Social Decline Amid Technology

I’m no sociologist but I did take a course in deviance during my third year at the U of A.   Anthropology also ranked highly on scholarly pursuits so don’t ask why I practice accounting today. This affinity for the liberal arts spurns frequent deliberations on the pervasion of interpersonal indifference witnessed by all in the form of the cell phone first phenomenon. Perhaps, you’ve sat down to a meal with a close friend only to be disturbed by the cell phone chime reminding one that a new facebook post has arrived. Or, perhaps you’ve experienced something similar to my peaceful wait for a fireworks presentation only to be interrupted by a pit bull on extendable leash let loose by an owner preoccupied with his “device”. Thankfully, in the darkness I had the presence of mind not to startle this supposed best friend of man. Then the kids came flooding over waving cell phone flashlights frantically unbeknownst to the notion that the fireworks backdrop was being compromised. Some may not have heard of the good works of Emily Post on the topic of etiquette. You can’t blame them really because home life structure is so informal nowadays that a lesson outside the classroom is for most too tough to deliver. How successful is mom and dad at mandating family meals three times per week where an occasion kids can pick up some tips and tricks on how to operate in the context of other’s interests as well.  Mom would do good to win time over Pokemon, violent video games, and instagram.

You’ve likely been at the other end of an email provocation whereby your heart rate instantly jumped and your trust in a relationship was questioned through a few trite words when in contrast you know full well those same words would never be spoken in person. The email twist which entertains most is a convenient contextual omission thereby tilting an agenda in the favor of the provocateur.

Of course, there is the opportunity to “unfollow”. It’s an online slight that humorously some perpetrators apparently are naïve enough to think that the unfollowed will never know.  However; it’s a real stain and has real world implications. Note to self.  If I over post – I deserve to be unfollowed.

The internet is not going away anytime soon. Hence I defer to a friend who is all over “social media” for its positive attributes.  She says, “you will leave a ‘digital footprint'”.  So, perhaps it would be prudent to leave a good one.