The radiance from the laptop stunned my eyes. The lights were off and the blinds were slightly slanted, allowing minimal traces of sunlight to enter the room. I sat in the darkness, listening to the monotonous voice pouring from my headphones, periodically scribbling down illegible notes on loose-leaf sheets of paper.

At an idle moment, I clicked over to Facebook, commented on a few pictures taken by my friends, skimmed through my Gmail account for new messages and checked my interactions on Twitter. The next minute, my roommate, who had been replicating similar behavior the entire morning, asked me a question: “Is it cold outside today?”

I scratched my head in utter bafflement, trying to muster an accommodating answer. After a few seconds of pondering and deliberating, I responded, “I honestly do not know.” He proceeded to check the forecast on the Internet.

As insignificant as the question was, it continued to linger in my mind. It dawned on me I had not been outside at all that day and that I did not have a reason to go out.

In fact, I had only left my dorm room once to perform my regularly hygienic duties.

Realizing this, I quickly dressed and bolted outside. The wind greeted me as I immersed myself in the autumn air. I walked to the center of Brody Square, scanning the surrounding area. People hustled briskly toward me, all of them gazing attentively at their phones.

It was then that it occurred to me how greatly our lives are dictated by technology.

For our generation, technological innovation always has been present in our lives. To us, the digital transition seems as if it happened ages ago.

We grew up using laptops and watching plasma-screen televisions. Many of us probably have forgotten how slow dial-up Internet connections are or what cord-stricken house phones look like. We rush to get the latest game consoles and cellular devices, only to exchange them for even newer ones months later. Talking, texting, downloading, sharing, tagging and surfing the web all have become second nature for us.

So what does all this add up to?

Laziness.

No longer are we required to do mental math or spend long hours on the phone with our significant others.

We have calculators that tell us exact answers and phones that can send scheduled messages at set times. We can make and accept payments with the scroll of a mouse, start cars with the push of a button and tap into millions of songs with one swipe of our fingertips.

Technological advances have deteriorated our work ethic and social skills.

We know how to compose a flawless email, but we cannot effectively answer questions in a job interview.

We effortlessly can send a text message, but we cannot genuinely be ourselves without the masks of digital personas and disguises.

We can search for answers and ask Siri anything, but we cannot think critically and efficiently on our own. We can post statuses and send direct messages, but we cannot express our feelings toward the ones we love.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Technology is a remarkable thing. It has propelled our nation to great heights and solved some of the greatest problems this world has encountered.

However, we are human beings — not robots.

Our lives are supposed to be governed by hope, faith, belief and love. We are equipped with individuality, passion, heart and talent.

Humankind is entirely beautiful. Our minds are unique and exceptional, and it is our duty to explore the depth that lies deeply within one another.

The most memorable moments in our lives are not about watching countless YouTube videos on a Saturday night or rocking out to a new album we just downloaded.

They are about the joy and laughter we experience from being with friends, family and the ones we love.

Rashad Timmons is a guest columnist at The State News and a journalism sophomore. Reach him at timmon18@msu.edu.