Part 1

Rachel Smith Paper 3
Connect More than Just Technologically:
What are you doing right now? (Besides reading this….) If you are like most people these days, you are probably multi-tasking-maybe even major multi-tasking. It seems to be one of the only ways to accomplish things in a highly fast-paced world. Even if you are not physically multi-tasking, you are probably mentally multi-tasking trying to plan your next appointment, your next task, how to complete your to-do list, planning what else you must accomplish by the end of the day, within the next hour, even the next minute. Time is valuable and you have a lot to do. Perhaps you are thinking you just don’t have enough time to read this document, but continue reading and you may gain a different perspective on how you want to spend your time.
The world is turning more and more digital. Just about everything can be done online these days, but it seems lately that a new trend is pushing through. This new trend seems to make internet technology no longer a luxury or a possibility, but it has now almost become a forced way of life. It's no longer an option to use internet technology-you must use it to have an upper hand in the professional world and simply to not be behind. People are almost expected to spend so many hours on line a day it seems, in order to keep up with blogs, email, websites, news, twitter, facebook, linkedin, etc, etc. You name it and you'd better be checking it every day. People's lives no longer consist of just living, lives now consist of how one uses and is viewed on the web media!
Internet and web pressure are only one of the many technology pressures that we face daily, and although internet plays a major role in our lives today, this is not the only thing I want to touch on. I would also like to emphasize such things as texting, iPods, cameras, computer software programs, videogames, etc. The list of technology goes on and on. So here’s my question for you: Do you ever feel like it’s too much? Do you ever just want to escape from it all…but then where would you go-to a place with internet connection and cell phone service to stay connected “just in case?” Well I think it’s time we find a way to really take a break from the hectic pressure we receive from so much modern technology. It’s time we spend more times with our families, friends, and associations. It’s time we get to know people as individuals; it’s time to learn about the world around us and share those views with others in person-to-person interaction.
If things continue the way they are with everything becoming more and more computer and technology based, the world may turn into a world close to that of the movie Surrogates. In this movie:
Basically it is about people who live through these robotic creatures called surrogates. A person can stay home in his/her pajamas all day while connected up to some device over his eyes which allows him to see what the surrogate sees. These surrogates can be any body shape or size...usually a younger and more beautiful depiction of the owner. This way people avoid dangerous situations by living vicariously through these robots. So if a surrogate is harmed, no death or harm actually occurs in the real individual-he/she just has to get a new surrogate. But eventually an individual does die by being connected to the surrogate and being fried through the eyes, and then things start happening. Basically to me this movie shows how in this world people are getting so hooked on technology and web media