If aliens landed on Earth they would assume that humans worship glowing screens.
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| Facebook as Religion |
Over the holidays I saw a man walking through a mall in Boston, lovingly cradling his iPad, looking at the screen with reverence and love, oblivious to reality taking place around him.
I find this approach living troubling and distressing. It's akin to reality TV - sitting and watching other people live their lives rather than having a life yourself.
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| Immaculate Connection |
I know it is ironic to announce this on the web, but I have decided to spend less time in cyberspace.
I am looking forward to writing fewer blog posts and more letters, spending fewer lunch breaks in front of a screen and more outside, and embracing the here and now of physical reality rather than an untouchable cyber one.
4 comments :
Good resolution, John. Everything in moderation. Love the church sign. Where is that?
Thanks, Greg. Yes, Moderation, Balance - elusive yet important. The church is in Greenfield, MA Cheers.
I'm online a lot, but enjoy (and prefer) writing paper letters. I still prefer a paper book to the electronic version. I wander in the woods, attend concerts, play with my cats, cook, have good conversations with friends...
When I'm online, I'm still thinking critically -- agreeing or disagreeing, checking several sources, evaluating the validity of the information I find, debating issues with friends, etc.
I don't see being online as a replacement for any of these activities; it's an addition. And now that I'm 3000 miles away from my family, spending more time online is a way for me to remain in real-time (or almost real-time) contact with them -- is that bad because it involves a screen?
Sabrina -
Sounds like you have a good balance.
Screens are not necessarily bad. I just have concerns about how communication via the internet in some cases is supplanting actual human contact and what this means for our brains and society. I found the man walking through the mall devoted to his iPad, oblivious to the actual life around him creepy - though maybe he was following some sort of GPS for people walking. But such a GPS concept, to me, is ridiculous - ask somebody!
But I do question myself: does it make a difference if someone sits on a bus reading a book or a Kindle?
Thanks for your insights. -John
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