I made myself a cell phone charm with that motif. I have it on my phone right now. It doesn't completely express my feelings about technology, but I think it's a nice sentiment (despite the bad grammar).I personally feel that the influx of technology is a good thing. This is just my personal feeling, and I understand those that would contradict me here. My main reason for feeling this way is simple: I hate irony. I always have, as a plot device and in real life. And one of the most ironic things of all time is when something tragic happens for a stupid little reason, like say, not having the correct information. Romeo and Juliet died because a courier couldn't deliver the message. If they'd had cell phones, or IM, or email, or even a fax machine, they would've lived happily ever after and the whole thing would've been a hilarious prank on Juliet's parents. Lack of information is, in my opinion, the worst reason for a tragedy.
I think that, in general, information is the key to almost everything in life. The more you know, the better off you are. The more a soldier knows about their enemy, the easier they will find it to fight. The more an advertising agent knows about the business, the better they will do. Things like that. In the past, the easiest way to get information was to ask your friends. The way I see it, the internet is like having an infinite number for friends, all of whom know a little about something.
Everyone in the whole world is connected through the internet, and no matter how stupid we all are we have something to offer and someone to want to see it. Even if what we have is just a funny video of a cat, there are still thousands of people out there that will be happy because you shared it. People talk about things getting less personal when you use technology, and that is a little true. I don't think it's because the face-to-face diologue is lost, since really as long as the feelings come through it doesn't matter how. I think it's because sometimes online it's easy to forget that you're talking to an actual person, and disregard how they feel.
But once you learn to keep that in mind, I think that things actually become more personal in a way. Normally, who becomes friends (and enemies, to an extent) is random. The friends I will make this year I will probably make because we happened to be born close together, happened to go to the same high school, and happened to be put into the same class. Maybe we made some choices that led us there, but we could very easily have never met.
Online, it's different. Everyone in the whole wide world is in more or less the same place. The only thing grouping you together is your interests, and your personality. You can send out a little signal that says "hey, I'm here!" from any tiny corner of the globe, and hear millions of people echoing you back. It's like dropping a piece of paper on the street with all your interests on it, and hundreds of people run to look at it. And a few of them will decide that you're interesting enough to know, and so they'll come talk to you, and just like that you have more friends. You may only know them for a little while, and you may never talk to them, but for that time you connected with that person on their own tiny corner of the globe. And then someday maybe you'll ask them something, and they'll ask you something, and you'll both know more for it. No matter where you are in the world, you have a chance to meet anyone, anywhere, and peek into their life. You can help each-other, and give each-other new information, and come up with thoughts that you never would have had on your own. In your own tiny corner of the world, where you used to be alone, now everyone is there with you.
...phones are tie me to you
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ReplyDeleteRemy,
ReplyDeleteYour first post is pretty amazing. You go back into history as well as staying on the topic of our modern world today. You relate many of your things to random acts (“Even if what we have is just a funny video of a cat, there are still thousands of people out there that will be happy because you shared it”), but they seem to help me understand your thoughts a lot.
You seem to want the digital/electronic lives of ours to have been provided for those who lived before us. You feel that when you are online, people base you on your thoughts and personality, other than your appearance. Without the use of the internet, you would not be recognized for your uniqueness.
Your thoughts on the digital electronic media are the same as those who love this aspect of today’s life. Without this same thing in common you wouldn’t be able to come across new people online, in which you are interested to learn about. Without the use of the internet, you would not be the same person as you are now.
Even thought your grammar is perfect, you do not talk much about how you would be a different person if you had no access to the digital/electronic products surrounding you these days. Would you be able to live without such use? You brush up on some of the history (Romeo and Juliet), but it would be much more interesting if you expand your thoughts on how the digital/electronic media would have changed history as a whole? Also, you mainly talk about the internet, what about other digital/electronic materials?
By exploring your thoughts and feelings on this topic, I am able to see how we are similar and different at some points. We both like the use of the internet, but do not abuse it. You like to meet new people on the internet, where as I only talk to people that I previously know.
It was nice looking at your thoughts on this topic; I am interested in hearing more soon.
Nice picture, I watch bleach too. And excellent way of starting you post, It pulled me in. Its tells me your deep when you start off with a motif. I know we don’t know each other but I have gained a good deal amount of knowledge from your post. B-)
ReplyDeleteYou touch upon how the influx of technology is a positive thing, your reasoning was that we all are learning form technology and it’s a fast and simple way to relay information. Also stay connected. If there was a modern Romeo and Juliet they won’t need a person to deliver a message they would of have had an im, text, message, email, and or phone call. Could of they would of live happily ever after. General info is key.
I agree with you on your point about the internet is a great gateway to connection. But it’s the internet, for those who talk to people on it you can tell if there lying or telling the truth or wasting your or there time. In my view you talk to strangers across the world, how do you know there across the world. How do you know who they really are? That has always been my concern. Who am I really talking too?
I feel like your work is strong and very opinionated, your point on the internet was clear and I think the connection point was pasted across. If you asked yourself how are you a voice in the globe. What kind of sites are used too connect people. I mean I think just asking your self more connection question like are you connected to family across the globe or do you know somebody who is? Things like that would have expanded and made you post longer, no saying you “need” this but a lil more insight.
You post shines light on the internet and makes me curious on how your using the internet for your personal use. What do you do to put smiles on your face? What is the motivation and the productivity in using the internet? I think if I sing on to face book im going to have a million messages. I forgot all about these sorta things now later I might go on. Might if im not done drawing. But thanks your voice was heard loud and clear.
Hope to have great conversation in Andy’s class later, because I gotta a piece of your mind from reading this and feel there’s a lot more we can discuss on, and expand our minds. Well im out.
-lata
Amber,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insightful comment! I liked your interpretation of my meaning-it wasn't quite what I was originally going for, but as I was reading it I realized that that's another aspect of how I feel. Nice!
Your comment on what I could change was pretty thorough. I especially appreciated your mention of how I didn't talk about other electronics. Actually, I had hoped to include that, but I couldn't see where to fit it in. I'll try harder (with that and similar things) next time.
I think that what you said about me not being the same person without the internet is definitely true. Not only am I now accustomed to the luxuries that being able to talk to anyone at any time provides, but my very personality has been changed through being exposed to stimulus I wouldn't have had access to without the internet. That picture, which started out and more or less inspired my post, would never have been available to me if it wasn't for modern technology. It might not have even existed.
Like you said, we are both similar and different in our thinking. From reading your post, I would say that you focus more on how technology is taking conventional relationships apart, while I tend to think about how it is putting new ones together. Either way, we still understand and agree with each-other's views.
Both of us seem to be mainly focused on how the advent of new technologies impacts relationships. The new interaction makes way for new relationships by taking space from old ones. How much emphasis we place on each aspect of this is where we differ.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, I feel like you really understood what I was trying to say.
I like how you encouraged me to use examples in my writing. I got pretty caught up in the hypotheticals on this one, and I kind of forgot to include practical examples from my own life. I'll work on that for my next post.
Your comment about how I don't really know what the other person is thinking was especially interesting to me. It's true that I don't really know if the person is lying or telling the truth, which might be a problem (although I personally tend to catch people lying to me more online than in real life, for some reason). But as for not knowing who the person really is, to me it doesn't really matter. As long as everyone is enjoying themself and no one is in danger then it doesn't really matter to me who I'm talking with. I think that's another great thing about the internet: thanks to people being too lazy to do research on the people that they're talking to, things like racism or ageism don't really come into play.
Based on reading your post and this comment, we both mostly like technology. Though we see the merit of some of the negative arguments, overall we enjoy the technology we use and don't really feel that the negatives are a huge deal. The main difference is that I focus more on technology impacts relationships and you focus more on how it changes your own personal life.
We seem to agree the most on the internet being a good way to connect. I seem to take it to a bit more of an extreme than you, stating that pretty much any harmless interaction is good, while you shy away from certain interactions. I've noticed in class that this seems to be the opposite of real life; you seem to be a lot more outgoing than I am. I find that it's a lot easier to be yourself on the internet, but I'm not sure if this is always a good thing.