steady dialogue with an array of people has prompted me to take issue with the fact that our generation is commonly labeled “the internet generation,” or “the mtv generation,” any of those terms that describe the technological advancements that have graced society since the early ’80s. the connotation that we are a generation that relies heavily on computers and television irks me because a wireless, tech savvy lifestyle is inherently detrimental for our culture.
sending instant messages and e-mails promotes weird anti-social behavior. instead of going out and socializing, people are content to sit at home and meet people on the internet from thousands of miles away. how many hours are wasted talking to “friends” you don’t know? it’s an easy tool for communication, but at the same time it’s leading to a breakdown in basic human contact. i know people who are unsure how to find friends if they are offline. no one can recall a phone number, but they can remember screen names. this deficiency in social skills is directly proportional to the telecommunications boom that has occurred in our lifetime.
the plot of one of my current projects deals with the ease in which people create facades in a space where integrity is nonexistent. it’s a depiction of a society that has been marred by the side effects of the internet. in middle school i laughed with friends, or alone, assuming my actions we’re a simple farce. sadly, i was also vouching for a behavioral pattern that is now widely accepted.
define irony: i’ve posted this message in a blog instead of an speaking in open public forum.
