Living in Paradox
Every night, while we sleep, new technology is being added to our world.
While that may be a good thing, it seems to make less sense and we have less time to figure it out.
In this demanding life, there are so many paradoxes; it is easy to see why life does not make sense sometimes.
We are adding years to our lives rather than life to our years! There is more spending, more 'stuff', but less enjoyment; more medicine and less wellness; nicer, bigger homes but broken families; cleaner air but polluted souls; concern about outer space but not inner space; we are learning to rush instead of wait; we have more knowledge but less judgment; more degrees but less sense.
Ironically, the great information highway of all time is a paradox in itself; the Internet.
The highways add more lanes and wider versions, but communications are breaking down everywhere.
I saw a short quote this week describing the Internet as, "social technology that reduces social involvement.
"That could become a whole topic of controversy, depending on what side of that highway you are on.
The integration of the Internet into our lives is about as monumental to our world as the invention of television.
The big difference is that television brought the outside world to our homes, while the Net takes us into the world of no boundaries.
Here lies another interesting paradox; people accessing theInternet can express his or her individualism while being so much a part of whatever net community they are drawn to.
We all strive for the right to privacy but once you click on, you pretty much put your privacy at the mercy of anyone on the web.
While there is plenty of reliable, and educational, information on-line, there is also plenty of misinformation as well as sick individuals out there inputting the negative junk that we have to screen and filter.
It makes me think ofthe 'good, the bad and the ugly' scenario.
It is a revolution of sorts, things are guaranteed to change, and it is a matter of choice whether we adapt to that change or not.
Everyone must find his or her own comfort zone.
I find myself stuck in the 'midlife' stage of cyber years.
I often get lost in space in more ways than one, as my kids would attest to! When I was going to school, space was where the planets and the universe were.
Now, it seems to me that this space has been invaded, not by aliens but by information and digitization.
Back in 1995, Bill Gates started his Microsoft campaign with, "where do you want to go today?" That was the beginning of a phenomenal change in how people would think.
Search engines and a mouse at our fingertips would replace encyclopedias, paper, and pens.
You can shop, gamble, chat, date, bank, counsel, research, and send instant mail messages as you see the person at the other end.
On the less positive side of that, there is a decline in the interaction of family members, as well as decline in social circles, but an incline in loneliness and depression.
So, how does one explain the Net world or Cyberspace? What will the future hold? We know not, but what we can be sure of is that the Net will one day have to adapt to change, just as the people who support them have.
I am also sure that we will continue Living in Paradox, but nothing can ever replace reading and holding a newspaper in one hand, coffee in the other, across from a real person.
Nothing will ever replace a reading a good book, watching an old movie or having a real life visit with people you love.
To all you Web-sters out there, remember that not everything new is better, so keep your options open in case 'the net goes down'!
While that may be a good thing, it seems to make less sense and we have less time to figure it out.
In this demanding life, there are so many paradoxes; it is easy to see why life does not make sense sometimes.
We are adding years to our lives rather than life to our years! There is more spending, more 'stuff', but less enjoyment; more medicine and less wellness; nicer, bigger homes but broken families; cleaner air but polluted souls; concern about outer space but not inner space; we are learning to rush instead of wait; we have more knowledge but less judgment; more degrees but less sense.
Ironically, the great information highway of all time is a paradox in itself; the Internet.
The highways add more lanes and wider versions, but communications are breaking down everywhere.
I saw a short quote this week describing the Internet as, "social technology that reduces social involvement.
"That could become a whole topic of controversy, depending on what side of that highway you are on.
The integration of the Internet into our lives is about as monumental to our world as the invention of television.
The big difference is that television brought the outside world to our homes, while the Net takes us into the world of no boundaries.
Here lies another interesting paradox; people accessing theInternet can express his or her individualism while being so much a part of whatever net community they are drawn to.
We all strive for the right to privacy but once you click on, you pretty much put your privacy at the mercy of anyone on the web.
While there is plenty of reliable, and educational, information on-line, there is also plenty of misinformation as well as sick individuals out there inputting the negative junk that we have to screen and filter.
It makes me think ofthe 'good, the bad and the ugly' scenario.
It is a revolution of sorts, things are guaranteed to change, and it is a matter of choice whether we adapt to that change or not.
Everyone must find his or her own comfort zone.
I find myself stuck in the 'midlife' stage of cyber years.
I often get lost in space in more ways than one, as my kids would attest to! When I was going to school, space was where the planets and the universe were.
Now, it seems to me that this space has been invaded, not by aliens but by information and digitization.
Back in 1995, Bill Gates started his Microsoft campaign with, "where do you want to go today?" That was the beginning of a phenomenal change in how people would think.
Search engines and a mouse at our fingertips would replace encyclopedias, paper, and pens.
You can shop, gamble, chat, date, bank, counsel, research, and send instant mail messages as you see the person at the other end.
On the less positive side of that, there is a decline in the interaction of family members, as well as decline in social circles, but an incline in loneliness and depression.
So, how does one explain the Net world or Cyberspace? What will the future hold? We know not, but what we can be sure of is that the Net will one day have to adapt to change, just as the people who support them have.
I am also sure that we will continue Living in Paradox, but nothing can ever replace reading and holding a newspaper in one hand, coffee in the other, across from a real person.
Nothing will ever replace a reading a good book, watching an old movie or having a real life visit with people you love.
To all you Web-sters out there, remember that not everything new is better, so keep your options open in case 'the net goes down'!
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