BLOG PEOPLE!!!
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!!!
OK, no this is not a proclamation of my love for funk metal artisans Rage Against the Machine. However, like R.A.T.M. , I make my stand on the decline of western civilization because of people not thinking for themselves and letting technology think for them. Dr. Drexler warned me about diving into Neo-Luddism, and after looking that word up I have to say I struggle with it even now. The thing is, I don't agree wholeheartedly in the Neo-Luddistic stance, however I would like to say I am developing into a Hybrid-Luddist (that's right, I just made up my own word!). I believe, like it showed in Michael Wesch's presentation, we are ALLOWING the machine to control us, not controlling the machine that we created. I think this video in itself is the example of how we can use technology as a tool to teach others and help our fellow man throughout the world. We are being entertained to death, but (coming from someone who makes his living entertaining people) I believe we can be entertained non stop if we want, as long we have other outlets to learn and experience other aspects of life.
The presentation was exhibiting his students experimentation on the politics and sociological effects that YouTube have on society. The subject matter is so vast I could not possibly put it in one blog post, but the general idea was that we as a society have become so jaded to everything that we have made great strides in advancing our technological capabilities all so we can take that long road to the middle. Nothing excites us anymore, nothing shocks us anymore, and the ironic thing is that although we swim in a metaphorical ocean of entertainment; we are not really that amused by it. I know this sounds so old fashioned and perhaps even "Neo-Luddistic", but contrary to popular belief I DO believe technology in itself is a GOOD thing. Thank God for Myspace, facebook,black berries, iPhones and Twitter! Without these networking sites and devices, I would have nowhere near the capability to build a following for my music. I think we just have gone a little overboard.
The only problem is that people are forgetting what the world outside looks like. People are forgetting about the intangibles in life. The spiritual realm (whether you believe in it or not) is unnoticed by the masses because they're watching the latest stupid YouTube video.
I'm going to leave you with this: Today we went to a church members home to "entertain" some of the members of the Mulherrin Home (a home for mentally disabled adults). The Browns have a catfish pond and about 10 acres of open field where they took turns riding on one of Billy Pope's horses. It was the most beautiful day outside, everyone ended up with a fishing pole in their hands, which left no place for a cell phone or other electronic device. Those of us that helped were just as happy to be there as the "kids" were. I looked out over the pond and saw people (mentally challenged or not) laughing, talking, and generally just enjoying themselves. My Nana and I sat on a bench with two of the Mullherin kids and talked. Let me say that again, we TALKED. No Facebook IM's or LOL's. We sat and talked, and then.... we just sat. My Nana turned to me after sharing 30 minutes of comfortable silence and said " You know, we take this life for granted. Something so simple as catching a fish that you won't eat because its to small, or even catching the same fish over and over again can bring so much joy. Yet, we surround ourselves with so much crap we forget how nice life can be". I'm paraphrasing and consolidating a bit, but I haven't heard a more accurate statement in a long time. Guys, it was beautiful out there. We are not profiles. We are not Twitter posts. We are not a computer. We make profiles, Twitter posts, and computers so that we can be humans to other humans all over the world at the speed of a keyboard and a web cam. Use technology. Rage against the machine.
But wait..... We don't want to rage against our own creation. We want to Rage against what we see wrong with the world and make it better. We need to rage forward. We must rage on.
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light." - Dylan Thomas
Rage On.
Justin,
ReplyDeleteI think you are making a good case for finding balance in our lives. The escalating speed at which technology is evolving is arguably unprecedented (though Socrates was concerned that writing would "weaken the mind"). I completely agree that we have to take time to enjoy our F2F interactions with family and friends. Furthermore, if humans find time to interact with nature, I believe they will be kinder to the Earth. Perhaps we also need to rage against the machine from time to time to ensure that we protect that balance. I believe there is room for technology in our lives. But, where there is freedom, there is also the possibility to use it irresponsibly. Thank you as always for making us think about what we're doing!
Wendy