A Response!! Am I REAL now?
I feel connected to the world at large now that I've had a response! Wow! And I got going so much in the thinking that I figured my response to the response might as well be a new Post! I'm not sure how to manipulate this deal well enough to show it how I'd really like to, but that's all right. This will work.
Anonymous said...
What do you think about blogs or blog surfing, blog posting in the absence od real human relationships? Creating all these ideals or thought forums but no real life connections, because you can't see or really interact with others. That idea of being voyers or seeing into someone's life without really knowing them. The increaseing isolation and loss of community that is becoming, in my view, American Life.
I say....
I think you're right. It's making connections without risk. It's much easier, isn't it? Is that true "connection" though? I wonder if a person could truly feel fulfilled with only cyber relationships? That's rather sad, isn't it? Yes - community way of life is becoming a ghost town: how many kids on bikes in the street do you see now? How many neighbors sit on the front porch now and stop to chat with each other? I'm guilty of the "drive-by and waive" relationship with most of my neighbors. Can't even remember some of their names. It makes me sad that I'm always running hither and thither to this and that. When do we stop to breath? In Yoga? (It has to be connected to a higher purpose, such as getting physically fit?)More gadgets coming into fruition faster and faster - a 10 yr old computer is as ancient as a dinosaur. Smaller and faster. Needing more income to keep up with the pace - work more - drop kids off at day-care so we can work - rush to get home-work done - rush dinner - rush to go to bed - rush to wake up and get ready for the day - work more to pay the bills for a home that we're rarely there to enjoy - gotta go to the gym to work out so we don't get fat because we're sitting in the office all day and too busy too cook and pack lunch so we have to eat fast food and we have to work overtime so that we can pay for that. It all seems wrong somehow. Only 2 weeks out of the year to vacate work. And we have to cram all of a year's worth of "relaxation" into 14 days? Yes American Life breathes in its isolation - in the corners of our homes with our doors securely locked against our neighbors and we think we're happy. Do we have to subscribe to a motivational computerized daily/weekly e-mail to remind us that we're human and that we're supposed to actually reach out to a co-worker, neighbor, stranger, even a family member?
Ah - that's our challenge. Force ourselves to stop the frenzied whirlwind. Actually make an effort to even just be nice to the spouse and kids. Enjoy the company of friends and neighbors. Force the kids to go outside to play, to turn off the video games and DVDs, Cook! Discipline ourselves to limit our own time browsing for information, chatting, entertaining ourselves with a keyboard and monitor! Such a blessing and a curse this plethora of information contained in a box getting slimmer and more compact every year! What a blessing to be able to communicate with my entire family spread out all over the States on a regular basis! What a blessing to be able to research necessary topics for kids' homework, to keep a regular record of your own life (journaling is a great thing!), to find your ancestors and feel a deep connection and gratitude for our current life due to those lives spent before my own, to find a new recipe for dinner in 15 minutes for the stuff you have already in your fridge! The trick is not to let it catch you! To suck you in and let yourself get hooked. So easy to lose your self control with the excuse that it's all for a good cause...and maybe I just need a little fun on the side. Who's to know anyway? The tempter's snare has caught how many of us?
Computer relationships taking place of human relationships? Ah, much too easy to fall into. It is becoming the American way. Self discipline to be a real human.
Interesting thought.
Rather sad.
Rather live in 1838?
No thank you.
I'll spout anonymously out there to those who are just plain bored or curious and need a dose of their own "voyerism". And to those who know me - you know that I'm just full of it, for better or for worse.
As ever -
Yours truly
Anonymous said...
What do you think about blogs or blog surfing, blog posting in the absence od real human relationships? Creating all these ideals or thought forums but no real life connections, because you can't see or really interact with others. That idea of being voyers or seeing into someone's life without really knowing them. The increaseing isolation and loss of community that is becoming, in my view, American Life.
I say....
I think you're right. It's making connections without risk. It's much easier, isn't it? Is that true "connection" though? I wonder if a person could truly feel fulfilled with only cyber relationships? That's rather sad, isn't it? Yes - community way of life is becoming a ghost town: how many kids on bikes in the street do you see now? How many neighbors sit on the front porch now and stop to chat with each other? I'm guilty of the "drive-by and waive" relationship with most of my neighbors. Can't even remember some of their names. It makes me sad that I'm always running hither and thither to this and that. When do we stop to breath? In Yoga? (It has to be connected to a higher purpose, such as getting physically fit?)More gadgets coming into fruition faster and faster - a 10 yr old computer is as ancient as a dinosaur. Smaller and faster. Needing more income to keep up with the pace - work more - drop kids off at day-care so we can work - rush to get home-work done - rush dinner - rush to go to bed - rush to wake up and get ready for the day - work more to pay the bills for a home that we're rarely there to enjoy - gotta go to the gym to work out so we don't get fat because we're sitting in the office all day and too busy too cook and pack lunch so we have to eat fast food and we have to work overtime so that we can pay for that. It all seems wrong somehow. Only 2 weeks out of the year to vacate work. And we have to cram all of a year's worth of "relaxation" into 14 days? Yes American Life breathes in its isolation - in the corners of our homes with our doors securely locked against our neighbors and we think we're happy. Do we have to subscribe to a motivational computerized daily/weekly e-mail to remind us that we're human and that we're supposed to actually reach out to a co-worker, neighbor, stranger, even a family member?
Ah - that's our challenge. Force ourselves to stop the frenzied whirlwind. Actually make an effort to even just be nice to the spouse and kids. Enjoy the company of friends and neighbors. Force the kids to go outside to play, to turn off the video games and DVDs, Cook! Discipline ourselves to limit our own time browsing for information, chatting, entertaining ourselves with a keyboard and monitor! Such a blessing and a curse this plethora of information contained in a box getting slimmer and more compact every year! What a blessing to be able to communicate with my entire family spread out all over the States on a regular basis! What a blessing to be able to research necessary topics for kids' homework, to keep a regular record of your own life (journaling is a great thing!), to find your ancestors and feel a deep connection and gratitude for our current life due to those lives spent before my own, to find a new recipe for dinner in 15 minutes for the stuff you have already in your fridge! The trick is not to let it catch you! To suck you in and let yourself get hooked. So easy to lose your self control with the excuse that it's all for a good cause...and maybe I just need a little fun on the side. Who's to know anyway? The tempter's snare has caught how many of us?
Computer relationships taking place of human relationships? Ah, much too easy to fall into. It is becoming the American way. Self discipline to be a real human.
Interesting thought.
Rather sad.
Rather live in 1838?
No thank you.
I'll spout anonymously out there to those who are just plain bored or curious and need a dose of their own "voyerism". And to those who know me - you know that I'm just full of it, for better or for worse.
As ever -
Yours truly
posted by Lisa @ 6:03 PM
1 Comments:
At 1:26 PM ,
Amberlynn said...
When I used to live at home, with family, I would get supremely jelous of the Television. I wanted to spend time communicating with my family. We're HERE! We're not at work or school. Let's play! TOGETHER! I would have to balance my desire to be *with* them and my distaste for TV. Sometimes I would watch with them. Sometimes I could convince them to play with me. Sometimes I would lock myself away in my room and just be alone.
This is not to say that all my family did was watch television. They did much more, of course. We would spend weeks together camping, which I think all my siblings would agree is the highlight of our childhood.
I warned my husband when we got internet that I may possibly get jealous. Just a warning, so that when I did say "let's turn it off" he would know why...
But there is such a huge difference between internet communication and television. Television is one way, without much choice as to content. What you see is a controlled entity. If you want more information, you pay more. Most of what's there ends up being owned by a small few if you look closely - and whether we realize or admit it or not, much of what we see is skewed.
Internet, is totally different. We have complete choice over what we see. We can research opinion after opinion after scientific study after expert advice on any subject.
We can communicate with family who we would hardly know with distance otherwise. I can read my family and friends's journals (which they publicize in blogs) and know them on a deeper level than I ever would otherwise.
We can find support. When I first learned of the possibility of me having a certain medical condition, I found an online support group. I could read when *I* had time, and I learned SO MUCH! I didn't feel alone. Although I'm sure I could have found a support group of live people if I searched hard enough, it would not be on my terms, and fit into my schedule. What if all the ladies there in person were fat and old, and here I was skinny and young. I would feel like an intruder. Online, intergenerational support is so easy. Judgement doesn't happen based on looks. It happens based on ideas and tact of presentation (as well as spelling).
I am now part of an online support group I KNOW I would never find in person. How wonderous! I can find people in similar situations and help them, they help me, in ways that were never before possible. Many of these groups eventually plan ways to get together and meet.
I haven't forgotten to talk to my neighbors. I don't avoid going out with my friends. I still live socially in person. However, the awkwardness of building up to a place of comfort and connection in face-to-face reality can be difficult. I never feel at ease with my co-workers. I ALWAYS feel awkward at parties and like social events. I often don't know how to say what I feel without fear of rejection within my church or family.
If anything, internet American (WORLD!) Life has made my community richer, deeper, more connected.
Let's not berade the negative we project from what may be our own weaknesses to the internet community as a whole. There is good in the world. There is bad that happens.
What do YOU do? What do YOU choose?
I don't feel any blanket statement on disconnectedness is truly valid.
My say. The End.
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