More face-to-face, less Facebook
Michael EvansI often wonder how different my social life would be if I were to abolish instant messenger, e-mail and Facebook from my life.
Writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau similarly wondered what his life would be like if he were to remove himself from society and live in a quaint, one room cabin in a wooded area by Walden Pond in Massachusetts. One of the only wooded areas still available in the heavily farmed area, Walden Pond was appealing to Thoreau, who was focused on seeking a spiritually fulfilling relationship with nature.
Thoreau was not a fan of the industrialization of the farming era and felt Walden Pond was an ideal getaway. He stayed in his cabin for two years, but was not a hermit or recluse, as many people think. He took long walks into town daily to interact with citizens. His experiment of displacing himself from city life, in his eyes, made him a more spiritual, creative and well-rounded human being.
It would be an enormous undertaking to mimic Thoreau’s experience in the present day, especially for college students. Not only would it be next to impossible to find an environment similar to Walden Pond, it would prove difficult to give up the luxuries of our pampered lives.
Just like Thoreau removed himself from the city and moved into the woods, consider what it would be like to remove yourself from the world of the Internet, and enter the “natural” non-cyber world we once had as small children. For just a week, or a day even, test yourself and see if you could eliminate your Internet usage (unless completely necessary for work or school).
Why would one ever want to do such a thing? What is so wrong with the Internet that we would take the time to engage in such an outlandish experiment? Yes, the Internet has improved the way we live in leaps and bounds. It has enhanced our communication skills through the integration of helpful tools such as the aforementioned instant messenger, Facebook and e-mail.
Although these tools have improved our communication, by granting easy instant access to our friends and family, it has also hindered our communication. We have become so comfortable with instant messaging and e-mailing people, that when we come face-to-face, we forget how to interact. Instead of calling someone for a more personal and intimate conversation, where intonation and sarcasm can be detected in our voices, we sit down in front of the computer and hold multiple “convos” at once.
These Internet conversations become disengaging and impersonal. We are so acclimated to this type of communication, we often do not see any harm in it. When my roommate instant messages me from his room while we are both home, it raises a red flag. Why couldn’t he have simply walked to my room and submit his inquiry in person? And how is it that timid people become magically uninhibited online?
If I were to turn the switch on my computer and become MIA from the cyber world for just a week, it would force others to at least call me on the phone to ask me how I’m doing. And maybe, just maybe, I would get a handwritten, tangible invitation to a party rather than a cyber invite via Facebook.
I am very happy to have these tools, but often use them more than I should. I feel it becomes a problem when others begin to rely on those tools as their only means of communication with their friends. My relationships would flourish if I opted to speak in person or through telephone instead of through instant message.
So, I am taking my own little Walden Pond experience for a bit and distancing myself from the Internet. Maybe it will broaden my mind a little, like it did to Thoreau.
Michael Evans is a senior in journalism and can be reached for comment at . He’ll get it when he’s done with his break from the Internet.
Next entry: Writing journal or blog entries about Walden
Previous entry: Technology has made us slaves to our machines