Student
Example: The Bridget Example—two sources “Yes,
You Are Addicted. Now Put Down Your iPod and Cell Phone.” In Sullivan writes that boredom is a
positive feeling because “we are forced to find our own means to overcome it”
(379). As a small child I would often complain of being bored. In
response to these complaints my mother would suggest I find something to do
quickly, or she would find something for me. Knowing her option would
surely involve a dust rag or toilet brush,
I promptly found something to do on my own. Typical adventures included
climbing trees or making up silly games with my brother. You wouldn’t think
that we could play a baseball game with only two people, but we did, and it
was great fun. Sometimes we made up imaginary players; naturally, it was
always their fault for a loss. This was thirty years ago and
sadly A USA Today
issued an article states, “The average American home now has more television
sets than people.” I can honestly say this is true
in my house. We also have three iPods, three Xbox consoles (no I am not
kidding), three computers, and three iPhones. As I sit at one computer
writing this essay, my husband is on his laptop shopping for a new truck, my
daughter is watching Hannah Montana
in her bedroom while looking at her iPhone, and my son is in his bedroom
playing Xbox Live with his friends. Even though we are home together, we
are all sitting in separate rooms of the house fixed to our electronic
devices. Surely, we are not an exception in today’s common household.
Because of this excess of technology, many families miss out on valuable
interaction time every day. Not only is
technology alienating families inside the home, addiction
to has commandeered our entertainment
while walking to school, riding the bus to work, sitting in the hallway, and
even standing in line at the grocery store. I guess the feeling is
interrupt our favorite song to see how the grocery checker’s day is going. Many
people can’t even enjoy sitting with a friend at a restaurant without
checking their cell phone at least once during the meal. Even heartfelt
letters are now replaced with quick emails and texts. In Sullivan's
words, this is “society without the social” (378). Yes, technology
provides us with very cool toys, and as Sullivan points out, our recreational
devices can be a “. . . chance to slip away for a while from everydayness”
(378). But this entertainment comes at a cost. When was the last
time we had a long conversation with our neighbor? Or the last time we took a
jog in the park? Unfortunately, not everyone can remember the last time they
just sat down quietly and did nothing at all. The desire to constantly be
entertained by technology is depriving our lives of simple blessings and the
wonders of imagination. Family life is being compromised and
opportunities are being missed. I am not saying that everyone
should throw their tech-toys in the trash, but put them away more often and
enjoy life. Works Cited: “Average home has more TVs than
people.” USA Today 21 Sept. 2006. 14 Nov. 2010 http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-09-21-homes-tv_x.htm.
Sullivan, Andrew. “Society Is Dead: We Have
Retreated into the iWorld.” Viewpoints. Ed.
W. Royce Adams, 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. (377-379). |
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