Facts and figure
Have you ever been to “the other side” of YouTube and found yourself following the recommendations to go from videos to videos, and before you realized it was already 3 in the morning? I’ll admit it. I have and even though I couldn’t stop myself, I did feel those were a few hours well wasted. I feel baaaaad!
But just not too long ago, I came across a video about social media (on YouTube, yes) and found some interesting facts. YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest search engine. Ah hah! I can’t be the only one. But what blew my mind even more is that every month 4 billion hours are spent watch video on this site, that is equal 133 million hours per day. Given that about 2 billion people worldwide are connected to the Internet, each of us spend a good 4 minutes on YouTube each day everyday. “Not too bad” you’re thinking? A year ago this number was 2.4 minutes, an increase of 67% was seen.
Our lives affected by technology
Tell me if you find this situation familiar. You are at a bar/coffee house with your friends. After you all order drinks for yourselves, what would you do next? Start a small chit chat? Oh no no, you ask for the password of the wifi so you can surf through Facebook while waiting. You take pictures of the gang, choose the one you like and check in on Foursquare. Your margarita is here, great! Another picture and Instagram it with a caption “Lovely talk over my favorite cocktail with my besties!!”. But you’re not alone, all you other friends are on their smartphones too. And you end up saying goodbye to each other without even talking about anything the whole evening.
What future may look like
There is a theory called Singularity by Ray Kurzwel, forecasting that by the year of 2045, we will be able to transfer our memories and thoughts to a computer and live forever. By then one won’t be able to distinguish between human and machine. If you think about it, 2045 is just more than 30 years ahead. As it was also stated in the video I watched, 50% of the world population is younger than 30. So when Singularity kicks in, there will be a bunch of 40 and 50 year old’s, having been dependent too much on the Internet so they are crazy enough to want to live as machines. They never had a life anyway.
Aren’t you ever afraid that the Internet is taking out too much of your time? Don’t you wonder what great things are happening outside while you’re in front of your screen? I am and I do. My living time is running out and there are still too many things I don’t wanna miss out on, too many plans I wanna do with my family, my friends. I definitely don’t want to be immortal because if I’d never die, I’d never live. So sorry Mister Kurzwel! I know your theory if comes true will be an enormous technological breakthrough, but I choose to be as human and biological as can be.
Tea drinker - cheesecake eater 