As evidenced on my Twitter (link here), I was about to click on the news (and was relieved) that Sarah Palin had decided not to run for the presidency when I saw the second headline-- Steve Jobs had passed away. I was shocked and was inclined to disbelieve the initial report (even though I was looking at an article from the BBC). Jobs? Dead? Yeah, right, had to be a prank by those who knew he suffered from cancer (it's happened before, after all). And then I attempted to get onto Twitter... and it was over capacity. Only then did I realize the reports of Jobs's death were true.
Is it sad that Twitter crashing is what finally hit home about Jobs? What does this say about the state of the world in general? Are we too connected to our online lives? How is it possible that an MTV reality star of partying fame broke the news on Twitter of Jobs's death before official news corporations updated their profiles? These questions and more surprise me. I never expected to be asking myself these sorts of things. I'm a child of the '90s, for God's sake-- I remember when computer screen displays could only show black and green colors. The Internet was in my household when dial-up was still widely used. Shouldn't I be taking the miracles of technology for granted?
After all, connectivity is something that I take for granted. When I am not on the Internet, checking up on what my friends are doing or whatever it is, I actually feel disconnected. I have not yet acquired a smartphone-- those hours on campus when I am not near my computer or in the rare instances when all access to the Internet is cut off in a storm are almost torturous. I feel as though I am missing tons of important information by not having instant connection to email, Facebook, or Twitter. When I can't access my email or calendar, I hesitate to commit to things because my central planning tool is not in front of me. Not to mention the fact that sometimes I get to class and realize that I have missed an email about the homework for the day. Or worse-- the class has actually been cancelled. Of course, the latter situation hasn't happened much, but I still disconnected.
What is so great about 'being connected?' All it seems to do is give me reasons to continually buy more and more gadgets. They get smaller and more powerful, but they give me more excuses to bury myself in the touchscreen of some machine that tells me what everyone is writing on their own gadgets. I'm afraid of missing things that happen online, but what about missing out on what's happening in the real world?
And yet... these technological advances have made me much happier than one would expect, given the examples from above. One situation which is particularly important in my life is the capability to video-chat. A mere thirty years ago, if I wished to contact someone, I could call them on my house phone or write them a letter... no face-to-face communication. Even about ten years ago, I wouldn't expect to be able to call someone with video, though I'd be able to email them or chat instantly if I wanted. But now, as I grow older and want to maintain my relationships with others, video-chat platforms like those on Skype are becoming essential.
My boyfriend is currently studying in Belgium. We both have very busy lives. Sometimes email just isn't enough (even though it is one of the most time-efficient ways to communicate). The time difference is killer, because most of his downtime is when I'm asleep and most of my downtime is when he's out having fun with friends. We chat as much as we can, but it's usually pretty limited. By scheduling Skype time, we can plan out when we want to talk. Being able to communicate visually is really important for us to remain close.
And then I remember that my generation is the first that is even able to enjoy such a privilege. I am so grateful to be able to instantly video-chat. After all, not so long ago, those in long-distance relationships had to rely on the postal service to communicate with their loved ones. In order to remind myself of this, I have decided to also send letters to Belgium. It's not really that expensive (about $1), and it is actually pretty fun. I really enjoy putting all of my thoughts down on paper and know that within a week, he'll be reading the letter and holding the same paper that I so recently held. But we're still spoiled. In past years, letters took months to arrive... if they weren't lost on the way.
So in the end, Skype is a godsend, but is also indicative of the technological trends that are pushing us closer to total immersion in updating our online lives, serving to alienate those who don't follow the trends as closely as possible. I can only wait to see the newest advances (which are coming all of the time, who am I kidding?). Right now, I can talk to anyone, anywhere instantly... but what's coming next?
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