"It's not just about me and my dream of doing nothing. It's about all of us... we don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements. "- Peter from Office Space
To start my blog I thought it would be ironic if I told you that you shouldn’t be reading this. Do you remember when you were an underage drinker? When beer had an aftertaste of danger? That's how I want this blog to feel; dangerous and underage. Like many of my ideas, this blog is a bad one!
We are flying through the internet age and it has become apparent that the computer is our greatest friend and enemy. We now work with greater efficiency than ever but we may be functioning at the cost of our minds and souls. The computer has become the center of it all; jobs are replaced and created everyday by the effectiveness of these things. My concern is based on the over stimulation and virtual interaction it brings to us. The mind is the most valuable tool we posses as we our judged our entire lives on our capability to think. More recently I have felt my imagination being shut off for the quick fix of the internet. Today, I give myself about 10 seconds of thought before I quit on a question and use my trusty Google toolbar. This is how most of us function in this “Tell Me Now” society.
The computer (specifically the internet) is a great resource that brings information to us very easily. However, nothing in life is easy and there is simply too much information for us to handle. For example, while I am at work doing research for my job I am constantly checking messages, getting up to date news stories, and finding all sorts of fun links that lead me to the point of no return. You may have stumbled upon this blog doing just that; searching all over the internet to be entertained. As the years pass and more information is available it is astounding how much we are expected to process in one day. Do you think Shakespeare would have been as creative if he spent his days blog surfing and checking celeb gossip? I wonder.
After a while, between a pile of e-mails and pop-ups, it’s odd that I feel more and more detached from existence while I simultaneously have more access to all that has existed. At the end of the day, I often feel cloudy and ready to participate in any mental activity that doesn’t involve me staring mindlessly at glowing screen. I would rather do anything that leaves with me with a direct feeling of connection, just anything to feel like I am ACTUALLY THERE! There are simple things that brings me right back to where I feel I should be. Hearing the notes of a nice melody buzzing into my head and shaking me down to my toes, talking to a friend and sharing a moment of laughter, taking in the landscape of nature as a cruise down an open highway, or even sitting outside as I watch the world hurry by from the comfort of my chair. These are the things that make me feel like I am alive, unlike some stupid blog written by a guy who couldn’t finish his English degree. (:wink:)
The absolute worst is when this issue of detachment carries into our personal relationships. With Facebook, AIM, and text there are so many ways to talk to people without actually TALKING! I have found that I will say things on AIM that I would never say to somebody in person. This is because I am looking at a screen of words and images and into the recipient’s eyes. So much vital information is in facial expression and tone. At large social gatherings I am often amused how I can half-listen to somebody I am not interested in just by following their expression and tone alone. I usually get away with it until a question is asked of me and I respond with a simple “Oh, really?” and it’s completely out of place. Joking aside, words are much less meaningful when it’s expressed in a machine than from one person to another.
The last observation in this rant is about e-mail. When e-mail started it felt like a very informal and almost careless way to contact somebody. I don’t feel anything has changed. It’s not as bad as the texting or IMing, to me, but it’s still a pretty poor way of saying hello. Are we just waiting for those special occasions to write letters to the important people in our lives? Don’t get me wrong, an e-card can be great and also quite funny. It does say something that somebody out there took the time to write and say hello. It just feels like there is that personal touch that is still missing. Isn't that what it's all about?!?! I say, it would be nice if I were to open my mail and read a letter penned from somebody who cares.
No comments:
Post a Comment