Ok, I know I have said this many times before, and I run the risk of repeating myself again and again, but this needs to be said.
The United States leads the world in technological advances, we have created computers that can do everything up to and including the creation of other computers, we have developed A.I. and system functionality that controls our infrastructure and we have a mobile phone system that has been blended with PDA technology so we are constantly connected, tethered to each other through the world wide web.
We as a country have created a system that keeps the wheels of this great nation rolling, however, I feel we have thrown ourselves under the bus we are driving.
I have noticed, as many of you may have, that when I log into the various social networks I am connected to that conversations have dwindled down to random blurbs like “LOL” and OMG”, nobody really tries to have full conversations, or try to communicate in a fashion that does not need a code book.
I read books, I like books, I do think that the E-Book is an interesting development, a great resource for travelers, but I was driving down the street yesterday and I saw a man walking, against the light at the intersection reading one of the e-book devices, unaware of traffic, he was not “mowed down” but there was a near miss, ironically the driver that almost hit him was a young lady who was too busy texting to notice she was about to cream the techno-bot that was in from of her car. I looked at my wife and asked if she saw what almost happened, her reply was “I see that at least once a day”.
What is it that causes what was once a very intelligent person to become a modern Neanderthal, we have in all of our attempts to enrich ourselves, instead to become less intelligent than the chairs we sit on. I would believe that in our desire to be more connected to each other, we have distanced ourselves from our ability to actually think and speak rationally and coherently. We have created tools that have a natural ability to make us impatient, nothing is fast enough, I have stated that in the time it takes to text a person, you could just call them, and the response I get is “well this way I can leave a message”, I thought that was what voicemail is for ? the time it takes to type a message on the touch pad is actually longer than the time to dial a phone, and either talk to the responder or leave a message.
On Facebook, the status update allows up to 435 characters, enough for a short and effective comment, yet most people leave a message like “OMG I cant Blv she did tht”, what? who did what? or “I luv my bby” what is that ? people sit at a computer or text in with unintelligible statements that make the viewer more confused than informed. I have Facebook and Twitter accounts, and I use them, but I guess I don’t see the need to confuse or stupefy the persons whom take time from their lives to actually read what I have to say. Like this blog entry, some of you will read further, some may stop here or some may have already moved on to the next blog with pictures of kittens and puppies, which my 9 and 7 year old daughters really like, but they are 7 and 9, not C.E.O’s or college professors.
Recently, I went into Starbucks and I met with 2 associates who were siting at the table, laptops out and texting feverishly on their cell phones and making merry digitally, however, after sitting with them and taking a brief look at what was going on, I noticed they are looking at each other’s social sites and texting each other while texting others and their coffees are getting cold because they have been too busy with their daily technological online affirmations of abbreviated subtexts, suddenly one of their phones actually rings and the poor fool cant figure out how to actually answer the phone, which is why to get a cell phone, to get calls. In a fevered pace she sees who is calling, opens the social site for her connection and texts them a message to call again, and sips her coffee, the phone is still ringing. Neither of them were even looking at each other, but would take a moment to look up at me every now and then because I did not have a laptop with me and my phone is so old it does not have internet or text features, I was the odd man out and not the focus of their attention, because I was not connected with their online circle jerk, and I apologize for that moment of profanity, but again, online rather than use proper grammar, I notice that people with interject F-bombs and @!$$%#@*& between the “OMG” and “LOL”, far too much cursing for my desires. After about 30 min I left, I did not have a keypad or 17 wide screen so I was not socially important to them, I instead went to a small coffee house down the block that did not have WI-fi and had a pleasant game of chess with a friend I ran into, who luckily, did not own a cell phone.
I know this is just me ranting, and it serves no purpose other than giving me a venue to vent, but I would propose that if you have spent hundreds of dollars on a device, use it the way it is supposed to be used, then stop, actually read a book, or the paper, even if it is online, take that e-book and sit-down to read it, absorb and lock in the information, have actual conversations with people, talk in full sentences and don't actually say “LOL” when you are facing a person, leave the “LOL” for AOL, and use the brain you are given. If more people actually knew about what they were talking about, they would make sense, and put the phone down before your coffee gets too cold to enjoy.
I love your entry, agree with you totally. What was ment to bring people closer has actually achieved the contrary. People are more and more isolated and and neurotic. Why? Because an electronic device will never deliver what humans need most: contact with another human who actually listens and cares about what we have to say.
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