Electrical information devices for universal, tyrannical womb-tomb surveillance are causing a very serious dilemma between our claim to privacy and the community's need to know.
-Marshall McLuhan
-Marshall McLuhan
Because of our great strides in technology, we now have the ability to stay interconnected with those around us. From the creation of the alphabet to that of the internet, we can now receive constant feedback about our world and those that are in it. Nonetheless, this interconnectedness comes at a cost; perhaps, this false sense of attachment has allowed us the opportunity to do just the opposite... to detach ourselves from real, meaningful personal interaction.
At first the idea of interconnectedness makes me think about a topic that we are currently discussing in my classical culture class, the invention of the Greek alphabet. In ancient Greek times, pre-literate people gathered to hear their favorite stories sung by professional singers called aoidois. These professional singers would tell their stories in a way that played off the reactions of the audience so that each telling was unique. However, when the alphabet became more available, these beloved tales were able to be written down and read.
Thus, this way of storytelling began to become obsolete as the rhapsodes, or those who memorized the text and song, began to become more prominent. Like the aoidois, the rhapsodes sang the songs the Greeks so loved; their stories, on the other hand, remained very constant because it was mere recitation. Eventually, as literacy began to spread, even this form of communication became extinct.
Despite the fact that eventually more people had more access to the information, they were still missing out on part of the key elements to the story-telling experience they had previously enjoyed. The whole interaction part had been eliminated. No longer did people need others to tell the story for them when they could just as easily read it themselves.
Furthermore, the idea of detachment via technology still holds true in our world today. Just think of all the devices that we have invented to make our lives easier... the ones that supposedly keep us more connected to the world.
The GPS is one such example. The GPS was designed to make us feel more attached in a world of unfamiliarity. Not only does this invention enable us to navigate our way around a foreign place, but it allows us access to our favorite restaurants, hotels, nearby attractions, etc. It means we have to exert less work when trying to get some place which saves both time and money. However, it also saves us the pains of interaction. No longer do we feel obliged to ask around about the best place to eat if we see that our favorite restaurant is nearby. And asking for directions... Who does that anymore? You can now spare yourself the interaction with the lady at the gas station because your GPS will lead you precisely to where you want to be.
Facebook also prides itself on it's capabilities of keeping everyone interconnected. Sure, you can now check up on your aunt and uncle in Maryland, know the due date of your cousin's best friend's sister, and instant message your grandma. However, because we now know everything about everyone, we don't feel so obliged to initiate real-life conversation anymore. Creeping on someone's site is so much easier than initiating an awkward conversation. We can now communicate on our own time with only the people of our choosing.
Inventions like these are creeping up all over the place. We have internet browsers that eliminate the need of talking to a librarian. We invented calling so that we wouldn't have to see our mothers, and invented texting so that now we don't have to hear her either! Even though we are becoming more connected to our world in some regards, in others regards (such as face-to-face communication) we are becoming somewhat more detached.
At first the idea of interconnectedness makes me think about a topic that we are currently discussing in my classical culture class, the invention of the Greek alphabet. In ancient Greek times, pre-literate people gathered to hear their favorite stories sung by professional singers called aoidois. These professional singers would tell their stories in a way that played off the reactions of the audience so that each telling was unique. However, when the alphabet became more available, these beloved tales were able to be written down and read.
Thus, this way of storytelling began to become obsolete as the rhapsodes, or those who memorized the text and song, began to become more prominent. Like the aoidois, the rhapsodes sang the songs the Greeks so loved; their stories, on the other hand, remained very constant because it was mere recitation. Eventually, as literacy began to spread, even this form of communication became extinct.
Despite the fact that eventually more people had more access to the information, they were still missing out on part of the key elements to the story-telling experience they had previously enjoyed. The whole interaction part had been eliminated. No longer did people need others to tell the story for them when they could just as easily read it themselves.
Furthermore, the idea of detachment via technology still holds true in our world today. Just think of all the devices that we have invented to make our lives easier... the ones that supposedly keep us more connected to the world.
The GPS is one such example. The GPS was designed to make us feel more attached in a world of unfamiliarity. Not only does this invention enable us to navigate our way around a foreign place, but it allows us access to our favorite restaurants, hotels, nearby attractions, etc. It means we have to exert less work when trying to get some place which saves both time and money. However, it also saves us the pains of interaction. No longer do we feel obliged to ask around about the best place to eat if we see that our favorite restaurant is nearby. And asking for directions... Who does that anymore? You can now spare yourself the interaction with the lady at the gas station because your GPS will lead you precisely to where you want to be.
Facebook also prides itself on it's capabilities of keeping everyone interconnected. Sure, you can now check up on your aunt and uncle in Maryland, know the due date of your cousin's best friend's sister, and instant message your grandma. However, because we now know everything about everyone, we don't feel so obliged to initiate real-life conversation anymore. Creeping on someone's site is so much easier than initiating an awkward conversation. We can now communicate on our own time with only the people of our choosing.
Inventions like these are creeping up all over the place. We have internet browsers that eliminate the need of talking to a librarian. We invented calling so that we wouldn't have to see our mothers, and invented texting so that now we don't have to hear her either! Even though we are becoming more connected to our world in some regards, in others regards (such as face-to-face communication) we are becoming somewhat more detached.
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