In our age of communication, technology and media, our culture has grown closer and more in touch. Or have we?
Despite the fact that we receive information faster and can be contacted constantly, a more connected society is simply an illusion.
It is hard to find someone without a cell phone, and there are currently more than 174 million profiles on MySpace, a Web site with the slogan, "A place for friends."
Essentially these devices are created for convenience in locating friends and family. But Facebook, MySpace and cell phones have become new ways to behave and interact socially.
While commenting on blogs and text messaging is quick, easy and constant, it is just not as personal as it may seem.
Face-to-face conversation is becoming rare and the youth of America is learning to share experiences through a screen and a keyboard instead of personal interaction. The Internet has been around for less than 20 years and we have already adapted to its presence.
It's hard to imagine life, class or communication without it because we have enabled and embedded technology into our lives as a necessity.
I've seen a bond so close between a friend and her phone that she refused to drive a block to the store without her phone safely in her pocket. Maybe it is the convenience of cell phones and computers that has allowed us to adapt to them so submissively.
It's quick, easy and if everyone is doing it, why not?
It's true that our society has hopped on the mass media train and is riding it for all its worth, but we can't confuse advanced technology with reality.
People should be able to communicate without something electronic connected to them. Let's strip everyone of their phone, pager, computer, fax machine and Blackberry and see if we can still master a conversation.
The fact that we have the intelligence and abilities to create those items and learn how to use them shows our potential as a species. But if our day-today social abilities depend on these tools, we have either reached a plateau or failed as a society.
I am personally worried that we will have amazing intellectual potential in our future generations but do not know how to express it or not have a channel to direct it into.
I see my fellow students more passionate about video game discussions, recent movie releases and chat rooms than about politics and world issues. We have the resources to keep ourselves up to speed on current events. We have the ability to keep ourselves involved. Where is the drive to it?
For some reason we prefer to wear rose-colored glasses and pretend that life is as simple and easy as a MySpace blog.
Be the first to comment on this article!