Are pesticides racist?
-
As a general rule, every environmental conflict has exploitation at its
center.
4 years ago
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Generation Solitude
A hundred year ago, the Greatest Generation ruled America. In the 21st century, a new generation is rising to power, even larger in size than the baby boomers. Generation We is the upcoming generation of our era. We are known as the millennials, and we will be the largest voting group in 2016. Generation We is comprised of people born between 1978 and 2000 and currently we are 95 million strong. As a generation, we have the potential to make great change through our political involvement and technological innovation. We have many positive characteristics that separate us from previous generations and give America hope for change. However, along with our incredibly high educational level, philosophical understanding, and great community service involvement, our independence is greater than ever before. We are a generation of growing independence with less and less human interaction on a day to day basis, and increased time spent alone. We were born to get educated, better the world around us, and to be successful. For what? The focus and motivation of Generation We is going to make great revolutionary accomplishments in our era, but how are we going to feel in 70 years? Communication has reached a new level that is more shallow than ever before. With new technological innovations rapidly taking over, society has adapted to the facade. Text message, email, video chat, online chat, and more are new methods of communication used uniformly throughout society in Generation We, none of which involve any form of human interaction. In the largest generation of United States History, kids feel more lonesome than ever before. In Walden's Solitude from The Portable Thoreau, he explains the importance of being truly alone and the importance of being in real company. "I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers." In the 21st century, we have solitude and companionship reversed. Instead of being alone and enjoying pure solitude, we are accompanied by technology that does not allow kids to ever be alone. On the other hand, when we seek companionship, we look in all the wrong places, resulting in only a semi-satisfactory feeling. Text messaging is one of the main modes of communication today, and it does not satisfy the crave for companionship that humans all love and need, especially the children of Generation We. We must work together to rework our altered society for better communication methods which will result in more substantial companionships. Generation We has a great challenge ahead of them to refuel American society both technologically, socially, and philosophically.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
This is an interesting point you bring up Ellie. As a generation our reliance on technology is extreme. I mean nearly every young adult you see has a phone with them at all times and is more often then not texting on it. I will just go for a walk and be sure to leave my phone in the room or just turn it off for a couple hours and it really is nice. Even to not use the computer for a couple of days it's amazing how relaxing it can be. That's also something frustrating with school, for every single one of my classes I have to be on the computer every day to do homework, sometimes I just wish I could go down to the beach or the park and just work away from all the technology but it's nearly impossible. It's really interesting to think about how this is changing our personal relationships with each other in society too. With things like blogs people seem to be more comfortable opening up on here then say in a class discussion. Maybe this is just because chatting online and blogging is what we're all so used to. I wonder if this wasn't a part of our generation’s regular daily life this would be different. Your post brings up a lot of open ended questions and I wonder if we really can change the technological path we are on with it already so far ingrained into society.
Why should Generation We be responsible for fueling technology, if as you said technology is what is distancing us from each other? Or do you mean technology that does not involve communication methods? Even then though, as we have been learning, technology in general has negatively altered the way that we look at nature and has distanced us from the natural world. So my question is, what do you mean when you say it is our responsibility to further technology? What type of technology and why? You also make many blatant statements that might not hold up when looked at closer. You say for instance that "kids feel more lonesome than ever before," and that many be true but where is your proof? You could have cited evidence or statistics along with your statement that would have supported your view. But mostly, I agree with what you say in your blog, especially that text messaging has proven to be a negative influence. I see so many people my age, including some of my friends, who would much rather text than talk on the phone or face to face merely because it is more convenient and less intimidating. But how is this affecting us? Well, we are not learning how to act in social environments and face to face communication has become a burden rather than a chance to interact intimately with other people. As a result, I do not like text messaging and I only try to use it when necessary. But sometimes, like the rest of us, I slip up.
Hi Ellie, and Katelyn...
Intriguing post! I'm so curious to know what the rest of the class thinks about this subject. A Gen-Xer myself, I just missed the "digital revolution." When I was an undergraduate not everyone had a computer. We typed papers at the computer labs or on Word Processors (basically fancy typewriters), and hardly anyone had a cell phone. Those kids that did get into computers at that time ended up with an advantage, as more and more professions began requiring not just computer literacy, but fluency. I resisted getting a cell phone until about three years ago, but now I find myself walking down the street or across campus with my head bent over my phone, just like everyone else- although sometimes (like Katelyn) I purposely leave my phone at home, or at least turn off the ringer.
Katelyn, I'm really intrigued by your response, especially your observation that students are more apt to open up in online chat sessions than in classroom discussions. It reminds me of some of the passages from the David Orr book that Dr. Seeley read to us recently. Are we losing the ability to communicate our thoughts and feelings verbally, in a face-to-face setting? What do the rest of you think?
P.S. And Tiffany- didn't mean to leave you out!
This is a great, provocative post--likely to spur lots of discussion. I went to a Leonard Cohen concert last night, and there were so many people texting about their experience at the concert that the night was lit up by little white screens. Borrowing Denise Levertov's phrase, it seemed a sad way to be in the "presence" of such powerful music.
And it IS fascinating, and troubling, to me that it's easier for us to say things in the comment thread than it is to speak up in person. I'm wondering if we might collectively discuss this in class? (in person!)
About technology: we might think of using the term more precisely, because any tool humans have invented is technology, beginning with grinding stones and arrow heads. A hammer is technology. Perhaps a better way to frame the question is "what's the appropriate technology given our desire to live sustainably?" A solar panel or a wind farm, for example, is a different sort of thing in this equation than an internal combustion engine or coal burning power plant.
I do think, though, that we need to think beyond a "technological" fix for our environmental predicament, since that way of thinking has gotten us into so much difficulty. As David Orr suggests about developing and adopting new technology, the question should be: toward what end, and at what cost?
In our current wired world, one of the things being lost along with biological diversity and biotic health is human community: that real, face-to-face, neighbor-to-neighbor interaction that binds people together in their LOCAL places. And it's in attachment to the local that we come to want to defend the natural health of where we live. Many people are now making a conscious effort to rebuild community where they live in order to address that loss in human connection and in communal preservation of the natural world.
Anyway, this is a long ramble; thanks for triggering so many of my own thoughts this beautiful fall day.
I never really thought about it before, but we really are beginning to rely more on electronic communication more than ever. It's scary to think that in future generations a face to face talk could be a thing of the past, and I can relate to the feeling alone even though you have easily accessible methods of communication. There really is nothing quite like actually being face to face with someone, afterall, we humans are very social creatures and even though we have created simple methods of long-distance communication, it really can't compare to actual face-to-face experiences. It is very difficult to express emotion through a internet chat program or a text message and can even even cause misunderstandings in communication. Thanks for posting this article Kateyln. It really made me think about how I speak with others as well as how we could improve.
Thanks for all of your intriguing comments. It would be a fun experiment for all of us to try and go a whole day without looking at or touching our cell phones, furthermore a computer. This sounds nearly impossible to me because like Katelyn mentioned, we need to use our computers for practically every class. However although many of us are addicted to our cell phones, I think that challenge is a little more realistic, even quite possible. Tiffany, when I mentioned technology in my concluding sentence, I was aiming for a different thought. I am thinking of technological innovation along the lines of new forms of energy and transportation that can be beneficial to the environment. For example, solar panels which have already been discovered are one form of "technology" that has a positive impact on society. Technology is a bit vague but I agree that the creation of a new generation I Phone will not benefit society or the environment.
In response to Juliet's question, I think that we are slowly losing our ability to communicate with each other face to face. As sad as that may be, it's true. Instead of holding meetings, people now do video conferencing for convenience. I think that when you use technology to communicate, you lose the personal connection. It just isn't the same as talking to someone in person. I personally do not think that I could go an entire day without my computer or phone. I have to admit that it's pretty sad, but the best I can do is leave my phone in my room when I go for a long run. I rely on my computer a lot these days especially since I'm so far away from home. My computer is somewhat my communication to my family and friends. I'm able to ichat with them and see them even though they are far away. However, if I had the choice, I'd rather see them in person.
Ellie, your blog, Generation Solitude touches on several interesting sociological phenomena that you claim Generation We is experiencing.
It seems you feel frustrated with the ubiquitous, addictive communication technology that envelopes our culture. So full of promise, it seems to feed on our insecurities and fears, and doesn't measure up as the kind of tool that can serve to satisfy our human need for friendship and meaningful relationships.
I think, working with the technology teaches one what it can and cannot do. And, maybe that's part of technology's value; working with it, learning it's strengths and limitations, and ultimately using it to advance the world to its next level.
Anyhow, thanks Ellie, for the interesting issues you bring up on your blog. (By the way, this internet thing isn't so bad after all.) Saba
Ellie, what a fascinating topic! As a Baby Boomer, personal communication technology in my formative years included telephone, typewritten or handwritten letters sent via snail mail (no answering machines or voice mail)--no computers, blogs, no email, texting or facebook, etc. There are many benefits, to be sure, in having this array of choices--otherwise, why would these technologies have come about and become so globally popular? But, an important benefit for boomers was having uninterrupted "alone-time" available to integrate face to face interactions with peers and family. That is what is missing today. I think moderation is the key. We are all a bit overboard in being enamored with new technology. Cinny
Post a Comment