Friday, September 11, 2009
Thoughts on Technology today
I feel like through IM, video chat and many other forms of technology people get to know others how the want to be known. Individuals can see others how they want to see them instead of how they really are. There are times where crushes get developed not for who someone is but how a person wants to see them. Almost like a fantasy created around a real human being. I had a talk with my friend Alice over the summer about how her parents used to have to pick a time and place to meet up, and since they didn't have cell phones back then they were allowed to leave if it took longer than an hour for the person to meet up with them. Yet today we have texting and people always keep their phones on their persons, so some technology works to our advantage.
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I really enjoy how your post is simple and gets to the point quickly. Though you didn't write a lot, I can definitely understand your insight on the evolution of technology within our lives. I also concur with your opinion on how people want to be seen. Its never really about what is inside, but the reputation one gets out of what they have and their values.
ReplyDeleteI would like to dig deeply within the concept of a fantasy created around a real human being. Unlike interacting with one another face to face, IMing and other social networking sites allow you to hide various aspects which makes you who you are. I can definitely see how it can gradually impact the individual's consciousness of his/her true self over time.
The conversation you had with your friends Alice really does illustrate how we have changed as humans in such a short period of time. When physical interaction and even the most complex procedures was a norm before the invention of cellphones. It also helped build true friendship and stronger bonds between one another.
I have to come back to your first sentence on this one. I would love to hear more about your personal opinion on how we live in a fantasy world. For example: Do you currently pursuit a lifestyle where you are true to others? Or maybe you are unconsciously hiding behind the privacy social networking offers? I can honestly say that I hide various truths from people around me, only allowing people truly close to me see behind all the fashion and technology that cloaks me.
Your perspective makes me realize my flaws, and how I secretly rely on what the digital life offers. The way my digital life halts me from expressing feelings caged deep inside. How reputation within the community can make me act in ways that I personally may not think is righteous.
Overall, great post. From the beginning of the post to the very end, it really escalated my understanding of a perspective on digital life in which I have not thought of.
P.S. Thanks for the comment on my post. Im glad you can connect to my thoughts on how technology impacts us humans.
Hi Amon XD I love how sweet your response is! Your way of writing even commenting back to my blog is so sophisticated, and I love how your comment is so much longer than my post. I also admire your honesty about hiding some flaws of yours behind technology. Since this post we're commenting on is my first post I honestly wasn't sure how to split up the paragraphs so I kept it sort of short and put of all my ideas into the one paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of something specifically that I found helpful, because I found all of your paragraphs enjoyable to read and helpful. You pointed out many topics within my post that you expanded on which I appreciate even if you didn't do it on purpose.
I was just rambling about people who hide behind computers or fall in love with people over IM and other things on the computer. Honestly I don't really like computers, or televisions, or any of the really fancy technology things that people have these days. I depend on my cell phone a lot, and feel uncomfortable if it's not in my pocket. But for the past year or so I've really disliked being on computers. I feel like it's a waste of time. I only use computers for homework, youtube, and if I really need to know some gossip on facebook. Yet I can go weeks and weeks without being on a computer.
Say I was talking to you on the computer, but I hadn't seen you before. I could know the things you've told me, but make up my whole idea of you and be in love with that. This is all metaphorically speaking. So for a fantasy person I could be in love with the idea of you, that I've created, instead of who you really are. I was talking to my friend Alice again and she was telling me about this play where two people were pen pals, and completely in love with each other through the letters. Yet slowly they started to find out that they were working in the same place and that in real life they absolutely hated each other. Both of these people were in love, because in writing they each had an appeal to one another, yet when they were face to face with each other, they really couldn't stand one another. Even though they were using snail mail since this play is from a long time ago, it still shows the concept of them not being in the same flesh one as each other and how they created fantasy visions of each other. Since I don't really go on IM or anything anymore, I don't hide behind it. I like to think that I have actual conversations with people even though it is connected through text messaging. Or as we are having a conversation and it is through the computer and blogger. I know people act differently in different groups of people, but I don't feel like I hide through technology.
I feel like we're both expanding on each other's thoughts and agreeing with each other. I admire how you admit that you hide flaws through technology, and that I helped you see things a different way. On your post you talked about balancing technology and real life, which I agree with, while I mainly talked about fantasy people and hiding behind computers. I love how you said 'us humans' because I often refer to us or other people as humans. Like.. "silly humans". I love talking to you, looking forward to your next post.