iGods and Connectivity
When I call my students’ MP3 players “iGods” I
get reactions from rolled eyes to laughter to “why
do you call them iGods?” I respond that it is
because they worship them and even practice religious
one-ups-man-ship, touting their gigabytes, colors and
skins. They are adepts in covert listening when in
class. Long hair is not just a fashion statement these
days, but also a way to hide earphones and wires that
are hidden beneath shirts.
I wonder what kind of community
will evolve where most people are wrapped in a sound
sphere of their own choosing. Given that life perceptions
are largely subjective, what will be the result of
each person experiencing even the same events to
a different sound track? Will life seem the same
to a person whose sound track is rap compared to
a person who spends the day in a 60’s rock and roll musical, or bouncing
to the rhythms of salsa? The possibilities are as endless
as there are people. How does such insulation prevent
us from acknowledging others or meeting others’ needs?
The promise of technology to
connect people into communities that are not based
on geography or other demographic considerations
is great, and many positive results have impacted
our lives. Nevertheless, when I see the desperate isolation
of kids checking for text messages that are as important
as “What’s
up? I’m bored,” or “I’m
in the 300 hallway, where are you?” I wonder
if perhaps kids are not missing the sense of place
beyond their cell phone display, or the nuances of
the relationships that surround them.
Cell phones and “iGods” have
produced a sense of security that makes many people
feel protected from the challenges of real human
interaction, and makes them feel that they are not
alone. However, in reality they are even more alone
and are cutting themselves off from experiences that
may expand their horizons and teach them. When they
are in their comfort zone of the familiar that they
have created, they are stagnant beings, at the mercy
of their gadgets.
We have all witnessed cell phone
moments that are rude or comical commentaries on
the oblivious state enabled by personal communication
devices. Some years ago I was in the power tool department
of Home Depot while a customer was having a cell
phone argument with his wife/significant other. While
shouting at her he continued to calmly inspect the
circular saws. What a disconnect between verbal and
body language! (Unless the circular saw was somehow
related to his current mental state….) Our
technology has made it so easy to just push a button
and enjoy people or turn them off rather than dealing
with them face to face.
The everyday tools of modern communication may enhance
our humanity if we are their masters and use them to
create better relationships and keener perception of
nature and of other people. They may promote better
relationships when not used simply for insulating us
from living responsibly.
Any good invention may be beneficial
when it helps us explore and express our human gifts
and creativity better. At this point of human evolution
listening to and understanding others are essential
to a civil life. Peace is not simply the avoidance
of conflict; rather it is active involvement improving
the lives of oneself and others — of building
community.
An exchange student from Mexico
wrote an essay about her impressions of young Americans
before and after getting to know them. She wrote
that at first they seemed to be preoccupied with
materialistic possessions — their
clothes, iPods, cell phones, and so forth. However,
when she asked them about their goals for the future,
the majority said that they wanted to do something
to help others. Her conclusion was that there was a
big difference between how they act and their inner
values. The test of society then would seem to be how
to nurture those values that connect us in the fabric
of community so they become a way of life.
© 2008
Richard V. Sidy
