Now, while technology may have expanded due to the achievements of a few smart people, in general, we are all getting “stupider.”
Before you verbally attack me with contradictions of, “No we aren’t!” and “You’re wrong!” just think about the mere simplicity of those articulate responses.
Articulate. $3 word, meaning to be expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness.
Some may try to rationalize that we have since developed a wide multitude of new words and phrases to define technological advancements.
Oh yes, “Facebook it” is a highly intelligent phrase. The extra three seconds it might take to say, “Get on Facebook and look up this person,” is simply too much effort for the entirely too busy modern teenager.
And for those of you who couldn’t tell, that previous paragraph is called being facetious.
Facetious. $3 word, meaning sarcastic or lacking serious intent.
In addition to the ever flourishing Facebook, Google Chrome has unleashed a new generation of “Google it” research papers.
As the Twenty-first Century has ravaged the generation of books and libraries, Internet sources such as the reliable Wikipedia have emerged to lessen the stress of the dreaded research paper.
Book. $2 word, meaning a written or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Facebook and Google have their place in today’s society. The untold amounts of free knowledge swirling about our heads at any given moment provide more information than our forefathers had ever dreamed of.
But there’s the problem. This vast treasure trove of new information has turned us into ADD America. The mere prospect on focusing on a specific area is incomprehensible to a generation that has grown up watching television, texting their friends, Twittering, and updating their Facebook status all at once.
We are eternally connected to the entire world at a single click of a button. Click. Click.
And in a world of this much interaction, the Cult of Impersonality has emerged.
With the information surplus destroying today’s individuality, people are all too ready to acquiesce to “talking heads” dictating society’s wants and needs from the thousands of screens we see every day.
We can exchange fashion, fads, and common ideals faster than ever before, thus making the teenage necessity to “fit in” a large driving force in today’s society. Our every move is monitored and cataloged, making it of the upmost importance to follow the trends of each second.
NOT.
It is more vital than ever for people to adopt individual living styles that don’t depend on trends from the past or the latest cultural fad.
In this eerie 1950’s conformity, we run the risk of watching American history repeat itself. I cannot, with good conscience, sit back and watch the creativity and individuality of the American spirit go wasted to laziness and an inability to focus on one’s self.
It’s time to find the time, to end the times. Step up to step out of the box, America.
