Hey everyone!
I too, have been contemplating what to write about for this first project. I’ve finally settled on the idea of on the ways we depend on technology in today’s society. I had a horrifying experience about 9 years ago that single-handedly defined major aspects of my life – specifically the ways in which I relate to others, not to mention how I felt about myself for a very, very long time. The technology impacted the entire series of events because I relied on an object to get me out of a situation instead of my own “know-how”. On-the-other-hand, had I been in the same situation a few months later, everyone I knew would have had cell phones instead of super lame pagers. Having a cell phone would have definitely changed how everything developed because I could have left an actual message to ask for help, instead of some random phone number with “911” after it.
It seems as if today we view our cell phones, Sidekicks, laptops, and other endless hand-held devices as if they are part of us. I know I feel extremely anxious if I don’t have my cell phone with me at all times. Is this healthy? Cell phones are awesome, but do they seriously have to be answered in class, or in the movie theater, or in church? C’mon now, that’s just ridiculous! Aside from people annoying me with their cell phone etiquette, or lack there of, I have also noticed that my memory is crap these days…maybe that’s because I don’t have to remember anything - I have an organizer to remember everything for me! Is the issue that we can't help but to take everything to an extreme or are we just too lazy to do anything for ourselves?
Incomplete
17 years ago
3 comments:
Sarah: I think the truth is probably somewhere between your two extremes, but talking about balances is never awe-inspiring.
I sometimes wonder if cell phones had been around when my wife was raped, could it have been avoided? What would be the consequences and the long term effects?
In time travel theory there is something called the blinovitch limitation effect that essentially says you can not return along your own time line and use an object from a future time to avert a situation because of the paradoxes it will cause.
One of the classic arguments used by Pro-Lifer's is stating the case of Bethovens Mother (by all accounts a sick woman) and would you have aborted the foetus of Beethoven because of the Moms health? Conversely, if you knew what he would become, would you go back and abort Adolf Hitler...do you even have the right to go back and try to change his mind...
Sadly people are raped and murdered in fromt of cameras capturing the evidence on a daily basis. It doesnt stop the occurence happening, but it may in the future make the guilty easier to prosecute.
I don't think there is anything wrong with considering your cell phone as something for safety, perhaps like pepper spray. When I went to a much larger university, I used to pretend to talk on my cell phone (while still appearing "aware" at the same time) because I thought someone would be less likely to attack me if they new someone on the other line would immediately know I was in trouble. :p
It was silly, but it made me feel better. I won't drive anywhere without my phone, because my car is crappy and not dependable.
However, you're right...a cell phone or other device can fail to save you in an extreme situation.
You raise some very interesting ideas here, how much does technology hurt and help us. I know that if i were in a situation and needed to remember someone phone number I would be in trouble. I have no idea what anyone's phone number is, they are all in cell phone. Although I do remember the days that I had to remember phone numbers and I wonder how I did it.
But are we over reliant on technology? One of the reasons I got a blackberry was because I was sick of finding myself places (like my dad's house in the middle of no where) with limited ability to plug in online. I worried someone was trying to email me or I would miss something. I also think we may become too dependant on technology and in that have we lost some common sense? AN interesting topic.
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