After struggling all weekend, trying to find what I should write on, I realized I hit a gigantic wall. I thought this would be a great time to finally incorporate a little of my own major: Political Science. Of course, many people hate to even think of politics but I feel many lessons can be learned when hot topic issues are doven further into than just the surface. I promise this will not get preachy. Also, I feel like the subject of this post has been beaten to death over the past couple of years, so just go with it.
At first glance, one might think that this is a literary analysis of Star Wars: Episode II, which is actually titled Attack of the Clones. I'm sure something like this will soon appear on this blog.
When eating at the dining hall and looking up at the televisions or when looking at your favorite news website (if you're cool enough to have one), you see that today's big button issue is Obama's drone program. For those of you who don't know, Obama has been expanding and engaging in several drone attacks across sea. Of course many have criticized the lack of transparency the administration has shown. After hearing some objection during my nightly review of todays news, I became transfixed on why one person could or would want to attack another area filled with such a large sum of innocent civilians just to obtain the death of a select few evil men.
I thought back to one of my favorite science fiction novels: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Throughout the novel, and young boy, named Ender, trains to defeat an alien race. Long story short, Ender uses drone like technology to destroy an entire race of living beings and hardly feels connected to the terror he had committed.
When combining both of these scenarios/stories one can begin to wonder the power of the LCD screen. Does it really cause such a disconnection between people? How true is he statement, "Your generation is going to lose the art of face-to-face communication?"
When walking to class through the college green, I get a text (at least once a day) that reads something along the line of "Hey. I just saw you." Thanks I guess? I can not believe how often I get these messages from those who literally pass me at an arms length. I received one of the most disappointing texts from my most recent college crush. When arriving to one of my political law courses, I received a message with the body "Hey. I saw you on the green. I almost tapped on your shoulder but I decided not to. Lol." I was furious. Both with her and myself. Why did she not stop me? Was there a booger hanging from my nose and she was embarrassed to look at me? How did I miss her? Of course, I knew how. I was looking at my phone shuffling through music. I had to realize I also suffer from this disease.
After a drunken escapade, I woke up to another crush I had many months ago. I was dazed and confused by what was going on. I left her house with few words being exchanged and I tried to set up a coffee date to clear the air. Just last week, I got a Facebook message from my drunken mistress with an apology. It had almost been an entire year. She sits in front of me in one of my classes now and she still can hardly hold a conversation with me.
I went to Kroger last sunday for my weekly granola/beer run. I decided to avoid the self-check out line due to the anxiety that ensues once I realize I can hardly work the thing. I stand in line for what seems hours when it ended up only being 5 minutes. I flipped out my iPhone to look at the latest BBC headlines. I saw where they had been refreshed 10 minutes ago. I must have checked them while driving. I was, no joke, reading on what the foreign public thought of America's leader reigning hellfire on bordering nations. I soon came to the realization that the cashier had asked me several times for my Kroger card. I felt like a turd. I slowly handed it to her. When leaving, it dawned on me that my mind, while standing in line at the local Kroger, was halfway across the world. I mind and body were miles and miles away from one another.
Of course, these brief stories about my horrendous dating game and abysmal diet are nowhere near as tragic as the drone program, but I feel as though they are related. The moral of all the scenarios mentioned above is the fact that we are disconnected from most of our actual, physical life. It's very scary to think about. And even those who become conscience of the situation still suffer from it.
A solid essay that goes to some unexpected places here, Anthony. How do you think we develop from the sorts of people who won't tap each other on the shoulder to the sorts of people who are willing to obliterate other groups from a distance. It's the equivalency that worries me here, and I realize that worries you too because you mention it at the end.
ReplyDeleteThink more about "Why did she not stop me?" Why are we willing to isolate ourselves so thoroughly. What are the upsides and downsides.
My favorite parts of this are the personal scenes. "Granola/beer run" is nice, and your haphazard/guilty persona surrounding some of these crushes is actually working as a stance.
I'd think about dropping much of the first few paragraphs. Seems like unnecessary prefacing to me. Also, read these over very closely. You're making a few too many distracting errors.
I'll ding you for lateness here, but, again, the writing is engaged.
DW
P.S. Do remember to keep up on Short Takes.
I really liked this essay. I've been mulling this question over in my head for a couple weeks now, and I think you do a pretty great job of expressing the certain loss of human interaction for another. I think the drone analogy works well for a more dire consequence, and integrating politics into your essay(although when I originally read "Political Science" I thought "Is he going to talk about Hobbes?" because that's what poli-sci means to me thanks to Julie).
ReplyDeleteI also like your examples from your life as well. I always feel like a jackass when identically I live up to that "You kids always on your cellphones" stereotype, but it happens to everyone. Also there is nothing more frustrating for than talking to my friends only to have the conversation suddenly stop in its tracks as everyone responds to texts, tweets, etc. and I'm left alone shouting like a crazy man to myself.
Anyways, a really good and thought provoking piece. I liked it a lot.
I agree that this piece really made me think about my technology use. Now that I have an iPhone, I've noticed myself disconnecting from those around me to be on my phone. Technology gives us way too many easy outs. Bored in a conversation? Check your phone. Too nervous to talk to someone in real life? Text them. Too weak to put your name in front of an opinion? Use an anonymous screen name. And on a broader scale, as you mention... too cowardly to face the fatal damages of war? Send in drones (although, I'm sure there are other motivations to use drones, but I'm not up to debate that). I'm definitely one of those people who are conscious of my disconnect, and yet I can't step away from the LCDs.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing for me is that this piece made me think about these blogs. I was nervous to talk in front of/with all of you, and I was more comfortable at first behind this screen. Now, of course, I'm fine with our in-person discussions, but I guess that is just an observation of mine.
I think this was a really great piece, as both Daves said. I, too, liked the granola/beer run comment. Interesting combination that I think I can approve of.
Does The Onion count as a news site?
ReplyDeleteI think you describing your one lady as a 'drunken mistress' is quite nice compared to some of the other terms for ladies and gentlemen in her situation. Check.
On a serious note, this really got me thinking, so great job there. Over the weekend I was at an event for homelessness in Athens, and they were discussing what homelessness is like in our modern society. One older woman said that she believes it will only get worse now, rather than better, with the increased reliance 'the youth' has on technology; she claimed that people don't bother to make real connections with others anymore because they have convenience incarnate in their hands, (not a direct quote, but this is the gist of it) and that will make us desensitized to other human beings in bad situations. Etc. I thought this was a bit unfair, namely because she blamed we the youth about a thousand times, and I definitely saw her texting (or something) on her phone when someone else was chiming into the discussion. So I'm not really sure what my exact point is coming off of that story, but I guess it's just that yes I really can connect with what you're saying in this. I think, in some ways, it's true. On a smaller social level, we definitely rely too heavily on technology. Why risk sudden embarrassment by blunder when we can patiently consider our every word from a safe, out-of-ear distance? So there's that. But I think what you said about your mind being halfway around the world (a*teens shout-out) is really cool rather than disdainful. You're reading the opinions of people of another nation, and you care about it, yay for humanity! I see that as hopeful. Thinking back to the Arabian Spring, (which kind of lead into an Arabian Sandstorm Winter, but it was hopeful for a moment) how the world was caught up and connected to peoples whose struggle would never have been known (at least, not for weeks) without our technology, I think that's fantastic. I think we just need a balance between the two. (And I'm really bad with current events, current being a time frame of about five years, so possibly all my comments are meaningless. Primarily the Arabian Spring one. But I couldn't think of a better example.)
TL;DR great points, intelligent blog, I liked it!
This raises an interesting ethical question: which is worse, an everexpanding drone program which has now been used to kill American citizens in foreign lands, or the travesty that is Episode II? By the way, I've never read Ender's Game, but my gf is a big fan and I got his autograph once for her when he was at a bookstore I was randomly at. He was nice.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great post. This is a topic I think about a lot, and even though I actively try to avoid the symptoms you're talking about (I don't have a smart phone, or a facebook page, twitter acount, etc.) I'm still not immune.