I recently said to my mum: ‘How different the times are in which we both live; everything has changed in an incredible way.’
To listen to whilst reading the reflection –
Often, when I recall things or circumstances I experienced twenty years ago, I feel as though they lie too far back in time, far more than twenty years, as if they were a fleeting memory or another life lived by someone else. Either things change far too quickly, or time no longer passes in the same way as it used to.
When I start thinking about times gone by, I feel that I have undergone many transformations, and I’m not just talking about the internal ones and the number of times I’ve changed in my life, because I chose to, but I’m referring to the external changes, to an entire generation that has lived through those dizzying changes intensely, transforming society as a whole.
I’ve lived through a time when the internet didn’t exist, when computers weren’t as we know them today, when mobile phones didn’t exist, and when we communicated by letter. The chance to play in the street without fear, and even to play with physical objects, real toys, rather than screens. And today, I look around me and find it incredible what’s happening; I also think about my own capacity to adapt, and how life has required me to change so many times, even in ways I didn’t choose myself.
I went from seeing groups of children playing in the streets, to other groups strolling carefree, gatherings at some of my friends’ homes, enjoying a park or a family dinner, to seeing people seemingly talking to themselves in the street, though in reality they’re talking to an AI on their phone, people who are lonelier, shut away in their homes, struggling with self esteem, where their self-worth comes from a ‘like’ on social media rather than the appreciation of family and friends.
A society where more importance is placed on a stranger leaving a little heart on a video or a post than on a hug from a loved one; a society where, generally speaking, though of course there are exceptions, the value of family, respect and kindness has been lost, and where young people walk as if in a world that isn’t this one.
I have gone from living in a world where creativity and intelligence were developed through research, reading, art and writing, to a world where I see people delegating everything to AI, because it’s easier, because it’s less work, or because the end result looks nicer. We have lost the ability to think for ourselves, intellectual development, and a logical, independent mind. Now AI thinks for us. It’s sad.
AI can be useful in some cases, such as when gathering information from different websites where an immediate response is needed for various reasons, or when it comes to technology that could save lives. But delegating everything to it, even the simplest tasks, is frightening because of the implications for the future. I wonder if we will let it think for us and, if so, what will become of the human race.
I’ve gone from living in a world where chivalry still existed amongst men, where they’d let a woman go first, hold the door open for her, give up their seat on a bus, or simply strike up a conversation with her, to a society where that no longer exists; young men look the other way, and in other cases are afraid to speak to a woman because they fear being accused of harassment. We’re witnessing some very strange times, where women call themselves feminists simply for being empowered, when in reality an empowered woman is one who decides for herself, takes care of herself and chooses her own path in life; she feels free, whilst always respecting the differences between herself and men, because we are different and that is the beauty of life and relationships.
I wonder if there will be a reversal in the future, where people realise what is truly important, such as a friend’s embrace, a kiss given with affection, words of encouragement, or simply a look full of tenderness, where a woman admires the man by her side and the man sees her and makes her feel beautiful and important, complementing their differences.
I wonder if there will be a world where we stop staring at screens to look at what’s happening around us, and where we all look at one another and cherish our time together, because time never comes back. A world where the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ring true: ‘What is essential is invisible to the eye.’
Amonet.
All the photographs are mine.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
