Ah... how amazing is it that I can sit here in my dorm room and write something that could potentially be read by people from around the globe: the beauty of the Internet and digitalization! Despite their enormous advantages, the Internet and digitalization have various shortcomings. To me, the problem is that not EVERYTHING needs to be digital and it seems likely that’s where we are heading, i.e. eBooks, eLibraries, etc. Some things can be left out of being digitalized. I think that we are becoming so impersonal because everything we do, from socializing to paying our bills, is through these digital devices. If we are not careful, they will take over our lives and we will be governed by technology. I will not be surprised if 50, 60 years from now, our lives look like the lives of the characters of A.I. or The Terminator; maybe not exactly like in the movies, as they are exaggerations, but somewhat similar. This digital world is turning us into too much of individualists. We are more and more absorbed by our own little worlds which are limited by our TV, computer, eBooks, Blackberries or iPhones, Facebook profiles, etc. Like I said in my last post, we neglect the real people that are around us for the virtual ones that we meet online and as result we become lonely without ever being alone. Furthermore, we are missing out on the small things in life. Our heads are always turned towards a screen. Ironically enough, I'm blogging about this on the Internet and my head is turned towards a screen: but this only shows the ambivalence of this phenomenon. The real solution: balance.
It definitely seems a possibility that our lives will eventually be taken over by these digital devices that we give so much power to. And I stress that we GIVE them power. The plug can be pulled at any time, yet we just don't do it. I like how you talk about balance. It's not all bad of course. As long as you manage your time and don't let these things completely rule your life, it should all be okay. The problem is will we find balance?
ReplyDeleteI agree. While the internet has changed many things and made our lives simpler it is also changing us and maybe for the worse. We are so connected now that some of us don't know how to operate without our cell phones or computers to check our facebooks, emails, or twitters. The internet is a great invention when used in moderation but if we abuse this simple pleasure it will be harder for us in the future to back off of it and resort back to normal. We have to be aware of how much we depend on the internet and it's functions.
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