Hello fellow bloggers! I was inspired by Anvita Konreddy's post about the YouTube video entitled "Look Up" that I decided to delve more into other videos with the same concept. I came across a video with the title, "I Forgot My Phone." The main character is a woman whom finds herself surrounded by her own friends and others distracted and consumed by technology. When I first saw the video, I immediately became embarrassed because I related to some situations displayed such as the man on the phone in the beginning and at the end of the video. One of the first things I do in the morning is check my phone to see if anyone texted me or messaged me through social media sites, and one of the last things I do at night is check my phone or watch a YouTube video before I go to sleep. There is also a scene in the video in which a man proposes to a woman on the beach, but in one hand he has the ring and in the other hand he has his phone. Is he in actuality living in the moment if his attention is divided between proposing to his girlfriend and taking photos and videos for memories?
This video shed some light on the fact that society has somewhat neglected communicating with others in person because of how technology and the internet has made a means of communicating with others who are far away. For example, one of my friends lives on the same block as me yet I have not spoken a word to her this whole summer in person. The only way we communicate with each other is through the internet. The video currently has surpassed 43 million views, and I cannot help but wonder if those other 43 million people watched this and decided to restrict themselves from using technology seeing as it has stopped people from physically communicating with each other.
Overall, "I Forgot My Phone" had me questioning myself and how often I talk with others with my voice rather that the tap of some buttons. This video reminded me of Chapter Seven in The Shallows, specifically, at the beginning of the chapter.
Nicholas Carr, the author of the novel, wrote "The Net's interactivity
gives us powerful new tools for finding information, expressing
ourselves, and conversing with others. It also turns us into lab rats
constantly pressing levers to get tiny pellets of social or intellectual
nourishment" (117). Are we, teenagers born in the Age of Technology, genuinely communicating if the majority of how we interact with each other is through technology?
Thanks for sharing the video, Michelle. I decided to watch it, and like you, I now feel extremely embarrassed. We must look like complete idiots to older people when we text and walk or post snaps while in public. That video has made me think twice about ever taking a selfie again. It’s ridiculous how much we rely on our phones/technology these days. I mean, I started wearing a watch so that I’m not constantly checking my phone, but I guess it’s pretty pointless since I have to take it out every time I get a text anyway. Just the other night, I was having dinner with my family and I think we were just about done eating when I happened to look up after replying to a text, and I noticed that my mom, cousin, aunt, and uncle were also lost in their own little world – either texting, playing Clash of Clans, or scrolling through their Facebook feed. I felt bad for my grandma and older uncle who were just sitting awkwardly because no one was talking. It’s sad, really, we used to have conversation about how our day was or something, now it’s like we’re all so detached. Anyways, I pointed it out to them and we have established an absolute ‘no electronics on the table’ rule. Even when I hang out with my friends, I’ve noticed that we all end up on our phones and ignoring each other. Also, I get that it is important to capture moments in photos, but I think that our generation is over-doing it. Just saying. Anyway, I think I’ll ditch my phone for a while and see how long I can last. It’ll probably allow me to finish all my summer homework with a whole week to spare.
ReplyDeleteI related to your comment about being caught up in the internet while being around family, Mary. I am guilty for using my phone and checking social media websites when I should spend quality time bonding with my family. For example, my cousins, my brother, and I were planning to watch the movie Wreck It Ralph at home, but it took almost an hour to actually put the movie in and play it since we were all using our smartphones. We eventually watched it all together, and I remember feeling good about myself since I watched the whole movie without using my phone. But then, of course, I had to tell all of my friends and family that I saw the movie and that they should see it too so I ended up using my phone right after the movie. I agree that our generation has been over-doing it with sharing about everything we eat, watch, and participate in on the internet. I sometimes wonder if it would kill our generation to put the phone down for at least a whole twenty four hours.
DeleteI am the lovely neighbor that Michelle is speaking of. Sadly, its true, we have not spoken once the whole summer in person. The only way we have spoken this summer was through twitter. It is just crazy how much technology has taken over our lives. We spend so much time talking to someone on Facebook or twitter and we rarely actually try to go out and see that person. I also agree with Mary. When I am with my family, we are all so caught up in our phones. Even my almost 2 year old nephew is looking at an iphone so he can watch his TV show to keep him busy. Also, even though everyone expects the teenager to always be on there phone, sometimes I'm the one awkwardly staring at my parents while we are at the dinner table and they are on their phones. It's just sad that we spend most of our time together looking at a screen instead of living in the moment and enjoying each others company.
ReplyDelete