Wired Generation

I've mentioned something to my friend and I feel like I should write about it here.

My generation and the generation after are wired generations. Nearly everyone of my peers has attached to their hands a cellphone. Nearly everyone of my peers has in their backpacks a laptop computer. Nearly everyone has on them an ipod/another mp3 player device. We all remember the time of CD players and VCRs while the kids coming up know nothing of these things. Some of us don't even remember using payphones. Now we have a phone that gives a message in text "I <3 u. Coming to dinner?"

When my friends are hanging out together, we have the TV on and we're on our computers typing away. My boyfriend constantly is playing the game "Age of Wonders" while on his stomach, I'm resting my head playing Sonic the Hedgehog. My roommate and I will chat on AIM while in the same room. I write an email to my friend touring Europe about Transmetropolitan . I've barely seen him and yet I've sent to him cupcakes and when I'm in trouble, I've asked for advice.
My best friend is texting me from Georgia. I consider her my best friend and for four years, known her. I went to see her graduate from high school, which in this culture, is a big event. Yet I've only been with her a total of two times as a human.
Another good friend of mine is battling internet addiction. I've only met her once in my life yet I'm worried about what she's going through right now.

One day, recently, I was texting my boyfriend to meet us at dinner. I looked over and saw a man on his smart phone texting away followed by a girl, thumbs pressed on a tiny keypad, typing away. Both had laptop bags around their shoulders and one was listening to an mp3 player. I turned to my roommate and went "..You know, I wonder how fucked we'd be if an electromagnetic pulse were to go off right now." She turned to me and laughed, "Oh we'd be pretty fucked."
We then talked about how some people might not survive, how we would but might experience withdrawal from the technology not being there.

Can we survive?

I'm typing this blog entry right now on the computer while waiting for something to load on Youtube. I have my music blasting through the speakers while my Last FM posts it on my profile [which according to it, I really like Fall Out Boy's cover of "Beat It" last week, playing it 33 times]. I look outside at the beautiful fall day and I go "meh. Its just too cold." Then get back to typing.

How fucked up am I to ignore a good day for technology? Sadly, we do this everyday.
We're all being controlled by machines and not even noticing its impact on our lives.
Instead of playing video games, why don't I just cuddle my boyfriend? Instead of watching the TV, why don't we get out Apples to Apples? Instead of communicating my friends via text and email, why don't I make plans to visit them? Or ask them to come visit me? None of us think to go and do these things because technology is just so convenient and there to entertain us. And now its almost to the point we've forgotten how to interact.

This is scary to really think about and you know? We don't.

Ignorance is bliss.

Presidential Election

Instead of going on about how the candidates are just similar and I'm not endorsing anybody, I'm just going to sum everything up with the following comic scan:



Ladies and gentlemen, this is why I'm scared.

Scan from the graphic novel Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson