In the era of Facebook, Twitter, and the like we are bombarded by a constant shelling of information that is entirely irrelevant to us. However, we accept these pieces of information as comfort and have trained ourselves to think we have had a social interaction, when in fact none has occurred. Every time you read a person’s status you are immediately updated on their life and are then less likely to go out of your way to talk to them. You feel satisfied that you know what is going on in Friend X’s life even though they may have no idea that you know. These status updates tricks our minds into believing we have had a social interaction which lets us slip further and further away from those around us. The conversations we end up holding with these people are largely superficial and can be classified as “small talk.” We have given it this name because it is an insignificant form of communication.
get off your phones! then you may see the joy in the ones socializing around you
All of our communication these days is instant. We can reach almost anyone around us at almost any time of day. I know I have been guilty for being attached to my phone and my Facebook and checking them literally hundreds times a day. Yet, very rarely does it occur when I sit down and have a meaningful conversation with someone or write a well thought out letter to a friend. With texting and instant messaging, we can communicate so quickly that there is hardly ever a thought process behind what we say.
As I type this, it has been slightly over a week since I have logged onto my Facebook. I decided to take this up as an experiment for this blog post, but also to reduce distraction leading up to finals. It has been harder than I thought to stay away from the website as I have found myself going to the home page only to realize that I am unable (and refuse) to login. However, it is refreshing to not be able to check it several times a day. And believe it or not, my life has gone on. I continued to socialize with people and stay up to date with the world around me. Facebook is just an addiction. It is not a necessary part of our lives, but we have tricked ourselves into believing it is so. For if we must use Facebook, then we do not have a problem and can continue to react to the urgency of social media.
Give up your social media for a week or two (I plan to abstain from Facebook for another week at least) and see how your life changes. If anything it is good to know how reliant you can be on these social media. Will I be giving up Facebook completely? Not any time soon. Facebook is still a very good marketing tool. But as they say, everything in moderation.
Here is a short fact based video about the realities of Facebook. (This is not mine. Go to YouTube to check out the original creator.)
Happy Earth Day everyone! Make sure you go out today to really enjoy the wonders our Earth has given us.
Have you pledged an act of green yet? Check out earthday.org/2012 or click on the image below.
I'll post some updates in the future with tips on how to make your life more green and Earth-friendly, but for now I'm going to go out and enjoy the sunshine with Pippa!
We are constantly told what we should
and should not eat, but we always manage to make excuses for ourselves. Produce
and fresh meat is always too expensive or too time consuming to prepare. It is
far easier to pick up a few protein bars and frozen pizzas and call it a day.
Creating a dish from scratch using the produce that is almost always in
abundance around us takes effort that more and more of us are less willing to
put forth. Home cooking is a dying art, especially in the United States. We
resort to cheap and fast alternatives with lesser nutritional value. Why our
industrialized society chooses to skimp on the foods we put into our bodies is
beyond me.
home cooking is an outlet for creativity. jalapeno waffle, anyone?
Gas prices are always a topic of
discussion and no matter what price it’s at, it is always too much and we
always complain. Very rarely do these prices become extreme enough for us to
take action and fight our own battles. If we were to walk more, carpool more,
and just drive less we would inevitably save money on gas. By continuously
walking, our health is improved. Through carpooling we are able to make deeper
connections with the people who surround us by giving them our undivided
attention in a face to face setting. The money we save on using less gas can be
better put to use by spending it on quality produce that will energize our
bodies instead of fight it. It is a win-win-win situation.
Naysayers and those in denial of our
first world ways will always come up with excuses as to why they can’t fulfill
these duties. Many will say that they are unable to find someone with a similar
schedule or route to carpool with. Others will say that they do not have the
time to devote to walking as opposed to driving. Because why? You are busy
sitting? Sitting on your commute to work, sitting at work, sitting at meals,
sitting to decompress in front of a screen with flashing images meant to
entertain, but often ends up numbing. Anything is possible if you have a desire
to get it done. Inside you is unlimited potential begging to get out if only
you were to stop making excuses.
make walking a family event who knows where it will take you
Imagine the good that could be done in
the world if everyone was to work towards a cause that he or she has a passion
for. Unfortunately in this world, many people are under the impression that as
an individual she is unable to change the world. But if you study history it is
often one person who creates a spark to start a wildfire of change. These
people soon become leaders who find those who share their passions and
establish those deeper relationships so many of us today now miss…
I
don’t know where to begin. I’ve recently realized how much ethical dissonance
there is living in a 1st world country. For a long time I have
accepted things for the way they are because things have just always been. I
have let myself be blindly shaped by society and I know I’m not alone. I know
that most people in my generation accept everything presented to them without
questioning. For this, I am greatly embarrassed by myself and my peers. But I
am beginning to understand how repulsive many first world countries can be.
In the consumer society I have been
brought up in, it is not enough to be thankful for our health and our
relationships. Instead we look for insignificant, yet tangible items to fill
voids in our lives and occupy our time. It is because of this desire to need
more that our health and relationships are diminishing. These days many people
succumb to buying processed and premade foods because these options are often
cheaper and far more convenient. Many also experience relationships with the
people around them that barely skim the surface of what a true connection with
another human should be. This is largely brought about through the use of
social media. On both accounts, I have found myself guilty. I tell myself I do
not have enough disposable income to warrant buying fresh produce every week. I
have deceived myself into thinking I have a plethora of friends when the
reality is that I connect with very few.
a must-read
Our first world society is stripping us
from the very thing we should be-- human. It tricks us into thinking we are
progressing when many of us have a simple life. We are quickly losing our
individualities and are content with mirroring one another. Our goals are
shallow and our morals are weak. We have lost the sense of togetherness, but
always search for belonging. We are on a quick decline to science fiction
novels where we are all willingly controlled by our society as in Orwell's 1984. We are a lazy culture
that will do nothing for itself as long as a certain level of comfort is
achieved. We look for handouts and give nothing back to our world. We are
blinded by media and suffocated by an ever present “ideal” of how one should
be.
When I first wanted to start this blog,
I imagined an entirely different creature than what you have seen here. I was
still just a sheep wanting to fit in the sea of blogs. I am obsessed with food
and DIY, but came to realize this is not what the internet needs more of right
now. As a 19 year old suburban product, I feel there are very few alive and
relatable role models to teach people my age how to think for yourself and
incite change. Those people who have a message to share are often washed over
by shallow celebrities who are glorified for no profound reason.
I do not claim myself to be an
authority or better than anyone who may be reading this. I am very much flawed
as the rest of you and constantly make mistakes. The difference, I feel,
between myself and many of those my age is that I accept and embrace that I
have an unwavering desire to learn. I refuse to accept things for how they are
and I constantly ask questions. I refuse to be embarrassed for who I am and
refuse to continue to fall into the traps of a consumer society. My focus now
is how to change the world around me. My continual quest for the truth has
started.
