In class, we were given and extra credit opportunity to take the "Thoreau Challenge," which consists of not using any technology for seven days. I did not accept the challenge, considering my blackberry is pretty much attached to my hand. Thoreau secluding himself in a cabin in Massachusetts for a year because he couldn't deal with all the technology of the nineteenth century. It kind of makes me wonder what Thoreau would think of people in this day and age, with all of our technology and devices within reach 24/7. The quote "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us" really got my attention. It reminds me of the quote in the novel "Feed," when Violet says "We do not have the feed, we are the feed." The railroad and the feed, in this case, being technology. We don't own technology, it owns us.
On an unrelated note, while reading Feed it made me think of this movie I watched one time called Idiocracy. The movie is about how generation after generation just keeps getting less intelligent. Here is the trailer:
Interesting connection to Idiocracy! Do you think this is where we're going?
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to think about what Thoreau would think about the technology that we have to deal with today compared to the technology that he was trying to get away from during his time. I agree with you that we don't own technology, it owns us. Its scary to think.
ReplyDeleteIt is really scary to think that technology owns us. I did not think too much about it until after reading Feed. I really hope we do not end up like that one day.
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology owns us, and now it is hard to live without it. It is because we are used to it already, and have had it around our entire lives. If we wouldn't of had it, it would have been easier for us to live without it.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary but very very true that technology owns us. The movie trailer definitely looks interesting and I can see how it relates to Feed. I'll have to check it out after I'm done doing the Thoreau Challenge.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about the two quotes you mentioned. I think I even used the railroad quote on the quiz Thursday. everyday I realize more and more how technology uses us. From the amount of product placement in games and movies to the number of singles in my area advertised on Facebook. Hopefully we won't turn into the mindless zombies like the characters in feed.
ReplyDelete