Then sometime on Thursday of this past week, as the mobile returned, the high speed internet connection at Casa Courtier went out. The connection subsequently came back to life sua sponte on Thursday evening, but on Friday morning it went out again, and remained unavailable until last evening. The technician was able to repair it remotely, or at least so it appeared. Then this morning, the connection decided to go out again, which will involve another round of 30 telephone calls to who knows how many individuals in order to restore service.
We have become so technologically dependent, as a society, that these annoyances can take on the scale of monumental tragedies, at times. What time does that shop open on Sundays? What is the exact address of that restaurant? Did anyone respond to my (in my mind) clever and pithy comment on that blog post of so-and-so's? If I unplug and reboot the modem AND the router several times, when oh when will I get service again?
None of these things are so important as to herald the advent of the Four Horsemen, of course. For most of us, if we come down to brass tacks, they are conveniences, and their absence constitutes an inconvenience and little else. Yet we find ourselves feeling strangely vulnerable, even trapped, when these electronic things go wrong. Having taken and bitten into the apple of technology, we find ourselves unable to stop nibbling at it, even for an interval, and our addiction becomes all the more apparent when the fruit is snatched, even momentarily, from our grasp.
Perhaps the lesson to be learned here, dare I speculate that I will quickly forget this moment of reflection on the subject, is that technology and electronic connectivity is a good thing, but it is not something that engenders actual connections between human beings. Do I *need* to be logged into GChat all the time? Do I really have to listen to my iPod every evening? Why should I leave my mobile turned on 24-7?
For some, certainly those who work in the digital world and in communications, the answer to these questions is probably, "Yes." For those of us who can more easily compartmentalize our lives, if we truly want to, the answer is surely, "No." The real question for those in the latter category is whether we are brave enough to shut our devices off voluntarily, even if only from time to time, and make an effort to either enjoy the quiet, or to take the initiative to initiate an actual connection in real time.
2 comments:
m'kay, first of all, I'm surprised you didn't put a pic of the REAL Four Horsemen up there... it is so glorious (naturally, I'm joking in that ND way).
Secondly, despite all of your points which are true, that doesn't mean that your pithy comments and thoughtful blogs weren't missed. And coming from someone who only "knows" you electronically (and a slew of others I've "met" online), I'd have to say I'm glad for the blessing of being able to connect with others, like you, who seem to be so completely wonderful; people I never would have "met" without the internet. So, as with all things that have badness attached to them, God always brings something good out of them. He is good to us that way, and for that, I am glad to know Him (as little as I can), as well.
Thanks very much! You're certainly right about the possibilities of connections in the way you describe. My life is certainly much richer for social networking and for blogging. But technology can indeed become a trap if we become too enthralled by it - we have to take the initiative to spend with people in REAL time, after all.
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