To be honest the laptop wasn't that old but after doing some F12 diagnostics it was confirmed that my hard drive needs to be replaced. We all know its cheaper buying a new laptop than doing that, not falling for those old tricks! I do have a crisp white blackberry with web capability but face book, twitter and emails are just not the same on such a small screen. I am afraid it will have to take the brute typing force dealt to it in this great time of desperation. Granted I have no choice now, I feel like a close relative has died. This morning I woke up and stared at my HP wishing it back to life but no grand resurrection happened... I wore my black to work in mourning. Poor Momo.
This situation has led me to a great soul searching question; have we become part of the machines and technologies we use in our everyday life? Is it easy to draw a line of independence from these gadgets? The answer isn't easy at all.
I know it must have happened to you at least once; a day when you left the prized PDA, mobile phone or laptop sitting on the kitchen counter next to the cereal bar. I bet your world stopped when you realised at your destination that your precious tool of communication and planning was left behind. I know you felt naked, just like Adam in that garden. You also got the eerie sixth sense that people could look at you and know you were "out of touch" with life. It is indeed beyond me how people in the early 70's or even 80's coped without these necessities. But the truth is, they did. Communication was a more personal subject at the time. Divorces weren't based on text messages, managers didn't fire you via email and your mother may have spent loads of time penning romantic letters to a boyfriend. Communication was a bit less fluid as considerable time and effort was put in to ensure things went smoothly, but the inclusion of a wink or smile or a punch to the face as the case may be is priceless. I can also sensibly assume that there was less information misinterpretation of something like "I hate you, lol" - is that jest or is someone being serious? How did the writer intend the message and was the exact sentiments conveyed. As usual I sound like a boring lecture but why have we become so dependent on electronics and mobile technology?
My aim is to stimulate you, not your search engine or your hard drive, but your brain cells. I dare you to leave your mobile phone behind one morning. Then again I want it known that I will not be held responsible for the ensuing increase in suicide attempts subsequent to this blog...
We can of course hail the benefits of technology but what of the arising problems? Biological weapons, deep outer space exploration and possible exploitation, genetic manipulation, sex changes, in my mind its all gone a bit too far. I am an advocate for advancement but not at the expense of human life and the environment. Straying from the main point a bit, the matter of destruction of natures equilibrium is in direct relation to technological
factors too; not to mention carbon emissions. This week on The Telegraph I saw a funny yet sad little picture of a hermit crab that made the remnants of a soda bottle its home. Heaven only knows how its managed to curl its soft little body in the thing. It is obvious that mother nature is showing us signs; signs that sometimes we need to go back to basics to help to save the Earth. I am not exactly saying we should all live in holes and hunt with sticks and stones for food but sometimes we need to listen to our minds talk, learn to love the moon rising or the sun fading. How much more rewarding is it to feel the gentle summer breeze on your face instead of making a twitter announcement that you just ate a biscuit. Float around in the mirror in a new dress and think of yourself as a princess, engage your imagination. Learn to entertain yourself, by yourself. Challenge your mind with board games or puzzles instead of wasting away in front of the game console. Also, a hand written letter or a personal visit counts for so much more. Think about this and save energy, save the planet and save yourself. I have tried it, its not too bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment