Isolation
I believe due to technology, our lives have become so isolated from others. I noticed this today when so many people brought up the topics of what happened on MSN or AIM last night, before suggesting to me again that I have to get a Facebook page. Whatever happened to social outings where people talk to each other face to face? We prefer to communicate through a computer to each other. In fact, what I have found increasingly lately is that people will ask me to come on MSN before admitting something or initiating a fight with me. How pathetic is it that people want to type words instead of saying them out loud? Of course in this area I am a hypocrite, me here, typing out my feelings to the internet to avoid scolding and subsequent rejection by the people close to me. There are points where some things are better left unsaid, but more often than not those things are better spoken than typed. In my case, typing things left unspoken is quite stress relieving.
Been on public transport lately? I also noticed this issue there. Everybody is plugged into or talking on some electronic item - we couldn't make it more obvious that we want to be in our own little worlds. Again here we see the concept of indirect speech, but what about music? Music was essential to ancient culture in rituals and group entertainment. Now we prefer to listen to it ourselves and avoid ever sharing the experience. Really I think this is quite disappointing, why do we not just sit down on that bus or train and start up a conversation with a complete stranger? I've done it before. Sure I got the surprised look, but that was followed by a nice, wholesome conversation.
Another example is online gaming. Here's a great idea - not going outside, appreciating the environment or getting physical activity! How beneficial to our health. I don't have a problem with it if someone has it as a hobby or uses it for a spot of late night entertainment, but people who live their lives through it? It's just miserable.
The world has so much more to offer than the screen in front of your eyes.
I had the whole lazy attitude over my summer break, but I've gotten back into the swing of things and now I've decided to invest my free time in sports and volunteering. Go me, yay for morals, I'm not trying to take you for a guilt trip here. But think about it. The simplicity yet rewards of going out there, being with others and doing something with your own hands is amazing.
- Emily I.
Been on public transport lately? I also noticed this issue there. Everybody is plugged into or talking on some electronic item - we couldn't make it more obvious that we want to be in our own little worlds. Again here we see the concept of indirect speech, but what about music? Music was essential to ancient culture in rituals and group entertainment. Now we prefer to listen to it ourselves and avoid ever sharing the experience. Really I think this is quite disappointing, why do we not just sit down on that bus or train and start up a conversation with a complete stranger? I've done it before. Sure I got the surprised look, but that was followed by a nice, wholesome conversation.
Another example is online gaming. Here's a great idea - not going outside, appreciating the environment or getting physical activity! How beneficial to our health. I don't have a problem with it if someone has it as a hobby or uses it for a spot of late night entertainment, but people who live their lives through it? It's just miserable.
The world has so much more to offer than the screen in front of your eyes.
I had the whole lazy attitude over my summer break, but I've gotten back into the swing of things and now I've decided to invest my free time in sports and volunteering. Go me, yay for morals, I'm not trying to take you for a guilt trip here. But think about it. The simplicity yet rewards of going out there, being with others and doing something with your own hands is amazing.
- Emily I.