Plugged In
We are so often plugged in--to our smartphones, iPods, laptops, etc. Sometimes it's a way to defy--or cope with--loneliness. Instead of just walking or waiting alone, we plug ourselves into our devices to look like we have something to do other than stand around in solitude. Contrastingly, sometimes it's a way to create your own bubble. "Leave me alone. I'm listening to music and doing something important as I avert eye contact with everybody." Regardless, we have become so constantly plugged in that we've lost a considerable amount of sight of the outside world. Even if that is the purpose of plugging in, we need to reconnect with the community and pay more attention to our surroundings, be more aware of and courteous to others...by unplugging every once in a while.
By being plugged in, we risk missing out on many things--from hearing a friend say hello in passing to recognizing someone needs help onto the bus (I actually experienced this the other day), from catching the bell tower strike noon to listening to the wisp of swaying trees. This connection to technology and subsequent disconnection from other people and nature is quite concerning. But then again, who's to say that we are lost for hope?
Heidegger, a 20th century political theorist, claims that technology has caused people to miss the essence of things. Technology is supposed to bring forth and reveal the "truth" (essence) of objects and of itself, and yet, it enframes--and in that sense obstructs--our view of the world. Constantly plugging in limits how we see, hear, and experience the world.
If anything... Consider the effects of always having earbuds or earphones in our ears, especially for those of us who listen to things on high volume! If anything, it's a good idea to let our ears rest every so often and listen to the beautiful--or destructive, but who says destruction can't also be beautiful--sounds of nature. It's quite a pleasant contrast, really, between the bass and boom of hip-hop and the chirps and chimes of birds. (Then again, the bass and boom of traffic could arguably reiterate that of music.)
So, unplug every now and then and bask in the noise of nature, silence of solitude, and all that jazz.
By being plugged in, we risk missing out on many things--from hearing a friend say hello in passing to recognizing someone needs help onto the bus (I actually experienced this the other day), from catching the bell tower strike noon to listening to the wisp of swaying trees. This connection to technology and subsequent disconnection from other people and nature is quite concerning. But then again, who's to say that we are lost for hope?
Heidegger, a 20th century political theorist, claims that technology has caused people to miss the essence of things. Technology is supposed to bring forth and reveal the "truth" (essence) of objects and of itself, and yet, it enframes--and in that sense obstructs--our view of the world. Constantly plugging in limits how we see, hear, and experience the world.
If anything... Consider the effects of always having earbuds or earphones in our ears, especially for those of us who listen to things on high volume! If anything, it's a good idea to let our ears rest every so often and listen to the beautiful--or destructive, but who says destruction can't also be beautiful--sounds of nature. It's quite a pleasant contrast, really, between the bass and boom of hip-hop and the chirps and chimes of birds. (Then again, the bass and boom of traffic could arguably reiterate that of music.)
So, unplug every now and then and bask in the noise of nature, silence of solitude, and all that jazz.
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