Technology has played an important role in my daily life since I can remember. I have learned to type on an iPad since I was in the first grade of elementary school, back when I was not even able to hold a pencil properly. However, I am grateful to my family (especially my mother) for forcing me to read three to four hours every day during winter breaks, summer breaks, and weekends. I was originally hostile towards this idea because I was, like every playful kid, so drawn towards my phone that I became unreceptive to any other form of entertainment or any other medium. I flipped through books, counting the unread pages with a disgusted and immature face with squinted eyes and furrowed brows (as well as an empty brain). During my binge-reading, however, I eventually discovered that reading can be an irreplaceable activity, a hobby, a way to clear my mind, and a fun way to pass the time. Reading printed books may be a "primitive thing" that the recent trend opposes, but it definitely helps me more than some random Tik Tok videos, academically and mentally. 

From my childhood till now, I have recognized the importance of technology in its efficiency in spreading knowledge or its functions required for school. The internet is not only for recreation; it is a supply of thought rather than a replacement of thought. Just because YouTube videos and online mangas are entertaining and, at times, laughably absurd, that doesn’t mean that the internet is the only way to escape reality’s pressures. This is equivalent to assuming that fast foods, which are unhealthy but delicious, are the only foods worth drooling over. The reason why fast foods are so popular is only because of the evolutionary trait of humans favoring high-calorie foods (higher calories and fat can support survival). The internet is quite similar in the sense that its popularity is built upon the release of dopamine in our brains that generates temporary happiness. It is never accurate to assume fast foods or the internet are superior, even when both have undeniably essential existences. 

I am always conscious of not getting too submerged in the drawbacks of technology. We should take advantage of this human development rather than succumb to a lack of self-discipline. Technology and the internet are helpful only if correctly utilized.