When did we become a society SO freaking obsessed with technology?! iPhones, Androids, iPads, iWhatevers, Facebook, Twitter, email. Every other person on the street is on their phone. Connections with people overseas can now be instantaneous. The majority of people are (usually) updating their Facebook statuses once a day and letting people on Twitter know their every move (I just bought a Coke at 7-11 #ForRealz).
I'm not saying I don't fall victim of this. Let me tell you my routine for turning on my computer: Login to Facebook. Nothing interesting there. Login to Twitter. Read all the tweets that have posted since my last login. Make a RT or two if I find something funny. #TweetSomething. Login into my Yahoo email. Most likely I don't have an email as I tend to only get emails now (because of Facebook) maybe every 2 or 3 days - and that's usually from my mom or Grams. Get off the Internet. Let 5-10 minutes pass. Turn the Internet back on. Repeat. It's pathetic, and something I'm recently trying to slow down. Facebook and Twitter are obsessions for many people, me included. I can't count how many times I login a day to find that NOTHING has changed, and about 75% of the time, nothing is interesting. When did we become a society obsessed with announcing to the world our every move?
Not only do we follow this technology obsession while we're at home, we also do it while "relaxing" on vacation. The moment we step off a plane, train or bus, we update our status. When we have a nice or interesting meal, we update our status. When we go swimming...climb a mountain...find a waterfall...ride to the top of a ski lift...when we whatever...we update our status. Again, I'm not saying I don't do this. You all know full well that I do. And I'm pretty disappointed in myself for it. Whatever happened to actually relaxing on vacation and getting away from it all?!
On my recent trip around Thailand and Cambodia (both that are still - if only slightly - considered third world countries), I was able to update everyone and post a few photos via my Android at the very least when I got back to my hotel in the evenings. That's just crazy! Ten years ago, you couldn't do this (mainly because the likes of Facebook and Twitter didn't exist). It really seems that a person just cannot get away anymore and just disappear for a while.
Don't you just not want to exist for a bit? I know I do.
I was having this conversation earlier today with my co-worker. He's a German pushing 60 and has spent the better part of his life travelling through Asia. He said the experience of travelling without technology 10, 20, 30 years ago made the experiences completely different. I can only imagine. It was more authentic to him. It doesn't really seem like anything anymore. Yeah, I live in Thailand, but I don't really feel like I'm as far away as I would like to be because everything is so instant.
What's the rush, I ask? I remember a time when it took a good minute to dial a phone number on a rotary phone - especially if there were a lot of 9's in the phone number...am I right? :-) Now, you don't even have to dial, what with voice activation and the likes. Writing actual letters has become much more personal than sending emails because you have to make more of an effort and take more time. Why don't we help out the Post Service and send more letters and postcards? Send 'em to me!! I love getting mail ;-)
I'm not insisting that technology is a horrible thing, it's not. I can Skype my friends and family and see their beautiful faces. I was able to "meet" my friend's new gorgeous baby a few weeks ago. It's really amazing.
However, all I ask is that next time you're on vacation, BE on vacation. Put your phone away after you let someone know you have arrived safely. Just let it go. Chill the hell out. This is my challenge to you! Next time I'm off somewhere, don't be surprised if you don't hear from me. Girl needs a social networking break!
Now, get off the Internet and go HUG someone.
Happy Technology-Free Trails :-)
Slightly non-related soundtrack for this blog...the lovely Ben Gibbard: Teardrop Windows. It's kind of related. Listen to it!
Ugh. I just typed a whole comment and then it deleted it. lol.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what I said was I am completely guilty of this. This semester I took a Pop Culture class and we were required to keep track of our technology use. I check Facebook on my phone (and my email on my phone) and things like that so often that I know I only kept track of about 1/4 of my technology use and even that was scary! That is when I came up with my New Years resolution: to UNPLUG. It is going to be tough but I am going to NOT check Facebook every 2 seconds and limit my email checking to when I am at work (I can sneak it there and I won't be missing out on quality time with my kids so I find that acceptable). We will see how it goes!
I'm the same way Em...Every free second I have I check Facebook, but seriously, nothing changes! I'm curious as to how much I check it daily (but I would be ashamed to know the real answer.) I like your New Years Resolution! I've done pretty good the last couple of days not checking so much...I'd be fine with checking it once a day. It IS hard though! At least we can yell at each other if we see notice either of us have been "over-checking" ;-) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThis is very very true.
ReplyDeleteIts hard to unplug. It is good to take a break once and a while. I agree with being on vacation when you are on vacation.
It is definitely a different world with technology and sometimes I think it also can make lows lower. And that is hard as well.
For sure Jennifer...I can't count the number of times I've become depressed because of Facebook. At one point it was difficult for me for me to see all of my friends getting married and having babies (although I was happy for my friends, it was hard still being single). I miss the days before mobile phones existed...it really wasn't that long ago, 10 years maybe?! I remember as a kid when we got our first cord-less phone, how BIG of a deal that was! We'd never seen anything like it! How insanely far have we come since then?
ReplyDelete