Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

Appendices

The Cause of Society’s Downfall? BTI , February 2006 By Katharlne Brickman, Assistant Editor, Grade 11

We live in a society full of iPods, laptops, cell phones¬ technological conveniences that supposedly “make our lives easier”. We’ve all said, in passing, at some time or another, “I couldn’t live without my _!” Well, truth be told, we probably could. There are many positive aspects to the technological advancements that have come about particularly in the last decade, such as in the fields of science and medicine. These are the advancements that cure sicknesses, help people cope with rare diseases, etc. However, there is the other side of technology to consider - how it could potentially lead to the downfall of our generation, and those to follow. In previous decades, when people needed to talk to their friends or colleagues, they would either speak to them in person or telephone them. Now, more and more people, even adults, prefer to communicate via MSN and other instant messengers. Fewer conversations between people seem to occur face-to-face. As a result, the interpersonal, human relation aspect of society seems to be dwindling, perfectly illustrated by the increasing number of cases of “cyberbullying” we hear about. (Cyberbullying is a form of bullying beginning to prevail over schoolyard bullying, in which

a student is ostracized by classmates on instant messenger, blogs, etc.) In addition, people once listened to music by turning on the radio, or a CD or cassette tape player in the background, while still being able to maintain conversation with people around them. Now, more people now are choosing instead to plug their ears with a pair of mp3 player earphones, literally shutting out the world around them. It is somewhat alarming to think: If this is how society is progressing, what is going to become of human relations? Unfortunately, this lack of face-to-face communication seems to be the eventual fate of the world. If people are becoming this deliberately introverted, what kind of human-to-human relationships will exist in future generations? Everyone needs friends, but unseen people typing messages onto a computer screen do not really qualify. This potential future does not have to be true of all of us. So, the next time you open a window on MSN to launch a conversation with one of your friends, think to yourself: Do I really need to talk to this person on the Internet, or could I just as easily call her or talk to him in person?

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