Once again, I’m writing at the ungodly hour of 5:55 a.m. with the sound of a Girls Gone Wild commercial in the background, my entire purpose for writing this column is to avoid how utterly depressing it is to see marketing strategies based on exploitation. It may appear illogical to place one’s self in a situation that solely brings out disgust and frustration, but it could be a necessary evil of our generation to speed up the evolutionary process. Because there’s a damn good chance that the patrons of Girls Gone Wild will never go wild with any girl that isn’t inflatable. Good riddance. We don’t need more WOW junkies. Blizzard Entertainment has enough dirty money from these dope fiends. Honestly, the World of Warcraft isn’t going to miss one less spellcaster.
As Hunter S. Thompson wrote at the age of 17, “we are becoming a doomed generation.” The devices we’ve developed in order to streamline our workflow, keep our health afloat and especially the entertainment industry have become as beneficial as detrimental. The advent of such devices has revolutionized communication to the point where it seems unthinkable to function without cell phones or the Internet. At this rate, social interaction will have completely lost its human element .
This form of depersonalization will obliterate the power and relevance of eye contact, a powerful liaison to forming bonds between individuals. Without eye contact, the solidarity of coming to any mutual understanding will be gravely undermined, possibly to the point where trust cannot be established.
The entertainment industry’s contribution to depersonalization and the decimation of eye contact is quite clear. A hefty majority of us have happened upon apartments reeking of burned foliage, with four slightly overweight or drastically underweight males screaming at a television set. I usually take this as an exit cue, leaving behind the primal rage emanating from the individuals who lament the death of their characters. What they appear to be unaware of is that their character’s death in games like Call of Duty have greater implications than simply waiting to respawn. In this, I see their essence of life shuffling the mortal coil, leaving only a zombie in their place. Honestly, it’s as sad as watching a close friend slip into any form of addiction.
As denizens of the 21st century, we must come to an understanding of the pitfalls and perils of technology, while embracing its potential to create a global network, where all walks of life can achieve a harmonious coexistence. Although the potential of such communicative power will be realized as the century progresses, it is essential to consider the difference between use and abuse of technology. We live in interesting times, as have our fathers and grandfathers before us, and it truly is up to us … to use, or to abuse. That is the question.
