First impressions- a commentary
Recently I have come to the conclusion that modern life, for better or for worse, is being controlled by technology. I don’t just mean that it affects the way we communicate, I think it honestly impacts us on a much deeper level. The generation of kids who grew up with cell phones and video games and the internet are actually changing the way we see each other.
For example, after meeting a person for the first time, I immediately get on their Facebook and friend them. Not only just to be their friend and keep that connection, but also to see their worth as a friend. We almost keep tally in our head of how many things on their page we disagree with.
Are they in a group that supports Huckabee? 1 point against.
Are they friends with someone you can’t stand? 1 point against.
Is their favorite movie Meet the Spartans? Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
It’s like we try to get to know people before we get to know them.
And, it doesn’t just stop at facebook. If they have a YouTube account, and they actually post videos, you make judgements of them there.
It’s almost if all of this technology has forced us to become judgmental assholes. And even worse, it’s probably making us communicate less.
If we didn’t have pre-conversation access to a person’s favorite presidential candidate or favorite movie, we would actually have to talk about it at some point. It wouldn’t be just some thought in the back of our minds. It would actually have to be brought to the table then actually discussed. Not just swept under the rug and ignored.
Imagine a world filled with people who actually conversed about things and talked through their disagreements. Imagine not feeling like you already know a person before you’ve actually talked to them. Imagine not having to tiptoe around subjects because you already “know” it could be awkward to talk about because *gasp* you have differing opinions.
Imagine that, then forget it. Because, until we can bring ourselves to be friends in real life before we’re friends online, it’s not going to happen.
April 12th, 2008 at 8:06 am
“Imagine a world filled with people who actually conversed about things and talked through their disagreements. Imagine not feeling like you already know a person before you’ve actually talked to them. Imagine not having to tiptoe around subjects because you already “know” it could be awkward to talk about because *gasp* you have differing opinions.
Imagine that, then forget it. Because, until we can bring ourselves to be friends in real life before we’re friends online, it’s not going to happen.”
That’s about right. There are entirely too many people who only want to hear the sound of their own voice and their own opinions echoed back to them. (Like the ones that listen to a particular talk radio program.) People who do not even have the basic integrity or decency to say hello to someone who doesn’t march in lock step with their extremists agendas (and that’s on either side of the spectrum.)
Until we can all sit down and talk about things we’ll never advance this country.
April 13th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I know facebook and the like has totally changed the way I interact with friends, but I kind of like it to some extent. (120-message threads, etc)
Yet, at the same time, people our age and older actually remember a time before everyone had internet access 24/7. I’m kind of curious about how younger generations who have never been without internet will interact with each other.
Hey…you haven’t watched the next disk without me have you?