Computers

I have three roommates. I came home tonight after a basketball game and one of my roommates is sitting in the front room. The tv is on, but his laptop is on his lap and he's typing. "What up, brah," I say. "Yo," he replies.

I walk into the kitchen and hear another roommate yell from his room, "How'd you do?" I walk in. He's on the computer. He spins around in his chair. "Lost by 15, man. Still winless." He shakes his head. "Sucks, man."

So I head towards my room in the back of the house. The door to the back section of our place is closed (we have two living rooms). Apparently, my girl roommate is confused and thinks she owns this part of the house and can close the door to lock us out. I open the door just to see what is going on. Her head quickly pops up and she looks at me. "Just checking in," I say. Her boyfriend is sleeping next to her. She's on her laptop. I close the door.

Then I go into my room, turn my computer on and start typing this blog.

What the fuck is going on in this country? Most of us spend all day on the computer at work, and then come home and get on the computer again. At work, you are considered to be "working" just by staring at your computer. Think about it. You walk by somebody's desk and if they are looking at their computer screen, then they are doing their job, plugging away, working. If they aren't looking at their computer, then they are slacking off. How many times has the boss walked by, and we just start staring intently at emails, to make it look like we are really focused on something. It's pathetic.

My motto going into the year was to "keep it real." I was trying to cut back on text messaging, g-chatting, and computer activities all-together. After six months, I would give myself a grade of a D. My text messaging has been picking back up of late, I text things I used to call about to be non-confrontational and sneak my way out of things I don't want to do. I have continued to g-chat. It's disappointing. And the scary thing is, it's only going to get worse. Technology is not going to stop. Computers are already running EVERYTHING.

I'm not saying all technology is bad. Much of it serves a great purpose. Wikipedia, for example, is simply amazing. A website that everyone in the world uses to update information on everything in the world. It takes seconds to find info on topics that used to take weeks to research.

But too much technology IS bad. Technology is an easy way out. It's easy to text someone when you aren't going to make it to their party. "Sorry, can't make it." Before cell phones, people actually had to be accountable. If you said you were going to be somewhere, you had better be there or you would miss out on the whole night. And if you couldn't make it, you actually had to call and tell the person that you couldn't be there. It's different saying no to someone when you have to say it to them directly. That's why flakiness wasn't a problem 10 years ago. Now you type a few digits into a phone and that is considered "communicating."

Human interaction is really suffering. At the office, people have a difficult time looking up from their computer screen for five seconds to have a conversation. And people don't answer their cell phone after work anymore. If someone actually picks up, it throws you off because all you wanted to do was leave a voicemail. Why would you want to talk to a human being?

We HAVE to take a stand. We have to get back to hanging out with our friends, spending time just shooting the shit. When I studied in Wales, there were zero tvs for the 8 of us that lived together. We ate every meal with a roommate at the table. We learned so much about each other in so little time.

We have to get back to spending time with a girl. Is there anything healthier? Think about the comparison between coming home and spending time on the computer or coming home and spending time with your girl. Can it even be questioned that this is how human beings were meant to live? Work hard during the day doing something you love, then come home and chill with someone you love. Forget the stupid computer. Ah, but the computer is SO easy, it's always there, always accessible, it pulls us in. We use it as a crutch instead of getting out there and living life.

We have to go outside and play sports. We need to compete, and sweat, and get stronger. And every once in awhile, we should leave our cell phone at home. I know, I said it! Holy shit! And when we are waiting for an elevator, we shouldn't just take out our cell phone and start fidling with it like we are looking at text messages. You aren't that important! No one is trying to get a hold of you! Maybe we should strike up a conversation with the other person waiting for the elevator. I know it's crazy and all, but it could happen. Or when we are getting an oil change. We should talk to the other people waiting. People actually used to do this. They used to just strike up a conversation with a stranger because there was nothing else to do. I view the people who pull out their cell phone when they have nothing better to do as weak. It is a weakness. That's a weak person.

We should just show up at a friends house instead of calling ahead. Does anyone just show up anymore? Is there anything better than a buddy just dropping by to see what you are doing? It's a great thing, but it rarely happens.

I totally believe that technology is going to ruin us unless we begin taking small steps to balance our lifestyle. I WANT to change, I NEED to change. I should get on my computer and write a blog about it.....Shit, I already did.