<<<<<<<<<<<Merciful heavens! It's not either/or. The stars are still shining, the crickets are out there, the earth still smells sweet when the sun goes down, but here I am sitting in my study in Virginia, talking to Jay in Hong Kong, DJ in Germany or Slovenia, and other people all over the world. >>>>>
It is not either or. It is amazing in a sense to be able to exchange ideas with people all over the world. I am not saying I do not like it.
I just wonder sometimes if all these things really make people happier. All these time saving devices-are they really improving peoples quality of life? It has to do with how we use our toys, and in general it seems as if most people, and the world in general is becoming more introverted and less social.
People tend to work more and harder now, yet I am not sure they seem more rewarded. They use their efficiency to eat in the car and conduct business at home or in a restaurant with their family at the table. People watch TV while they eat dinner, or families fend for themselves, eating separately whenever they find the time. Kids days are filled with activates (ballet, French, art, piano, soccer), to make them more competitive applicants for college prep highschools. Summers are being squeezed, year round school is catching on. The US is becoming a more and more competitive place. If we are more efficient workers, and we have all of these time saving devices, shouldn't we have more free time? It seems just the opposite to me, people seem more harried and less satisfied than they used to.
Are your happiest times really the result of some technological marvel? Are they at the computer, or in front of a 500 channel TV?
Everything I said above is from general observations. Of course you could argue individual differences, I am just talking about general trends, perhaps your experiences are different. I just know that some of my happiest times as a child were doing what many would now consider nothing, wasting my time I suppose. Going outside and hanging out with my friends, wandering around, exploring, testing our world.
People just seem more introverted now. Always on the go, less reflection. I am not sure what to attribute it to. Perhaps it is just my personal experiences, or perhaps it has always been this way, and I am just now realizing it. Perhaps I am just sentimental. |
