Friday, January 2, 2015

Connected or Disconnected?

Technology has invaded every part of our lives. Computer chips are in almost everything. Sitting at home today it is possible for me to check on the house in Illinois. I can watch a live video feed, check sensors and determine which doors were open and closed, including the time those events occurred. When I'm in Illinois I can do the same thing for the house in Georgia. I can also check the thermostat and change it if I want. Face Time chat with the granddaughters. Facebook to keep up with old friends. Text, email, GPS tracks my car and now my walks every day with Lily Lu. My cell phone is my constant companion. My iPad is almost always within arms reach. TV is on. Cable channels out the ying yang. Video on demand. ROKU. Amazon Prime video. Virtually any movie or TV show I could ever want to watch any time I want to watch it. What the FUCK happened to us?

We seem to be more connected to our technology and less connected with each other. We hide behind screen names and make comments we would never make in real life. All the hate and discontent that is spewed forth in the comments on news sites makes me sick. Are there really that many trolls among us? Do so many of the folks that seem so normal when you see them out in public turn into complete assholes when they get on the internet? So much of what floats around out in cyber space isn't true. We have all the information we could ever want available to us with a few key strokes. We don't do that. We see something on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr or some other social media and rather than check it out we assume it is true. Stupid things like a picture of Mars and the moon in which they nearly the same size. Lots of dumbasses go out looking for something that can never happen. The truth is available but we are too lazy or stupid to look. So, what is the answer?

It's time to experiment with disconnection. Sunday will be a no computer, no iPad, no iPhone day. No internet. Not going to answer the phone if it rings. Spending the day with my Sweetheart. Don't care about Facebook or any of that other social media that seems to have turned us into antisocial jerks. Enjoy your weekend. Turn off all the devices. Cut out the constant background noise and talk to someone. Be a human being again.

1 comment:

  1. I think your experiment, No Tech Sunday, should be a national campaign. You are pissing in the wind of course, everyone is too far gone, but I admire your spirit. Enjoy your sweetheart.

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