Honestly, before we started reading Culture Jam I didn't really realize just how much social media had taken over our lives, and after watching the Second Skin documentary it really concerns me. I feel as though many people are becoming addicted to games and devices and are losing their grasp on reality.
Kalle Lasn points out to the reader the details that the majority of us are becoming oblivious to. I could guarantee right now that in the library at least half, if not more, people have Facebook opened on their computers. To "unplug" ourselves would literally make most people anxious and uneasy, which really says something about how much we're becoming addicted to these types of things.
Second Skin really highlighted this in an extreme way. The part that really got to me the most was the fact that gaming was becoming more important than sleep. A date for a die hard gamer would be meeting up in a game and slaying something. Come on? how is that even considered a date. I feel as though the majority of the people who were extremely addicted were just hiding from their problems in the real world and going to the game for support. Which would make their real life problems even more hard to deal with.
To put it simply I found the video disturbing. To be addicted to a game is just as bad as having an addiction to a drug-to go without it is unthinkable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZdnU9ii6Mg&feature=related
To get a reaction like that just because your account got deleted is ridiculous and pathetic, but more than anything it's sad. I dont know about you, but it really gets me thinking, maybe i should "unplug" for awhile and get back to what really matters.
Kiran,
ReplyDeleteI definitely see what you mean when you mentioned about half or more people being in the library with facebook open.
I myself have fallen subject to what I call the "Facebook addiction" curse.
We are so used to being able to have everything in front of us whenever we want it whether it be television, video games, or a computer.
When you said that if people get "unplugged" they will become anxious and uneasy, it really is true. My fiance and I disconnected our Facebooks for a while because we started having really huge arguments over different comments, adding other people, etc. There were many times when I got uneasy because I just wanted to see what my friends were up to or see what other people were doing.
Social networks definitely keep us connected..but is there truly a point of addiction? That is surely a question to ponder on.
Hey Kiran,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I just want to start by commenting on the link that you posted. Though it's definitely going to be a bit embarrassing, I'm going to try to relate to the kid in the video. When I was younger I used to act in a similar way (not to that extreme, obviously) when I would "lose" while playing a video game. I would throw my controllers and break them on a regular basis, to the point where my parents refused to by me anymore. So, like I said, even though it's really embarrassing to admit and bring up, I felt like it was probably appropriate. So, the point is, I could relate to that kid at one point in my life. And even though it seemed normal of myself at the time, watching it as the viewer is not only embarrassing, but pathetic. Thankfully, I was able to grow out of that stage and am now able to control my emotions when playing xBox and stuff. I think it's important to note the word "emotions" though. For example, if you were to "unplug" for awhile like you mentioned, I'm sure it would effect your emotions in one way or another; whether you were feeling anxious about not knowing what everyone was up to on facebook or even lonely from having a laptop at your fingertips to keep you occupied. Lasn talks about how this technology surge in our lives can affect our emotions and I think it's pretty interesting when we think about it. If our emotions are controlled by a computer, then how does that relate to a "robot". It's a crazy idea, but I definitely think there is some truth to it!
"I could guarantee right now that in the library at least half, if not more, people have Facebook opened on their computers."
ReplyDeleteThis is sooo true, I admit too that I am always on Facebook. It is more addictive than I drug nowadays (I don't do drugs)...But anyway, I find it hard just to go a couple hours without checking my account. Great idea, horrible consequences. I find myself trying to get homework done and I can't keep myself from "doing research" on Facebook (aka stalking haha).
To really exemplify how crazy the obsession has come, just this past weekend while at my job (I do survey proctoring for a company and we travel to the many Giant grocery stores in Central PA), and we use mini-laptops for customers to take the surveys on. A little girl and her mother took a survey and in the comment section of the girls' (about 10 years old) survey she wrote, "umm kay kay, this sample tasted good, but when can I get onto Facebook now?"...
Just goes to show you how it has basically taken over a lot of our lives.
I agree with you when you say that things such as Facebook has turned our lives inside out. We now have access to things that no other generation would even imagine! I feel as though we should start diagnosing people with a game or technology addiction. Addiction is something that, when taken away, produces withdraw. These people get shaky and even sick when you take their games away. Is that not the main signs of withdraw?
ReplyDeleteTo me it is something that we should worry more about, and not try to "take" the games away, but help the people who are hiding behind them.