Post by dowellharmon on Aug 2, 2011 21:59:47 GMT -5
The End of Solitude sums up the focus of today’s generation quite well. As a member of the teenage cohort, I have realized not only my peers’ attempts in almost every aspect of life to be noticed, but m own as well. Recognition is the root of all actions now. As Deresiewicz says “So we live exclusively in relation to others, and what disappears from our lives is solitude.” We, as Americans, no longer are rooted in self-pride or self-motivation, almost all actions are caused at least somewhat by the want to be seen, heard, and liked. I find myself trying to get attention, attempting to find ways to impress my peers. Especially when it comes to sports, appearance is a huge part of the game, and the increase of steroids in baseball shows the focus on individual performance and acceptance within even the biggest names in sports. Alex Rodriguez would never have used steroids if his numbers hadn’t been slipping. Roger Clemens, one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, was getting old and forced to take steroids to continue his outstanding number in the later parts of his career, especially after an injury. Deresiewicz mentions one student he interviewed saying, “Another said, why would anyone want to be alone?” This also shows the stress on communication through cell phone and other devices such as Facebook and twitter. The social networking has emerged to its importance not only because of the advances in technology which allow it to flourish, but also the changing attitudes of the generations (or population as a whole). When people say they just want to be alone, they usually don’t really mean it. They just want the people around them to do what they want, and to be there for them and just them. Solitude is often rarely sought in today’s society, and the thought of true solitude is often more than unsettling to the normal person. They find solitude to be a sense of rejection, when in reality, it could be many possible explanations to the reason no one is in their presence. I thought his point about boredom for his generation and its connection to loneliness in our generation. After reading that portion, I began to realize he is right. I have noticed my mom can be bored and still say she has something to do, when in reality, she is just sitting there. The great emotion of our generation is our incapability to be lonely. During GSP, we visited a prison, and the worst punishment given by the prison for misbehavior was solitary confinement. The prisoners were kept in a separate building, given staggered time slots of one-hour recreation blocks, and no fellow interaction with other inmates. They barely even get visitation hours. We interviewed a prisoner, mine happened to be from Rockcastle county, and when asked about segregation (solitary), she seemed almost scared to even talk about it. I thought the interview finished fittingly when she told us the names of her two best friends, and that she could be found of MySpace, and to look her up when we got back to campus.