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Thoughts about a high tech world
About three weeks ago, I heard someone saying that they would never be able to live without the internet or all the intricacies that technology has to offer. I just paused and thought about my own life and what would be my reaction if I got lost without any internet whatsoever, and wondered whether I would survive and came to think that I certainly would.
The internet can be pretty addictive I admit, and it’s better used for education and family connection – nothing that is too much is healthy. But nowadays almost everything gets done in the cyber world…from banking online, shopping, international calls and conferences, chatting, studies outlines and all sorts of business and entertainment with the convenience of doing it all at the same place.
The downside is that you look around on a train ride and it seems that all the people around you are not really there, since they all got their “entertaining devices” at hand; nobody wants to feel bored…You can notice that some teenagers don’t even know how to interact with others in a real world!
Once I was on a train ride, and there was a look like “rebellious teen” who was listening to a blasting music coming from her i-pod and right in front of her was standing an elderly lady – It kind of hurt me to see that some young people don’t have any clue of what goes on right in front of their eyes. I pitied the elderly lady and thought that she probably had given out her seat so many times to the elderly on her young age which is something people don’t care any longer, since they are immersed in their own world.
The point of the overdose of entertainment is that people basically lost their sense of social skills and besides that, many times we happen to be so immersed in our own world and so distracted to pay attention to daily blessings, thus forgetting about our earthly mission to our Creator.
I’m sure that we can even use high tech devices to connect to G-dliness, as some people are really using i-pods to learn Torah, recite Tehilim (spalms), etc…Yet, I wonder if we aren’t exaggerating.
We are G-d’s children and should optimize our times to be in connection to those who need a helping hand or hear a good word and give a little of our times to Hashem…In modern times with all the expedition to a cyber world the SHABBAT has turned to be even more essential to our souls.
But, here comes my dilemma – right after my “Socratic” research about our cybernetic society it happened that my instrument for my homework study, researches, news info and family connection suddenly collapsed! This instrument, Baruch Hashem was only my laptop!
Ouch it hurt though…Well, it was last week and it’s still being taken care of – but I got frantic to know that I wouldn’t be able to do my online studies required for my real concrete LIU classes and finals. I still got to use the LIU library computer, but it wasn’t my own little device, if you know what I mean…
So, a friend helped me to get at least my desktop computer up running, which is the one I’m using right now…There’s more into life than just connecting online – yet it’s the modern times challenge.
I got say that there’s room to do good deeds even in a cybernetic way of live – G-d’s creation is not limited and we play a special role in it – so, even through the cyber connection – one can and should positively touch one’s life with a word and even smile and make someone’s life meaningful – yes, even good words coming through a computer screen can spread some light out somewhere…
