When I moved to America from India, I could not have been more amazed. The people were polite, the streets were not as crowded, and people actually stopped at red lights! Most of these perceptions have changed over this last week in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. I have been back home on Long Island for this week, and everything has become super competitive. The prime example of this, of course is gasoline. I waited two hours in line the other day to get some gas for my mom’s car. The funny thing about it all is that in India, the electricity goes out all the time, sometimes twice a day for an hour, or for two days straight.
People over there, however, have learned to deal with it. Now that I live here though, I could not bear to spend more than a couple of hours away from my phone or computer. Half the people I know back in India can’t even work a computer! This truly puts a spotlight on one aspect of society. The more advanced a society becomes, the harder it becomes for it to return to the “basics”. If there is no electricity, w cannot charge cell phones, we cannot check Facebook or twitter, and we cannot watch TV. Technology has become the centerpiece of our society, with electricity as the obvious backbone. However, the more emphasis we place on technology, the harder it will become for us to cope in times that it is not available to us.
Hurricane Sandy has really put into perspective the different approaches societies take in response to technological problems. In India, the phrase “Oh, the light has been out for two hours” is common, but in America, the fact that the power even goes out is considered to be rare event.
Trees Bent Against Their Will
I agree with your conclusion that the more advanced a society is, the harder it is to go back to basics, however sad but true it is. When I look back at the countless stores I went to just to charge my phone and laptop after the storm, it seems almost ridiculous how reliant we have become on it. We definitely need to find a balance for how much we depend on the electricity and technology.
Perceptive, Vivian. Back to basics is hard for societies who are “advanced.”
The BIG question is how advanced are we anyway?
There’s no return after you have tasted the forbidden fruit of knowledge huh? Although it is hard to turn our backs to the advantages of technology once we have tasted it, for those who experienced both times with and without technology, it is not difficult to adjust themselves to the situations. I know I have always yearn for a society where electricity doesn’t exist because I feel like I can experience a lot more by physical being and communicating with people rather than through a screen. I know it’s not the end of the world if there’s not electricity, and that there are many activities to do. Sometimes I feel like the more technologies we have around us, the more it is restricted us from physical activities (going outdoor, playing sports, hanging out with friends, etc).
How many people could shut off their smart phones for a day?