Technological Futility

Aaron Grierson / The Silhouette

With the New Year having passed us by already I’m wondering what sorts of new years resolutions were made, if any at all. I know that a lot of people are overloading the gym still, three weeks later, which I suppose is a good. But I wonder if there are any people other than one friend of mine who made a vow to be “less technologically reliant” as she put it. Aside from hibernating her Facebook profile (lets be honest, killing them is nearly impossible) it will be interesting to see what she does in this personal crusade. Hopefully, the results are inspiring.

I feel like I’m beating a dead horse but the more I see it, as much as I love technology, the more I think it’s ruining our genuinely human relationships. And let’s be honest, this dead horse has cybernetic legs and technologic eyes that can shoot laser beams from them. I just don’t want to feel the kick of those legs.

So, perhaps I’ll (hopelessly) continue to use technology in what I feel is moderation. I only surf the web with a computer or laptop because really, my phone bill is enough as is. And we’re on computers enough as is; with all of the assignments we have to do and all the games and movies to be played. And I admit, Skype is really handy, especially when your good friend moves out east to educate rural French children in the ways of English. Facebook is also a fantastic way to keep in touch with people, even if you’re the only one doing the work.

But there is a more serious side. Like when two people hang out and one or both spend the whole time on their phones. What kind of human interaction is that, if not escapism?

How is that an acceptable amount of effort to consider one another friends? I guess it could be worse though. It could be a couple on the same couch sexting one another for hours at a time. (Sexting, for those that are unfamiliar with the term, is just like writing your own 50 Shades of Gray and probably just as well performed.)

Daily life really leads me to wonder; aside from how long a person can text while walking before crashing into something, how far we have to go from everything is absurd.

I mean I had to go online just to find the Silhouette last Thursday, even by 4pm the newspapers were mysteriously absent. And with ebooks, I shun web browsing as much as I can personally. Call me retrograde, but I like the feel of paper in my hands when I am enjoying a story, no matter the sort.

With the advancements in technology, wonderful as they might seem, we’re really just taking advantage of old tricks. I recently discovered that cell phones have been able to transfer data since 1997! Who knew history class could teach such useful information? In spite of this marketing made it sounds like the hottest thing ever a couple of years back.

Perhaps it will be a day of escape, where people put their electronic lives on pause and take time to create something meaningful for once.