The Technology Apocalypse

         

          Over the course of last week, we spoke about the evolution of communications and the levels of technology that came into existence and was used throughout history. It is incredible to think that within a few millennia’s that humans went from paint and carving images into the walls to tell stories to carrier pigeons, writing, the printing press, telegraph, and the telephone to a wireless cloud, internet, cable, social media, smart phones, computers, and televisions. This incredible process shows how advanced that humans have become and the possibility of what is to come in the future. Communication has played a key role throughout human history. It is actually from the very earliest of techniques that we began recording and understanding history. Events have been recorded, ideas and beliefs have been spread, wars have been won, and changes have happened, all through the use of technological advances through communications. As great as communication and the rapid advancement of communicative technology, there are many negative impacts that have taken place in society due to the possibility of too much technology.

            “Mad World” is a cute little cartoon that kind of reminds you of a 1950s Disney cartoon. The cartoon does a good job in demonstrating hoe technology has actually hurt communication and human interaction with each other. In the animation we follow this little boy who observing the world around him. He sees how people are tied to their phones, social media, and other technology but not to the people and world around them. Here we see people falling down manholes, walking in front of each other, and ignoring the many dangers that seem to be happening around each other. The animation soon becomes deeper and darker; as the little boy begins comparing the phones to prisons and everyone seems to be held hostage by their electronics. No matter how hard the boy tries, he cannot seem to pry anyone away from their phones or social media. We soon see another image of a sad and depressed girl that is posting pictures of herself on her social media. In the pictures she is happy and smiling, and she seems to be telling herself and others that life is great and going perfectly, when in reality, it is not. In other examples, we see how the world pays attention to other things but neglects to understand and realize the reality of their surroundings. In the animation, we see people following and even worshipping fake people, like actors or celebrities, just because they tend to have nice bodies or looks. Overall, this animation tends to represent people very closely. We are blinded by technology, and it has created a lack of interest, interaction, and communication among us. People are no longer interested adventure, pursuing interests, or willing to have a simple conversation. Instead, many are interested in likes or views. They follow the crowd and are eventually swallowed whole by the unending abyss of isolation. A large majority follow these fake celebrities, politicians, and so called “successful people” only to be disappointed by the inevitable truth. They believe lies and promises that are never true, and in the end, they eventually realize all of the time that was lost and all of the opportunities that were wasted, because of these electronic distractions. Technology is a great thing, but it can have many terrible side effects, if it is not controlled properly. We should be trying to not fall into this trap of neglectfulness and isolation. We can enjoy these technologies and the benefits that come with the, but we should also be cautious of how entrenched this technology can become and not become mindless zombies, unaware of our surroundings and other people.


Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DU1B_XkyIk