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Cellphone addiction and loss of self-esteem || Acharya Prashant, at Cummins College, Nagpur (2022)
Breaking Free
2.4K views
1 year ago
Technology
Wisdom
Self-esteem
Fear
Vedanta
Internal Growth
Spontaneity
Knowledge
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the modern challenge of technology addiction and its impact on self-esteem and spontaneity. He explains that while technology like smartphones and the internet can provide quick information, they often become a crutch that debilitates our natural abilities. Relying on text messages and Google searches can lead to a loss of authentic, real-time interaction and warmth, creating a habit of hiding behind screens due to fear. He emphasizes that knowledge is only meaningful when it is lived and integrated into one's being; otherwise, it remains external and superficial. He further argues that technology is essentially power, and its value depends entirely on the internal state of the user. Using the analogy of a monkey with a sword, he warns that if we remain primitive or 'monkeys' within, we will use advanced technology to our own detriment and destruction. He cites historical figures like Ravana and Duryodhana to illustrate that having great power, knowledge, and wealth leads to catastrophic results if the internal center of the individual is false or unwise. In conclusion, Acharya Prashant highlights the dangerous gap between the rapid growth of technology and the stagnant growth of human wisdom. He points out that while society celebrates technological progress, it neglects internal development and spiritual growth. He warns that without wisdom, the power granted by technology will inevitably lead to global crises like climate change and mass extinction. He urges the audience to prioritize internal liberation and wisdom so that technology can be used as a tool for genuine advancement rather than self-destruction.