I complain all the time about how absorbed people are in their technology. I bet many of you sat in on your children's Christmas concerts/pageants this year. I am curious, when you looked around, how many of the parents were texting during the performance? Sure, it may not have been little Johnny's class up on stage, but does that give people license to ignore the other children?
It didn't occur to me until I read this article about a veteran stand up comedian who is hanging up the mic because the audiences are turning into zombies, that the performing arts may suffer because of our need for immediacy and validation.
In the comments section of the Toronto Star article, someone offers that they work at a theatre and that this sort of thing happens all the time. Texting, video taping, people letting their kids run in the aisles or taking them to a show that is inappropriate for their age. People just don't seem to care.
Not only is etiquette dwindling, but the performers, like the comedian in the article, are saying enough is enough. They are not being respected.
What will this do to our culture, one that was once rich in artistic creativity? One that at one time appreciated a 90 min performance and showed that appreciation by not speaking nor doing anything but paying attention. I'm not sure if some theatres do this, but one in our city asks people not to unwrap candy during a performance as to not distract the subjects on stage!
Many balk and say simply "it's just the time we live in".
Is it? I happen to know some people that don't even OWN a cellphone. Some that never Tweet, Facebook and some that don't even have an e-mail account.
I am guilty. I text, surf, Tweet, Facebook but a face to face conversation takes precedence. The only exception is an emergency.
So what IS an emergency? I guess it differs with everyone but I'm again curious. If someone yelled "FIRE" in a theatre, would people take them seriously? Would there be an urgency to get everyone outside? Or would people just look around at each other and wonder what they should do? Wait until someone TOLD them what to do?
Certainly an interesting an experiment to conduct. I suspect we've all become sheep and would wait until a leader emerged to shepherd people out.
That's exactly what has happened when it comes to technology taking over our lives. We've become sheep. No one seems to want to stand up and say "enough is enough", reclaiming the respect that people deserve.
Some people have rules for themselves like turning off the smart phone during turkey dinner. Some sadly do not.
Technology may change the culture we live in. Maybe for the better, maybe not.
It's really up to you.
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Technology and Christmas
It's fascinating to me how fast technology becomes obsolete. Every year it's a new gadget especially this time of year! Video gaming units, HD or 3D TVs, satellite radio, EBook Readers, with each turn of the calendar, there's something new coming down the pipe.
This video was broadcast here in Canada in 2003, long before EVERYONE had a cell or smart phone as we live now!
2010 appears to be the year of the iPhone4. The lure of a function called FaceTime has left many drooling for the new function, especially during the holiday season. Here's Apple's ad promoting it:
For many of us, members of our families are flung around the globe and we ache to be geographically closer. I have talked to my nephew on the phone in England during the holidays but in later years got to see he and his sister open their gifts via webcam. This kind of technology is so precious!
But it still saddens me as I get prepared to take the train to visit relatives, that I will see most with their heads down on the old Via Rail. Almost every train is now equipped with WiFi and many that commute to larger centres like Toronto, bring their laptops to do work on the way to their place of business. Most in the coming days however will also be toting a smart phone of some description letting Mom and Dad know when their train gets in. It is possible to go from point A to point B, a 5 hour journey say, and not speak to a soul! I think social networking, texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, are so popular because every human soul needs validation. Someone to care. It used to be that face to face conversing was the best form of that but someone responding to your pithy Facebook status is a form of validation. Getting text messages constantly, validation. Tons of Twitter followers, validation.
While the gadgets come in handy for travelling (What did we do before cell phones and people had to drive to Grandma's house in a snowstorm for Christmas dinner???) I think it's important to have that REAL "facetime" with the people you love! Put the smart phone away, you don't need it! Is it really necessary to let all your Facebook friends know you are now carving the turkey? TALK to one another people! Enjoy your family while they are still around!
When a smart phone loses it's dazzle, it can be recycled and forgotten.
Friends and family cannot!
This video was broadcast here in Canada in 2003, long before EVERYONE had a cell or smart phone as we live now!
2010 appears to be the year of the iPhone4. The lure of a function called FaceTime has left many drooling for the new function, especially during the holiday season. Here's Apple's ad promoting it:
For many of us, members of our families are flung around the globe and we ache to be geographically closer. I have talked to my nephew on the phone in England during the holidays but in later years got to see he and his sister open their gifts via webcam. This kind of technology is so precious!
But it still saddens me as I get prepared to take the train to visit relatives, that I will see most with their heads down on the old Via Rail. Almost every train is now equipped with WiFi and many that commute to larger centres like Toronto, bring their laptops to do work on the way to their place of business. Most in the coming days however will also be toting a smart phone of some description letting Mom and Dad know when their train gets in. It is possible to go from point A to point B, a 5 hour journey say, and not speak to a soul! I think social networking, texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, are so popular because every human soul needs validation. Someone to care. It used to be that face to face conversing was the best form of that but someone responding to your pithy Facebook status is a form of validation. Getting text messages constantly, validation. Tons of Twitter followers, validation.
While the gadgets come in handy for travelling (What did we do before cell phones and people had to drive to Grandma's house in a snowstorm for Christmas dinner???) I think it's important to have that REAL "facetime" with the people you love! Put the smart phone away, you don't need it! Is it really necessary to let all your Facebook friends know you are now carving the turkey? TALK to one another people! Enjoy your family while they are still around!
When a smart phone loses it's dazzle, it can be recycled and forgotten.
Friends and family cannot!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Technology and Weather
It's amazing to me how much technology has advanced when it pertains to forecasting! Many complain that they weren't given enough warning when a natural disaster hits and still more complain when "warnings" and "watches" are issued and the storm never comes.
Growing up we heard terms like "Doppler Radar" and "Stormtracker 2000" but now you can sit in the comfort of your own home or even access satellite images from your smart phone!
In our little corner of the earth, and it was almost like a bubble, we had an enormous amount of snow fall for a constant three days with virtually no break in the flurries. The kids had three snow days in a row, which is unheard of, people were stranded and sent home, public transit shut down for a full day and retail shops were busy if people could walk to them. Many became creative with trying to keep the families busy. For the lucky ones that embrace the season, it was just plain fun!
It was fascinating to observe people posting photos and videos of just how much snow had fallen, and how the storm had affected different areas of the city on Facebook and Twitter. I took a few too!
All in all it was a great experience, and experiment, of how we deal with winter storms here in Canada and how our forms of communication have changed and grown.
As for the forecasters? In a rare turn of events, they were dead on!
Growing up we heard terms like "Doppler Radar" and "Stormtracker 2000" but now you can sit in the comfort of your own home or even access satellite images from your smart phone!
In our little corner of the earth, and it was almost like a bubble, we had an enormous amount of snow fall for a constant three days with virtually no break in the flurries. The kids had three snow days in a row, which is unheard of, people were stranded and sent home, public transit shut down for a full day and retail shops were busy if people could walk to them. Many became creative with trying to keep the families busy. For the lucky ones that embrace the season, it was just plain fun!
It was fascinating to observe people posting photos and videos of just how much snow had fallen, and how the storm had affected different areas of the city on Facebook and Twitter. I took a few too!
All in all it was a great experience, and experiment, of how we deal with winter storms here in Canada and how our forms of communication have changed and grown.As for the forecasters? In a rare turn of events, they were dead on!
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