We are using an enormous amount of electricity. If we look at other parts of the world, they are probably not using as much as we do or they might not be using any at all. All this use of energy might lead to another black out.
All these digital/electronic images are not "real". They are created by electric signals inside the machines.
The good thing is that we can keep in contact using these electric devices (I can even be doing my homework on the computer using blogger) but the bad thing is that we are so hooked onto these devices, we might lose a part of ourselves from the world. People go home and turn on the computer or the TV and just sits there in front of it, forgetting there is so much more apart from the computer or the TV. Not only are the computer, cell phones, and TVs sucking the energy out of the world, it is also sucking the energy out of us - the people using it. We could be using the energy doing something better for the world.
[Edits 9/14/09 11: 16AM]
John:
I think that we cannot live without electronic devices. My friends were talking about hiking one day and one of them said to bring a cell phone so their parents can contact them. The other one said that the batteries would run out really quick and the first one was gonna reply with "bring a charger" before realizing that there is no outlet in the trails. Cell phones are a convenient thing but we rely so much on electricity that when there is none, we feel distressed.
The internet is also an awesome thing because it contains a lot of information but some people use it to connect to other people.
Some people say lol, lmao, or rofl just because they have nothing else to say.
I think face book can come in handy sometimes; it keeps you updated on people more than AIM does and on people who might be on the other side of the world (people who you cannot talk to on AIM). AIM is also an artificial thing because you cannot tell whether someone is sarcastic or not.
Texting is used for short messages so you do not have to call someone and say "Just to let you know.. bye". I think people are just using texts the wrong way.
I agree with you about internet sucking the lives out of us. We can be pursuing a hobby rather than exercising just our fingers.
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Hmmm, what an original viewpoint Maggie! This is the first time I've seen just how much energy we use for all this ditilaization be pointed out.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was cool how you reminded us that all these things we use to communicate or entertain us are really just electronic signals, and that they are not in fact "real."
One thing idea that I think had A LOT of validity to it was that things like "lol," "lmao" or any other kind of short-hand is just sort of a filler...I think these "fillers" might becoming more common as we talk more, but seem to have less to say - something Henry also talked about - how conversations have lost "depth."
The way you point out both sides of your opinion is great - how things like AIM and Facebook are artificial, but can still come in handy - this can make it difficult to tell where you stand though. Are you for or against digitalization? Which side of the argument weighs heavier on you?
The way you said, computers and T.V.s have started to "suck" the life out of us was really intense, it got me thinking about my own habits of web-surfing and cable watching. Are these things sucking the life out of, not just me, but my family and friends as well?? Is this "addiction" to electronics just an American thing, or is it everywhere technology seems infest itself? Has technology become gone from helpful to hurtful, and become almost parasitic?
You really got me thinking Maggie - very interesting stuff!
-Michelle G.
Maggie,
ReplyDeleteThe second I go to your blog, the first thing I notice is that you went back and edited it and noted your edit. That just right off the bat made me think that you were on the right track and were actively thinking about the topic, and that impressed me. I also like that instead of approaching the types of technology that we frequently encounter, you focused on the usage of electricity in our lives.
Your general idea that electricity runs our lives is a very clear one and very true. Almost every single thing we do in life can now be done with the use of a technological device. Even right now, my homework here is on a blog, which is on the internet, which can only be accessed through electricity. Electricity in essence rules the world and without it people wouldn't know what to do.
I think that your ideas on Facebook are essentially the same as everybody else's, myself included. It is particularly handy for talking to friends that have very hectic schedules and I otherwise don't get to. I think that what you say about AIM is also very interesting. Tone is the most essential thing, I find, in talking to people. It can affect the entire conversation and the way people see you. I am a very sarcastic person and I find that using AIM to talk to people gets very annoying because people cannot sense when I am being sarcastic unless I couple it with an extrodrinary amount of "lol" 's and "jk" 's.
I think that your concept of the electrically powered items not being "real" can be narrowed down a significant amount. I think that they are very much real, depending on the media. For instance, interactions through a webcam are very much real, and I have friends that I am very close with just because of the internet and its capabilities. All things can be real, it is a matter of how people use them. People feel like the internet is a place where they can be somebody other than who they really are, so they create an alternate reality which in turn carries over to affect the real lives they live.
Your posting makes me think about my use of texting though, and how I do not use it "correctly" and to an extent I agree. I am irresponsible with it and talk to people I shouldn't about things that my real consciousness does not want to. Texting is really just a time filler though and I think that when used to notify people of things that are too quick for a phone call, it works well, but when it becomes something you cannot live without, it is a problem, and that is why I have been working on cutting down.
I really liked your blog and I think that there is a lot of room for new ideas to be collected through our commenting.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, Michelle.
ReplyDeleteI think that the electronic stimulation devices has made progress in technology but it has also dragged us down. To answer your question, I guess I am leaning towards the side in which using these devices is not worth being efficient. I feel that being efficient makes things complicated; everyone likes things kept simple.
You're right about the "fillers". I think these "fillers" are becoming more common and the fact that we have less to say is because we spend too much time on DRDs coming up with meaningless conversations.
Actually, this is making me question whether or not this whole blog thing is meaningless because we are actually using a DRD. Are DRDs really a bad thing and can we create a meaningful conversation using DRDs?
And I think that is a one of the many questions that we both are trying to figure out. Also, should we drop all DRDs or should we make the best of them and try not to let them get us?
Thanks for your compliment, Henry.
ReplyDeleteAnd also, thanks for pointing out a clarification that I need to make.
My fault for not explaining what I meant by "real". Like Snyder said in class, we do not hear people's voices through the phone; we are only hearing the vibrations made in by the phone. Similarly if you are using a webcam, you are only seeing the image created by information from the computer. Anything you see on the computer is made by electric information sent from the motherboard.
I just want to double on the sarcastic thing. It can be very annoying when people do not catch the sarcasm or when people joke in a serious conversation. I just want to say that even though AIM is a great program to keep in touch with a large number of people, it really should not replace important conversations for it might create another issue.
I believe that we agree with most of the points that have been discussed even though there was one that we did not. Electricity plays a big role in our lives especially when technology is evolving; facebook is just a website with words, pictures, videos that wastes our time; and everyone is using texts the wrong way.
I enjoy reading your comment and I hope you will continue to c0mment back.
Maggie,
ReplyDeleteIM SORRY IM SO LATE
I liked how your point was straight forward; humans are wasting time and energy on digital life. I agreed with you that we are definitely hooked on our electronics and that we are losing a part ourselves to the digital world.
Electricity is suppose to provide us with energy but is it really?
I agree with you when you say that technology sucks the life and energy out of us. Electricity has helped provide us with easier ways of living life but we have become so dependent on it that we no longer know what to do with ourselves when we don’t have technology around.
I know that when I go upstate, I have no cell phone service unless we go into town. There is internet, television and video games but through this unit I realized that I go the whole weekend without using any digital substances. Instead I go exploring, fishing, riding atvs, swimming, playing around with the dogs, or just take walks through the surrounding woods. These simple activities do not sound like much to do for the whole weekend but somehow, some way I have a good time just chilling.
I guess when you’re in a new and different environment, you tend to explore more. When humans are occupied, we think way less about who’s commenting on one of our pictures on facebook, who’s on aim, what’s on television or if anyone is texting us.
I hope you will expand on how we lose ourselves into the digital world, provide more examples.
I hope to read more from you.
-Cindy