Obsolete

Read this article.

Isn't it crazy how these things will be completely obsolete for babies born in 2011?

It's kind of sad because most of the things on the list consisted of actual contact with people/things, real visuals, and a much more personal experience.  I think our generation is lucky to have experienced these things (of the past) and to head into a society where technology will be much more prevalent.  We understand the coolness and innovation that comes with technological advances, but we also understand that it takes away from personable situations.

For myself, I enjoy things like e-mail, chatting online, and texting because:
1 - it's instantaneous;
2 - easy to communicate to large amounts of people all over the world;
3 - hides some emotions.

But I definitely hate that aspect as well.  It's much to easy to hide behind words - on a technology based machine, you can sound like (or become) anything you want through the way you present your words.  And that idea sickens me.  I find so much more value in being able to walk the walk instead of just talking the (fake, internet communication) talk.

Remember elementary/junior high, when girls used to write everything on little stationary papers with gel pens?  A lot of my (girl) friends had notebooks that they passed to each other to gossip, or rant, or whatever else they wrote about in those books.  That was personal stuff.  It was much easier to see emotions through a hand-written page of gossip.  But now, kids have phones and text their gossip.  And unless there is a magical emotion-telling iPhone app now, everyone's responses to everything will seem the same (unless they use smileys or ALL CAPS).

I've definitely been affected by the ease of communication that technology provides.  It hands you a mask that you can either take or not take.  It's quite easy to take it and use it because of the emotional protection it provides.  And because the babies of 2011, along with the rest of society, will grow up with that, it saddens me.

Here's to hoping Skynet won't take over the world while I'm here.