Part I
“I notice that I correspond with more people but at less depth. I notice that it is possible to have intimate relationships that exist only on the Net and have little or no physical component. I notice that it is even possible to engage in complex social projects, such as making music, without ever meeting your collaborators. I am unconvinced of the value of these.” (Brian Eno p. 126)
In summary, the author feels that the more interconnected that the world becomes, the less personal it becomes. So while there may be beneficial aspects to the internet, it comes at a cost, both personal and social.
I remember as a young child, going on a road trip with my family. As the day folded, my parents realized that we didn’t have a map for the area and would have to rely on road signs. While this wasn’t a scary situation to them, it gave me cause for concern as I had never been without the safety net of using technology. While I was focused on our lack of connection to the virtual world, my parents relished living in the physical world.
In contrast, when I started out on road trips of my own, I found myself wanting to use my GPS or phone less and less. In fact, when I was once driving lost in the Mojave desert, I didn’t have a cell signal and was in that sense driving blind. However, since I could see faraway city lights in the direction the sun went down, I knew where I was going. I Instead of seeking to always be connected, road trips now offer me a brief reprieve from the fast pace attitudes of modern life.
Part II
I Am Not Exactly a Thinking Person, I am a Poet
by Jonas Mekas
Summary: The author, Jonas Mekas, grew up in rural America with little more than a radio that his small town shared. Going forward through his life, Mekas “fell in love with cinema” and most aspects of technology. Looking back on his days, Mekas has found that he pays more attention to what the internet has taken away. It provides a brazen contrast to the physical reality he has always found himself in and the virtual reality that he feels more a part of now. He feels akin to a babbling baby rather than the older gentleman he is in actuality. Furthermore, feeling rather youthful, Mekas does not see the internet as an impedance, rather as a mode of opportunity for protection of what gives him such reverence for the fast exchange of information, nature.
Navigating Physical and Virtual Lives
by Linda Stone
Summary: The author, Linda Stone, compares her life before and after the internet. While she may have been “less informed”, she was also more in touch with the actual world around her. The internet gives one the chance to find like-minded souls that create and enjoy the same content that one does, it also gives one the chance to hide away from physical civilization. While the internet offers the ability to gain “hope” via a single search it also acts a boondoggle that impedes oneself from experiencing the physical world as well as the virtual.
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