Friday, September 21, 2012

If only Hamlet had an Iphone

        During Katie Couric's interview with author of Hamlet's Blackberry William Powers there were many points Bill made that struck me as truthful and some points that I downright disagreed with. First I will go through the points I agreed with.

        According to Bill, we as human beings, are missing out on the emotional gaps and pauses that occur in regular conversation and discussion because of the use of "screens". I believe that I have fallen victim to this myself on more than a few occasions. Often times, we are so concerned with answering an email, or commenting on someone's Facebook picture that we don't take the time to reflect on what it is that we are actually interacting with; and sometimes, this impulsive attitude, and lack of pauses can have terrible consequences.  I also agree with his comment and comparison of technology to olden times. Before there was technology, people relied on information from others in order to survive, and therefore would act immediately, as the information was imperative. Because of the way we are wired, we now think that every bit of information sent our way is essential to our survival and that if it not checked we are going to suffer; like Powers, I strongly disagree with this notion.

       The second point I agreed with was Powers' on was the mention of being self-sufficient. As someone who often struggles with being alone, with the internet access on my phone, I often have an easier time settling for a technological way of being alone, rather than actually trying to be by myself. Instead of being content and being by ourselves we don't have to, "we can look at our tweets all day" and this is something that I think has fueled the success of technology and these "screens". People who used to feel alone or never liked being alone, now can avoid that.

       The last point I agreed with was his comparison to Plato’s idea of “distancing oneself”; Plato could only survive in the city where he was constantly conversing with people. However, after coming across an issue that he could not speak about in public, a colleague of his suggested talking a walk to sort out the issue. After leaving the city, the hustle and bustle, Plato realized that all it took for him to understand his dilemma was distance. Like Powers I believe that is what we must do in our day and age. Sometimes is it so easy to accept what we are told and move on with life. But other times, we must question the information we are given, and take a step back, distance ourselves from the “screens” and the information.

       One of the main points I disagreed with Powers on, was his idea that technology is causing communication between families to decrease, and that technology is causing an interpersonal problem. As a student who attends university outside of her home state and a 5-hour drive away from home, technology is what keeps my family closer. Powers talked about a lack of eye contact between his family and a lack of connection, I negate this by saying that while my family is mainly connected via “screens” we make sure to spend as much time together as possible, when we can.

      Technology is what allows me to call my grandmother who lives in Chicago and ask her how her day was going, or check in on my parents to see how work is. I can FaceTime with my sister and see my dog at home. Thanks to technology I can be in contact with anyone in my family anytime, anywhere, and for that I am so grateful.