From button phones to AI Overload: Has technology enhanced life or stolen its soul

Aakanksha Gupta

Let’s rewind to 2015, a time when our parents and relatives commonly used button phones from brands like Nokia, Reliance, or Samsung, often paired with a BSNL SIM card. It was the era of 2G and 3G, when the internet was not such a dominant force in our lives. Children would play outside in parks, laugh with friends, and enjoy the pure joy of physical activity. We truly lived in the moment.

Ours is perhaps the only generation that has witnessed the transformation from simple button phones to today’s advanced smartphones. Now, everyone regardless of wealth, race, or background uses smartphones. Technology is no longer a symbol of privilege but a universal tool.

In today’s digital-first world dominated by artificial intelligence and chatbots, everything has gone online. With this shift, much of our childhood has become a fading memory. Screen time is on the rise, while real-life social interaction is declining. Even children rarely play outside anymore; instead, they cling to their devices, refusing to eat or drink without watching content like Cocomelon or Choo-Choo TV.

The joy of learning rhymes from storybooks our fathers once brought home, or the fun gestures our mothers used to teach us, has become nearly extinct. Today, almost everything, from clothes to groceries is ordered online. People step out only for special occasions, as convenience increasingly replaces human activity.

Technology may claim to make life easier, but what about our elderly grandparents still using button phones? When left alone at home, they often cannot order food or essentials online. Even financial transactions have moved online, with digital payments replacing cash. In the near future, we may no longer use physical currency at all. Money as notes may become as rare as gold, as everything will exist digitally in bank accounts.

While some adapt quickly, not everyone can cope with this rapid transformation. The internet has wrapped itself around us, making even the simplest tasks seem difficult without it. People now wear smart watches not just to tell time, but to track their steps, water intake, heart rate, and sleep. We’ve become so busy and dependent that we are allowing objects with the word “smart” to dictate our lifestyles ironically making us less smart.

Professions like writing, teaching, and art are already being impacted by AI. Those creating this technology may eventually find their own jobs at risk. As the reach of artificial intelligence expands, our natural intelligence and unique human qualities seem to fade. The question remains: Is this progress or are we paying too high a price for convenience?