As if real life is not complicated enough, we are now surrounded by technology that has added a virtual dimension to it. Relationships, communication and interactions have been rendered more complex through such innovations as Facebook and the LSE students’ gadget of choice, the Blackberry. Nowadays, one can hardly walk down the street without seeing people with their noses seemingly stuck to their phone screens, and their hands frantically typing away, mercilessly hammering at their keypads. The Facebook disease is no less real. It’s everywhere: even parents have it now, run for cover! They can now search your profiles, as well as your rooms! The world has definitely changed enormously in the past five years thanks to these developments Two years ago, the Blackberry was a phone for businessmen: a way to help them keep in touch with the ever-changing professional world. It was the dream of those men and women in suits – a dream that has now been corrupted by teens in jeans. Having a Blackberry is the new fad: one that may stay a while due to the appeal of free instant messaging with other Blackberry users. This blackberry messenger feature (BBM) has been both helpful and hurtful in people’s lives. Having such a great application at one’s fingertips may not be as great as it seems. The Blackberry has opened us up to the virtual world, and at the same time affected our interactions in the real world. This mostly applies to hard-core Blackberry users: that sad little group known as “crackberry addicts”. You know who they are, you see them every day. They are the ones who nod along, not really listening as their friends go on about different topics; the ones who say “okay” when an opinion is required, or who giggle when no joke has been made. They are the ones in a group of friends at the club who never really appreciate the amazing song that the DJ is playing, or don’t end up trying out the wacky dance moves with the others. They are the ones who are told off at dinner for putting their phones on the table, and checking every minute for a new update. Of course you know them: they could be friends whose addiction drives you crazy, or they could be you. Always out of touch with reality. You have BBM to thank for that.
Facebook is a more general issue, as more people have access to it. It has been out for years, and is now firmly rooted in people’s psyches. The addiction has got so bad, that now, people (the real fans) do things solely for the purpose of Facebook. Think about it: When you are at a club, or somewhere else with friends, and taking pictures, what is going through your mind? Is it the thought that the pictures will be held in by you forever as a part of your eternal memory, or that they will make a great Facebook album? The latter is the reality for many people I know. These are the type of people who also look through their photo archives contemplating which should be their next profile picture ( I’ll be honest, I’m one of such people). This is not the only way Facebook has affected our realities. Do the words, “status updates” ring a bell? A lot of people feel that they must let their friends know what is happening at every stage in their lives. It literally feels like they are walking you through a story of their existence. You read that this person “just woke up and is craving a sandwich” or that this other person “feels like they should do some exercise.” It could even get more ridiculous than that. I hope that you are not unfortunate enough to have friends that make you realize this. It is as though the experiences are no longer real if they are not put down in the statuses.
Even relationship statuses have complicated our lives. I have heard of so many people who have gotten into trouble with their significcant other because they had not yet changed their relationship status from “single” to “in a relationship”. As if real life isn’t dramatic enough!
So, thanks to these creations, we not only have to worry about how we physically present ourselves to people, but we must also think of how they may see us through our profiles and statuses. We not only have to think about entertaining our dates through amazing conversation, but must also beat out his/her Blackberry in terms of sustaining their level of interest. The world is operating on such a complex level with the interactions in both the virtual and real dimensions, that it’s a wonder we don’t just create a virtual version of classes so that we never have to get out of bed and actually attend them. only have to think about entertaining our dates through amazing conversation, but must also beat out his/her blackberry in terms of sustaining their level of interest. The world is operating on such a complex level with the interactions in both the virtual and real dimensions, that it’s a wonder we don’t just create a virtual version of classes so that we never have to get out of bed and actually attend them.
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