living in two dimensions

I am currently sitting in a room with four other people, six screens, two TV’s and four laptops. 

Call of duty Black Ops is on one TV screen linked to Xbox live. My friend has a head set so he can talk to the rest of the party while they take out as many zombies as possible. He also has a laptop in front of him so he can check Facebook at the same time.

The other TV, usually also linked to Call of Duty so two people can join the same game while sat in the same room, today is GTA; and my friends character is currently sat in a strip club getting a lap dance.

My other friend is sat between the two TVs on her laptop. She is working her way through episodes of True Blood on a streaming site. She has earphones in so she is not disturbed.

On the other laptop, that isn’t mine, is imvu; a social networking site where you can design your own avatar (character of yourself) and have an apartment that you design also. On this site you can play games and take quizzes to earn credits to buy more furnishings for your apartment or clothes and accessories for your avatar. There is a whole world where people/avatars can meet each other and socialise. My friend chooses not to do this as she prefers to stay inside her apartment buying new furnishings and customising the look of her avatar. Occasionally, her brother (who lives about 5 miles away in real life) comes to visit in his avatar form. 

And then there is me. I have my laptop in front of me on YouTube playing music while i type this. I have my iPhone next to me so i can receive and reply to emails, check my Facebook, watch the live updates on twitter and feed my virtual fish. 

This is now a regular ‘normal’ scene not just in this house but every where i go. 

In the doctors waiting room the other day I watched the blank expressions of people sat in front of a flat screen fixed to the wall playing footage of a fish tank. 

In the hospital, every waiting room has a huge TV tuned into BBC news 24.

The people in the coffee shops sit opposite each other with laptops and iPad’s, children are sat in push chairs or walking beside their parents on Nintendo DS and PSP games. 

I was on a bus where i watched a little girl in her push chair navigate her way around an iPhone with ease. Just before i got off I asked the mother how old her daughter is, she answered “two and a half”.

I am not against technology at all, it has many benefits. I can keep in regular contact with friends and relatives who are away or live overseas. I can keep up to date and informed on my interests. Pretty much any piece of music i can think of that i might want to listen to is there whenever i want it. I can book tickets for travel or shows. I can shop for anything i desire and send gifts. I can use online banking, pay my bills, take online courses, apply for jobs, research any subject i choose and navigate my way around google earth. 

But as i look around the room at us all, each sat in our own little worlds not communicating with each other directly, I can’t help feeling that we all might be missing something. 

I also wonder what long-term effect it’s having on our brain’s, mood, health and social skills. 

I will also mention that the current temperature outside is -9. I am not a winter person, which is why i would be more inclined to stay indoors and more likely to turn to a screen for entertainment. In the summer I hardly have time to check my Facebook as i am out most of the time and incredibly social. But then I still have the iPhone in case i need to. 

Also i was brought up before the Internet or mobiles. My parents read me books and we went camping, so i prefer to be outdoors and engaging with the elements as much as possible. But maybe that’s just a personal preference and has nothing to do with upbringing, I don’t know.

Just some thoughts….

Originally published @ leksbest.blogspot.com

December 17 2010 16:56 Pacific Standard Time