Watching and reading about the “Arab Fall” and the inflammatory effects of that stupid anti-Islam film produced by that right-wing zealot leads to thoughts about the internet. It is a boon, having created a total revolution in communication as new technology opens up more avenues of communication in the form of smart phones, tablets, texting and the like---but it is also a bane. It is Pandora’s box which has been irretrievably opened, never to be closed again. It has truly made the world, in Marshall MacLuan’s famous phrase, “a global village”. And right now we are seeing the bad effects of this communicative revolution which has made instant communication instant hell.
We can laugh it off or scoff at the detriti, flotsam and jetsam, frequently on the social networks where “friends” share the minutiae of their lives. On one hand, we know good aspects of social networking are out there: staying in touch with or reigniting friendships, sharing good news (and bad), creating photo albums of possible interest---I’m not such a curmudgeon, even though I'm not on a social network, that I can’t appreciate those aspects of social networking---but, let’s face it, on the other hand, you frequently forsake your precious privacy, and that is sad. What make it worse are the sharks out there, the hackers and intruders, trying to invade your private life and steal your money, even take over your identity. That is the ultimate privacy rape, and, unfortunately, too many of us have felt its effect.
It’s bad enough dealing with the current news: the virulent hatred of America (based on envy, of course) in the Middle East, the political polarization of America, the teachers’ strike in Chicago, the Afghanistan agony---take your pick. About the only good news I see is my beloved Cincinnati Reds in front by eleven games!
Waiter, another double Scotch---and leave out the soda this time.
Privacy is becoming increasingly hard to protect. Unfortunately, we often expose too much of ourselves.
ReplyDelete