by Annie Kaycora

Created on: July 27, 2010

Though it may pose to be a dramatic comparison, today's society is practically plugged into the Matrix with modern technologies and conveniences. Let's begin with communication. Writing letters, and even telephone conversations have been over run with text messaging and email technology. It all came to me when I wrote a letter to my Uncle last year, stuck a stamp on it, dropped it off at the post office, and wondered why I hadn't heard back from him yet later that night. My mind had been programmed to expect results within minutes, hours at the most, when in all reality, my Uncle would not be receiving that letter for another 5 days! Emails and text messages have become more convenient than speaking on the phone with someone. Our society is literally disconnected at the seams. We are out of touch with one another; the old ways in which humans interacted, and shared with one another, have been predominantly replaced with words. Listening to an exchange of each others voices, has been replaced with electronic text. Granted, this same technology has allowed people from across the world to connect again, with even video phone, we still find ourselves using the technology with the person down the street, across the office, etc.

Children are more often than not, video game zombies now. If they aren't playing games on their cell phones, or on a game console at home, they're likely playing a game on the internet. This is another disconnect as children are less frequently exploring outside, getting fresh air and learning through creative play and discovery. Treehouses, pinching bugs, rolling down grass hills, and splashing around in mud puddles, again, over run by video games, internet chat rooms, and other computer time. It feels like a disconnect with mother earth, to connect with technology and enjoy conveniences.

There's an obvious reason our grandma's today hold the trophies for best cooking: they cook! From scratch, probably! The technology of the microwave, instant meals in a bag that you boil, frozen dinners, this on the go, that on the run -has also created a loss of values in the tradition of cooking. Of course, we have made some positive headway in this department, being that we don't all need to hunt for meat and gather for berries, but the tradition of preparing meals from scratch has lost its place in many households today.

Medicine has come a long way, and I believe a lot of medicinal advances have saved millions of lives. However, that is another area where we have shafted old, natural remedies for common ailments. The best way I remind myself is: how did people thousands of years ago, deal with ailments? How did the ancient Chinese people cure and treat diseases, before technology grew exponentially? Make no mistake, I am not suggesting that if you break your leg, you should put a couple twigs and a leaf on it, but medicine today certainly has a place for holistic remedies too.

My only lament with technology is that it grows and progresses, at the expense of making old values become obsolete. It is when we all lose touch with our grass roots, disconnect with this earth, that we are merely zombies plugged into the system...but oh, how conveniently simple our lives have become ;)

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