Every technological advancement, however innocent it may appear at first and benign it may seem to the masses, has its evil underbelly that festers behind the scenes. And though I’d be hard pressed to find anyone under the age of thirty who agrees with me… there is a serious by-product to all this tweeting and twittering that seems to be getting absolutely no play at all.
I’m not talking about the obvious, repetitive stress syndrome, jittery nerves, or texting while driving, can you believe it? (One woman out here in the Bay Area actually plowed into a line of stalled cars while texting, killing three people, and is now up on murder charges.) I’m talking about a hidden, unseen consequence of regular, every day, in many cases hundreds of times a day, tweeting and twittering, even when done in the safety of a living room couch or school room desk traveling at zero miles per hour.
The problem, and it’s a subtle one to be sure, is that those addicted to T&T, especially the young… the next generation… our future leaders… are unable to be alone and do nothing. They must be connected to someone else to feel complete. Every minute. All the time. “Here’s what I’m doing.” “What are you doing?” “What are you doing now?”
But connection is good, you say. These new technologies bring people together and together is a positive thing. Isn’t it? Well first off, I’d challenge the premise that these new technologies are bringing people together. They may be bringing people who know each other together, but with everybody walking around with buds in their ears and their eyes focused on the miniaturized keyboard under their thumbs, what kind of contact is actually being made between you and the person next to you? Next time you walk down a city street or ride in an elevator, or on public transit, note how many folks are off in their own space and how little eye contact is actually made. In fact, eye contact or a casual comment to the person sitting next to you is more often than not interpreted as a threat or challenge rather than a friendly overture. But even that’s not the main issue.
Being unable to be alone indicates an inability to enter within, to “go inside” our feelings, emotions, and immediate reactions to examine our own true Self. The ability to meditate is becoming a lost art among the young. We may be reaching out to someone out there but we are losing contact with who “I am” in here. “I am”, the constant, the universal, the true shared human experience is becoming marginalized. “I am”, the common ground where we must all meet someday if we are to really become One. Honestly now. What can I possibly have to share with You if I can’t even accept and live with Me? How can we find the true point of Universal Connection with others if we are not willing to go inside to find it within ourselves?
peace…………..ag
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