Serendipity, 9/15

One of Habermas’ quotes that really struck me in class today was the fact that he believed that the 20th century is the “problem”. I definitely agree that this is the case. The 20th century was a time of turmoil that led to shattered optimism. I believe that this is the reason that our modern day U.S culture is so obsessed with escaping reality. Reality is pain and people do not want to feel it. Technology and machines are meant to further us through post modernity, but instead they are stifling us. Television, movies, the internet, Facebook, Google, and Twitter are just a few of the immensely immersing activities that people these days cannot get enough of. We are so obsessed with entering onto these websites and virtual realities, and also engrossing ourselves in television shows and celebrity magazines. Not only do we do this, but there is also the encompassing mentality that faster is better and you can never get enough of anything. These artificial realities take away from our humanity. It is a completely different time than 30, 20, and even 10 years ago. It is impossible to sit in a room with a person without speaking about a celebrity, a tv show, or the internet. There would be nothing to talk about because it is not in our culture to do so. We live in ADD nation, and the newest, more absurd thing is always seen as better. We have such short attention spans that satisfaction cannot come from reality anymore. I definitely think that a “technological blackout” would be a beneficial thing if we were made to be accustomed to it for a little while until we could balance the real and the unreal.