Texting and Facebook are nice, but are they driving us all crazy?
I can safely say that if new technological ways to communicate continue to develop, I may become one of those crazy "off the grid" people.
I know it's extreme, but it may be the only thing that could keep me from going completely bonkers due to the constant flow of incoming information.
I have never particularly enjoyed the telephone as a means of solid communication.
Some people take any chance they get to make or receive a call (my Aunt Barb being a prime example). They are delighted in the fact that they are able to pick up a phone and talk for hours on end - and from miles away - to anyone they please.
Try as I might, I simply cannot see past the lack of nonverbal cues, the constant interruptions and inevitable awkward silences. It has actually gotten so bad that I am probably tainting each and every conversation I have because of my inability to see past the limitations of this evil little device I have resting on my shoulder.
However, I still retain quite a bit of affection for my ridiculously outdated hot pink Motorola Razr, if only for its limited text messaging capabilities.
Texting, I've come to find, dictates my life a lot more than I would like. I find myself compulsively pressing the little silver button on the side of my phone at just about any given opportunity. When the screen is illuminated with a "1 new msg" notification, I suddenly perk up a little. Sad? Probably.
The reality is, text messages are instantly gratifying. Addicting, even. After all, who wants to be the person that goes on about what a mediocre day they've had, when at the touch of a few keys, you can send little anecdotes back and forth, instead.
Suddenly, a conversation that may have only taken 15 minutes on the telephone has been extended into a day-long text-a-thon.
Texting is simply more fun - not to mention more practical - for the average working-class citizen with a busy schedule, or the student who has already been subject to verbal lectures for a good part of the day.
The problem with all of it - Facebook, texting, cell phones - is that their widespread overuse leaves me questioning whether the essential humanity of our world is slowly degenerating.
I sincerely hope that there is a plateau of technological advancement in the communication area. I don't quite hold my mother's view - that all recent communication technology is awful and evil and causes more harm than good - But I still feel that, overall, it has made for a lot of social awkwardness and less face-to-face interaction.
The major benefit, however, and what keeps people hooked, is that these developments keep some people connected who may otherwise be out of touch.
I'm not a soothsayer. I don't know what the future brings for communication technology. But I suppose this is my generation's "thing" and that there's no use fighting it.
Simple telephone conversations, however? I will likely continue to fight a long, hard battle.
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