Skip to main content

Winter ABC Day 8: Beauty Behind the Madness of Technology

The discussion on technology feels like any debate. Before I dive in let me use my brother's words, "Each to their own."

It's an interesting follow up to the previous article about my favourite apps. Today I share my thoughts on the machine that's running the world. (Obviously girls run the world, we don't argue with Queen Bey!)

As I am typing this almost 40% of the world's population is online. The internet has literally made the world a village. Technology on the world wide web replaced the post office, slowly replacing print media and has created a subculture within human cultures.

We have communities and groups on Facebook. We have digital fan clubs for literally everything from comic books to movies to celebrities, hey Swifties. Hash tags bond human beings for their rights for example #feesmustfall, #blacklivesmatter and #lovewins. This is thanks to the 40 hours a week spent on the web by individuals.

Apart from socialising technology fast tracked and decompressed life. We moved from floppy disks to flash disks and hard drives. Why buy a vinyl, cassette or CD when you can stream music? Not to mention I don't need to make a call for a cab or pizza because there's an app that simplifies that. Mobile phones deserve their own hall of fame. Gen Y and previous generations experienced what was called a landline and payphones. Thinking of it feels like centuries ago. Mobile phones are the best friend that's with you everywhere.

Let us not forget ATMs, CCTV, microwaves, CGI and even satellite dish a.k.a cable television. Technology needs a hero status. It has changed lives and perceptions of the world around us.

Justin Timberlake sang, "Ayo, I'm tired of using technology," followed by lyrics suggesting that neither sexting or Skype intimacy was going to work. When we think of it, we are all now socially awkward individuals in this IT age. People don't ask for dates, they slide into DMs. Few make effort at working on relationships because an emoji will do the trick. Not to mention how families barely talk to each other because everyone is on the phone. Exhibit A...

Yes that's my family at brunch. How intimate? The fact that most of us have nine to fives and even overtime on the Internet, according to researchers, predisposes us to mental health issues. Over the past few years, researchers have found that individuals who use the internet were likely to suffer from narcissism, and depression amongst other mental health problems. These are precipitated by the need to meet expectations because on the Internet 'looking poor and ugly are a choice.'

The other side effects and disadvantages of the internet include hacking, lack of privacy, cyber bulling and increased dangers of crime. Other research states that human beings are lazier, less healthy (microwaved food causes cancer) and have short attention span. In Frey and Osborne 2013 research, their study revealed that roughly 47% of total US employment is at risk from computerisation. So I Robot isn't just a film, but a possible reality.


In its reliability technology is also unreliable electrical power cuts, trojan horses and Internet shutdowns can make the world stop.

After writing of somewhat an essay, my conclusion is take a vacation.

Unplug your life for a week, read a book, watch, enjoy the sunset with your mind taking the photographs.

The best moments happen IRL!

P.S. Always write your own love story!

Ciao!

Lady E

Comments

Popular Posts

Script My Life: Jane the Virgin Season Finale

Every telenovela has to come to an end... ...but with a happy ending! *Warning spoiler alert!* Mios dios! I dramatically cried as Jane and Rafael were enjoying the sunset on their wedding day. Jane  explains the ending of her novel, which is turned into a telenovela. And the typewriter writes, 'THE END'. I now understand my friend's sadness over the finale of this cheesy, yet addictive television series. I have always been a fan of soap operas. I religiously watched South African soapies during my nursing school days. And then when I became a stay-at-home mum, I added the American and Phillipino soapies to the list. When DSTv then introduced a channel for Spanish soapies known as novelas, I was gone. The thing with novelas or telenovelas, is that they amplify the usual soapie drama. The male characters are sexy even as villains and the female characters are over the top. Unlike a soapie like Days of Our Lives or Generations, telenovelas have a time frame. Like w

Single ladies: Wife material

MPV.....my point of view! Single Ladies: Wifen Material *Royal wave*Hey single ladies,your guide is back.The pursuit for Mr Put-A-Ring-On-It is on.Today I would like to make you a get-a-ring-on-it lady. Now following my articles,'Single Ladies Part 3',where I talked about the prince searching for a 'real princess',or 'Queen';and 'Brown Sugar',where the word 'brown sugar' was defined as wifen material,I would like to talk about 'wifey material'.(Whether we are that). How do we single ladies get that ring-on-it,you ask?By being wifey material.My uncle keeps on telling me,'If you want to become Mrs X,you should be a wife.You are a wife before he puts a ring on it'.What he means is that,a man will treat you the way you portray yourself.How,you ask? Ever noticed the difference between a wife and a girlfriend.Now let me break it down for you.A girlfriend usually,takes life in a more leisurely way;unlike a wife,whose focus is mo

Book Review: The Kings that Didn’t Need This Queen

Until you resolve your brokeness, you will continue to be broken. I am pretty stoked about sharing this month's read. As a writer, reading various forms of literature enriches the craft. Reading builds culture and reinforces application of lessons learnt. I also read books and blogs by fellow writers to support their work through commenting, and sharing. This is how we grow communities you see. Prior to offering a review of this month's book, I would like to share a brief history of the writer. I met this young woman, Nobuhle Nyoni at a birthday, and album listening party for producer and artist, Verseless. She was friendly and bubbly, we even shared a ride into town as we went home. That wouldn't be the last time that I would be in communication with her. Through the magazine that I am editor for, we made effort to push her event. Though I didn't manage to attend the event, I saw the potential of this young woman. In 2017, under the collective called Veryus ,

The Case of the Ghost

If you decide to ghost, then stay dead! I'm riled up and thinking WTF? Who the hell does he think he is? Trying to walk out of the tomb like the Messiah! Degage! But I also realised that I wasn't over it. IT! The hurt and humiliation of being ghosted. The humiliation of being relegated to  side  chick.  And the pain of going through loss alone. Who the hell does he think he is ... in my life? After many years, I bumped into him at a recent event. Actually, he called out my name and followed me. I don't know why he thought that he and I were Gucci. For two years, that guy was a poltergeist.He didn't reach out to me to explain his behaviour. He didn't send me a birthday message. No communication. Obviously, out of sight, out of mind.And then he has the nerve to call out my full government name. Honestly, I was inebriated and had no time for his nonsense. But he started saying that he and I needed to talk. He thought that I was his girl. He missed me. I'm literally

Auld Lang Syne ... Maybe Not All the Time

Sometimes the end is a new beginning!  It's a new year! To be more precise, the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-two. According to the Hebrew calendar the year is 5782.  The crossover into 2022 was particularly dull due to the curfew. When we say that the pandemic is a buzzkill, the sentiment is real. As a staunch believer in the saying, "How you leave is how you enter," I often enjoy spending my time in church. The service prior to the countdown often invigorates my faith. Praying and seeding on the first day of the 365 or 366 is comforting. Unfortunately, the authorities ensured that the gathering of the saints wouldn't happen on their watch. We had to sit and watch the livestream from home. As the new year came, I started to think of the song synonymous with the new year. Auld Lang Syne. Based on the 18th century Scottish song, the words read: Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon; The flames of Love extinguished, and fully past a