It seems to me that people my age are hanging in the middle. I still remember what it was like when cellphones were bulky, my computer was as twice the size of my head, and floppy disks were technologically progressive (and came in badass neon colors). But now advancements in technology are expanding exponentially. Younger and younger people have a better and better grasp on harnessing the so-called “mechanisms” of the future. Like my 9-year-old cousin and his friends. He was showing me his yearbook a while ago, and giving me the breakdown of who was who:
“This guy’s nice, but we don’t talk that much…That girl has a crush on me…Oh yeah, that kid’s my friend, he reprogrammed my computer chip…”
“Oh yeah? One of his parents works with computers, they did that?”
“No. He did it.”
What the hell?
We may be of the same generation, but his age-bracket has a completely different perspective on the way the world works. For them, computers and all their various capabilities are just a way of life, but I still feel like I’m getting used to it.
I don’t quite know where I stand. Sure, I know computers better than my grandparents and waste an obscene amount of time on them. I own a smartphone, and I can comprehend the potential at my fingertips every time I open my laptop. But I’m also slow-moving. I mentioned before that I lagged behind in the race through social media. I don’t believe in e-readers because I love books and papers and dog-ears and cover art and fading pages. I’m blogging, but I think that social media can be just as detrimental to the social fabric as it is instrumental in globalization. Sometimes I look back nostalgically at the days when people spent less time with their faces in their phone, blocking out the world with music blasting in their earbuds (I can hear that you’re listening to Justin Bieber), and more time making eye contact with strangers and striking up a spontaneous conversation or listening to how loud those birds actually are. Even as I myself half-run across campus listening to my old i-pod nano, checking my mail on my phone, and mentally cussing out every bicyclist that almost runs me over (This happens in Berkeley WAY more often than it should.) I’m basically contradiction personified.
And I guess I’m wondering if anyone else feels that way too. Which reminds me, I didn’t mention it before but I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments.
Banicia dear, your words speak to my exact feelings about this new found world of technology. I love my computer, my fancy smartphone, my ipod, and even my kindle. But even more, I love people, face-to-face discussions, and outdoor activities. I would rather notice how the wind hits my face and how loudly the birds chirp than how quickly the angry birds in my phone hit their targets. Nonetheless, I sometimes can't get away from my smart tools. I guess I'm also a contradiction? =/
ReplyDeleteI think the answer is similar to the well-known saying that "guns don't kill people, people kill people".... In other words.... The effects that advancements in technology have had on our social fabric are the result of people using alternative means to connect to the world based on their intentions...i believe that people do what best-suits them... How much it is worth to someone to see someone else in person verses just shooting them an electronic message, is entirely a personal preference... Lets not blame technology for serving as the extension of our true intentions... Technology didn't "kill"our social fabric, people killed our social fabric...But you know that as well as I do Beesh ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo good to see someone on similar grounds as me...and others relating to them! Proudly and consistently claiming myself to be "non-tech savy", I tried my hardest to live in the simple and old realm of life...however the new age got the best of me! And just like you, I too began to fit in with by tweeting, blogging, and even creating web-pages...but soon after that phase I realized that nothing can change my soul. So, as a person it's up to oneself to adapt and adjust accordingly to society and technology...but just remember to live life with contentment...that's all that matters!
ReplyDeleteI think all of your comments combine to make the perfect statement about exactly how I feel. Ultimately, it's the individual's responsibility to draw the boundary between staying current and relevant and maintaining contact with the real, natural, physical world (which is why, like Jennifer said, technology can be just as good as it is bad to social interaction; it all depends on how we use it). So it makes sense that we're a little confused about where we stand: we're defining those boundaries ourselves. Maybe we just have to be okay with sometimes being consumed with technology because we're at least aware of it.
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