Thursday, April 10, 2008
All for Appearances (of Actually Doing Something)
I would be the last person to argue that technology doesn't serve to made our lives better. I love my tech toys.
However, there are certain drawbacks to technology alongside the obvious advantages that it creates.
My generation (30 somethings) have never really had to conquer any real strife. We never had to suffer depression or war. Our problems are mostly ideological problems. but the real problem is that a lot of us (in the west) are so spoiled in that inexperience that we engage in political and societal strife through what i would call secondary inactive participation.
for example: the current olympics and the struggles of tibet. there are a lot of people that are going out and protesting the running of the torch (which, i just found out was started by hitler's propaganda machine). but a lot of people I know don't do anything in trying to fight for justice. they're too busy shopping or going online to celebrity gossip blogs that we can't be bothered to actually get involved. but, we like to still pretend that we care about others. and so, the solution to that problem is a tool that allows us to engage through secondary inactive participation - facebook. and in this instance, specifically, "Candle in my Window for Tibet". the desciption for the group is the following: "YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE HOME IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BIGGEST PROTEST EVER. Let us all light a candle for Tibet during the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. Let us all put this candle in our windows. Let us all invite all our friends to do so. Let's ask them to invite their friends... WE CAN DO IT - BILLIONS WILL BE WATCHING US".
This is the ultimate fuzzy bunny solution isn't it??? you join some group that will do nothing, but to your "friends" you can pretend like you care enough to be doing something. even worse, if you look at the group stats, this will tell you just how ridiculous this is. there are 15, 332 people that may be attending (as in they may consider lighting a candle), there are 49,242 people that are missing out (as in can't even bother to light a candle or more accurately, they can't be bothered to pretend to care).
this is the ultimate in absurdity. but at least the 26,342 people confirmed guests will feel all warm and fuzzy that they're doing their part. awww, congratulations. now you can go shop with a warm heart. i'm sure the tibetans will feel that candle in your window and feel much better as they suffer human rights injustices.
However, there are certain drawbacks to technology alongside the obvious advantages that it creates.
My generation (30 somethings) have never really had to conquer any real strife. We never had to suffer depression or war. Our problems are mostly ideological problems. but the real problem is that a lot of us (in the west) are so spoiled in that inexperience that we engage in political and societal strife through what i would call secondary inactive participation.
for example: the current olympics and the struggles of tibet. there are a lot of people that are going out and protesting the running of the torch (which, i just found out was started by hitler's propaganda machine). but a lot of people I know don't do anything in trying to fight for justice. they're too busy shopping or going online to celebrity gossip blogs that we can't be bothered to actually get involved. but, we like to still pretend that we care about others. and so, the solution to that problem is a tool that allows us to engage through secondary inactive participation - facebook. and in this instance, specifically, "Candle in my Window for Tibet". the desciption for the group is the following: "YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE HOME IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BIGGEST PROTEST EVER. Let us all light a candle for Tibet during the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. Let us all put this candle in our windows. Let us all invite all our friends to do so. Let's ask them to invite their friends... WE CAN DO IT - BILLIONS WILL BE WATCHING US".
This is the ultimate fuzzy bunny solution isn't it??? you join some group that will do nothing, but to your "friends" you can pretend like you care enough to be doing something. even worse, if you look at the group stats, this will tell you just how ridiculous this is. there are 15, 332 people that may be attending (as in they may consider lighting a candle), there are 49,242 people that are missing out (as in can't even bother to light a candle or more accurately, they can't be bothered to pretend to care).
this is the ultimate in absurdity. but at least the 26,342 people confirmed guests will feel all warm and fuzzy that they're doing their part. awww, congratulations. now you can go shop with a warm heart. i'm sure the tibetans will feel that candle in your window and feel much better as they suffer human rights injustices.
The End of Privacy - Whitaker