coolbeans, 1/17

Our discussion on postmodernism in class on Thursday was very helpful for me. Before this discussion I did not really understand what postmodernism was. From our discussions it seems to me that postmodernism is highly dependent on society. It is as if postmodernism depicts hyper-modernity. For example, something modern such as cellular phones and text messaging can be taken to the next level of modernity as people create a new language in which people can communicate with each other (i.e. omg ttyl). It seems that postmodernism correlates with the way society chooses to react to the modern. Cultural revolutions arise because of the way people react to modern ideas. The increase in technological advances is modern and the way that people use technology to speed everything up is postmodern. While some themes of postmodernism, such as cultural revolutions, are good and provide the entryway for changes to be made in a society, others, such as the aesthetic of speed and the distrust of failed systems, can have a negative impact on society with consequences of these examples being a decrease in people’s interactions with each other. It is interesting to me that all these years I have experienced many examples of postmodernism without even realizing it. For example, this summer, I did an internship in New York. While I was there my friends asked me if I had seen any celebrities while I was there. I realized that I hadn’t because everytime I was walking to and from places running errands, I was focused on getting where I had to go, and doing it as fast as I could, rather than looking around and soaking in my surroundings. I found that with the exception of the tourist crowds in Times Square, much of the rest of the people in New York were doing the same as me; walking briskly, face forward, no distractions, or maybe a cell phone attached to the ear.