facts or for that matter any kind of knowledge, one refers to Google without even trying once to refer to the conventional sources such as dictionaries, discussing with elders or for that matter even trying through one’s own self.
The technological revolution has not only affected the cognitive ability, but also has made children lethargic. Earlier, children indulged in lot of outdoor activities and games which enhanced the respective physical fitness.
Health used to be an asset. However, due to the computer games, 3-D games, children no longer indulge in outdoor activities. Due to this, health issues have increased in an alarming manner.
The mind and the body go hand in hand. The simultaneous functioning of both of them is what makes lives healthy. The mind has been robbed off its thinking capacity and the body is caught amidst the virtual modes of activities.
Not only this, human relationships have acquired an altogether a different pattern. A lot of disintegration has taken place. People no longer have time for each other.
The name of maintaining contacts, the social networking sites such as Whats App, Facebook, Video Calling, these are being relied on. The basic sense of togetherness and comradeship has been lost. Too much of individualism has taken place. This has given rise to insensitivity towards our dear ones.
The family members are involved in their respective phones most of the times. The android generation phones which have each and every feature in the sets have disconnected human beings from the emotional and the psychological bonds.
There is a very famous advertisement that is being aired on television which features a mother and her son and daughter. The children are so much involved in their phones that the whenever the mother wishes to talk to them, they are never free and always tend to ignore her.
In order to communicate with them, she learns to operate Facebook and uploads their childhood pictures. When they witness their pictures and their mother sending them friend requests, they initially get angry.
However, after some time when they witness that everybody appreciating their mother’s love for them, they immediately get emotional when they realize their unjust behavior with her.
Even the mother remarks, “What else could I have done? You both never talk to me, so I thought I will be able to talk to you on Facebook.”
Such is the emotional content of this particular advertisement. It is said that the media reflects the reality prevalent in the society. This advertisement hints at the fact how the relationships are being affected due to too much of technological advancements.
So, the basic question is regarding how much are we living. Man has always been called a social being. The reason is related to the very fundamental issue of our Being and Becoming. We all are being on ourselves as we breathe. However, what we wish to become, it is matter of social relevance.
We cannot imagine our existence without being a part of the society. No doubt, the virtual world enables us to chat and develop professional relationships. However, it cannot replace the human essence of expressing and nurturing interpersonal relationships by meeting and interacting in person.
The twenty-first century has made expression highly fragmented. People cannot express themselves in person but chat easily on the social networking sites. This has led to fissures in terms of transparency, honesty and genuineness. Excess of anything is always harmful.
There should be balance in everything. Technology and for that matter all its means should be used to such a manner that the humanness should not be lost. Else, we are no less than robots. The onus is on us whether we wish to consider it a boon or turn it into a bane.
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