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| Joe Bakewell. |
SOCIETY MISDIRECTION
I’m not a
luddite; I fully embrace most of the technological advances we enjoy today, and
the efficiencies they bring. But it seems to me that we’ve been pretty
sloppy regarding what we’ve left behind.
In my youth,
people took advantage of comparatively new products like telephones, radios,
washing machines, automobiles, but they still went to church, played cards with
neighbors, belonged to a bowling league, and at least one civic organization.
The result
was a lot of face-time, discussing issues of the day. And, believe it or not,
it was okay to disagree.
My sense is
that our modern era began with two developments: The Pill, and TV.
At first, TV
was a neighborly activity; you went to a friend’s house to watch, and the TV
was not on except to watch specific shows (components wore out and needed frequent
replacement.)
As for the
pill, I still remember my Aunt Kathryn taking me to see ‘Oklahoma’ on Broadway.
One song declared that “love and marriage go together like a horse and
carriage—you can’t have one without the other.”
Today, you
can watch TV on your smart phone—the ultimate isolation. And, young women tell
me that they’re expected to put out on the first date.
I could go on
with a litany of symptoms resulting from the impact of technical advances (and
so could you). Of most concern are those that scientists tell us are
irreversible—short attention spans inability to read body-language. And most
disturbing, the warped development of young minds—infants and toddlers. It
won’t do to blame the parents, especially when it’s too late.
Of course,
we’re too busy right now with the really important issues as defined by our
politicians and media.
Joe Bakewell.
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