Tuesday, March 25, 2008

My Generation

The past two weeks I haven't been logging onto this blog as frequently because of failed Internet connection at my house. I am lucky that I attend a technical high school which uses an online course for their 'Health/Personal Fitness' class (yes, I know, personal fitness over the Internet. haha.) or else I wouldn't be able to write on my blog. But something I can't do is download music! I am, like most of the people in this world, an illegal file sharing user. I would pay for music, because I don't think it is a waste of money, except it's so expensive. I have a pretty big library of music and I can't possibly afford to pay that much for a single album, so I rely on the Internet to fulfill my musical needs. My school server blocks file sharing sites and consequently I haven't heard anything new for two weeks.

As I stepped onto the school bus this morning I gazed at my young high school peers and what I saw was not students studying for their mid-terms or reading a book but instead, jamming out to the iPod and texting on the latest cell phone. After I sat down I then looked at myself, with my iPod head phones fitting snug in my hears and I realized at how much I was connected to modern day technology. I understand that this is a new age where technology is the future and I do agree that the Internet and computers are an amazing invention that are very important to society but I thought about that last two weeks and how much mental suffering (self created) I was going through because I didn't have Internet connection. It sounds and is ridiculous! I do read often and write as much as possible and I have not completely engulfed myself in the world of Myspace and texting but I still find it sad on how connected I was to my computer. Like the other day, a girl in my class was caught texting during a test and had her phone confiscated. I watched her plead and beg and eventually start crying because she was separated from her phone until the next morning when her mother came and picked it up from school. At the time it didn't even cross my mind as not-normal behavior and that is what really makes me disappointed.

I really want to get away and go travel. I have never been out of American culture and I am getting sick of it. Maybe it's not the luxurious lifestyle that most of us live (because who doesn't love that?) but the people and how spoiled and rude we are. Like how we think that we are somehow entitled, as if it's one of our rights, to have these material luxuries and do whatever we want with them.

I am not going to give up talking on the phone or stop checking my e-mail but what I will do is keep in mind how important these things are to me and whether or not I can live without them. Because I know I can. And hopefully not, but maybe, some day we will all be forced to live without them and then what will we do? Who knows? I do know that I don't want to look like that pathetic, spoiled girl in my class who is so connected to her cell phone that she would give her life for it.

6 comments:

Tyler said...

I hear ya. I would love to leave America, even going to England.

People are too connected to their cell phones. People spend so much time texting when they could easily just have a conversation in 1/10th the time.

If you think about it, if they are spending 6 hours a day texting (yes, this is a decent amount of hours) they could have easily had the conversation in 36 minutes. That means the people who text are loosing about five and a half hours of their life a day. That's more than loosing a day a week.

Ridiculous

Ashley said...

Thank you so much for the comment! It was so sweet:) I am still considering transferring to school in New York after my first semester (because I'm already registered for school here). You're right, if I end up staying here, I'll regret it. Even having thousands of dollars in student loans to pay back would be worth it if I followed my dreams.
Thank you so much for all your opinions on everything. I really like hearing your thoughts.

And you're right. We live in such a technology and material based society. Its easy to be consumed by things like the internet and cell phones.
Like you, I would love to travel and see the world. I also hate the spoiled American lifestyle and would love to spend my time in a culture that is not so dependent on material items. Technology and material items can be a nice asset to our lives, but its important to not let it consume us.
You are such a good writer and I will continue to read your blog!
~Ashley

Anonymous said...

Hey there. I didn't catch your name anywhere in your blog, but I sure did see your "purpose for the blog". That's the reason I'm commenting you. I think a great way for you to share your knowledge with other people would be participating in the beta I'm a part of. It's still private right now, so not just everyone can join, but if you send me an email, (travis@wranked.com) I can send you a link to register, and hook you up with an account. On the site wranked.com, people make "best of" lists, as well as browing, commenting, and rating others' lists. It's set up to be really cool. I think you should definitely check it out.

Hope to speak to you soon and good luck with your blog,
-Travis

Unknown said...

oh dear "generation"

Kizz said...

Ham, you have to forgive my ignorance 'cause I'm old. For real, someone was texting DURING a test and thought it was unfair to get her phone confiscated. To show you how old I am I'll tell you that when I was in HS we might have a calculator confiscated. There were no cell phones at all. I mean, I know people who would have texted if they had the technology but isn't it kind of crazy to be surprised when the phone gets confiscated?

Or am I just old and crochety?

aliqot said...

Well, I don't think it's a lot better in the UK. Next generation but one will be born with a cellphone in their thumb. Talking texts to be picked up as and when.

Exams? With one hand tied behind their backs perhaps?