In this blog post, we’ll explore how advances in communication technology have changed the way people interact, and how modern life—with its reliance on smartphones—relates to Einstein’s predictions.
There’s a post making the rounds on online community sites under the title “Einstein Who Predicted the Future.” The post features a series of photos: one of people fiddling with their cell phones while having coffee with friends; another of people fiddling with their cell phones during a day at the beach; a third of people fiddling with their cell phones while watching their favorite team at a sports stadium; a fourth of people looking at their cell phones during a group dinner; a fifth of a couple fiddling with their cell phones on a date; and a sixth of people fiddling with their cell phones at a museum. In the final photo, Einstein is quoted as saying, “I dread the day when technology surpasses human communication. The world will become an age of fools.” Einstein seems to be delivering a sharp rebuke to modern people who “prefer their smartphones to their friends.”
With the advancement of communication technology, people can now stay in touch with their loved ones in real time. You can exchange jokes with a friend traveling abroad as if they were right next to you, and you can continue whispering sweet nothings to your partner even on the way home after a date. Parents can check in in real time to make sure their children have returned home safely. The ways we connect with loved ones have continued to evolve—first with the widespread adoption of cell phones, then the introduction of text messaging, and finally the development of video call technology. Recently, technology has even been developed that allows for physical contact with someone far away, so perhaps in the near future, we’ll be able to meet others face-to-face through digital avatars.
However, as seen in the photos mentioned earlier, the advancement of communication technology has led to a decline in face-to-face conversations with those around us. These days, people often rely on the power of technology—specifically smartphones—rather than communicating directly with friends or partners. Because communication with others is mediated by smartphones—and relies heavily on text—emotions that can only be felt through spoken language or physical contact are gradually fading from people’s hearts. Furthermore, when I see news articles reporting that teenagers say, “I’d rather play smartphone games than hang out with friends,” it makes me think that the old cell phones—which only had calling functions—were actually superior to smartphones in terms of communication.
Ironically, communication technology—which evolved to facilitate interaction with others—is now causing a breakdown in communication. As a result, the moments when we truly appreciate the value of the people right beside us are also disappearing. Having become “fools” who no longer know what real conversation with others is, we must make an effort to put down our smartphones—at least when there are people we care about right beside us. That will be the first step toward transforming this era from one dominated by fools at the mercy of communication technology into one led by smart people who master that technology.
