Post by quincyessex on Aug 5, 2011 14:30:15 GMT -5
Solitude, loneliness, idleness. For some people, these words all have the same meaning. But for others, each one is something different from the others. William Deresiewicz noted this in his essay 'The End of Solitude.' He stated that technology has created this idea of 'not wanting to be alone' or 'never being alone' due to the immense connectivity it has given people. He also stated that we all want to become “known”.
However, I do not believe that technology has made being alone harder or impossible, as Deresiewicz said. Yes, it does make getting your name and all of your ideas out there a lot easier if that is what you want. But some people would rather do it the old fashioned way. In some ways social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are pointless, though most people these days have at least one of them. Even though they can bring old friends back together, they can rip friendships apart with some of the drama that can be found on them. With their abilities reaching as far to being able to 'check-in' where you are, there is a lot of information that can be put out there that is unnecessary or even dangerous. These sites are where the idea of solitude is frowned upon. On the social networking sites, you can find people who are just like you, who think like you, who feel like you. These are the people that you become 'friends' with or that you 'follow.' With that said, you are no longer alone because there is someone like you that you have become connected to. BUT, the accounts on these sites can be deactivated or deleted. Because of this, being alone can be achieved. Deresiewicz also said the cell phone is a problem when it comes to being alone. But a cell phone can be turned off, lost, ignored or even deactivated if you would like to go that far to be alone. If you want to be alone, you could just not get on the sites and stay off your cell phone for however long.
Another reason why I disagree with Deresiewicz is because of this statement: “Solitude isn't easy, and isn't for everyone. It has undoubtedly never been the province of more than a few.” Here, he somewhat contradicts himself. Throughout his essay, it seems like he doesn't like the connectivity to everyone and would rather everyone have the solitude he speaks of. With this statement, he actually acknowledges the fact that some people simply do not want to be alone. A majority of people like having the connectivity from technology. Why? Because they can do things such as reconnect with old friends, make new friends, show off their talents to get noticed by some big agency (YouTube) and other various things.
Being connected to the world doesn't mean you have to be connected 24/7. People have to be social with one another. The Internet, TV and cell phones simply make doing so much easier!
However, I do not believe that technology has made being alone harder or impossible, as Deresiewicz said. Yes, it does make getting your name and all of your ideas out there a lot easier if that is what you want. But some people would rather do it the old fashioned way. In some ways social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are pointless, though most people these days have at least one of them. Even though they can bring old friends back together, they can rip friendships apart with some of the drama that can be found on them. With their abilities reaching as far to being able to 'check-in' where you are, there is a lot of information that can be put out there that is unnecessary or even dangerous. These sites are where the idea of solitude is frowned upon. On the social networking sites, you can find people who are just like you, who think like you, who feel like you. These are the people that you become 'friends' with or that you 'follow.' With that said, you are no longer alone because there is someone like you that you have become connected to. BUT, the accounts on these sites can be deactivated or deleted. Because of this, being alone can be achieved. Deresiewicz also said the cell phone is a problem when it comes to being alone. But a cell phone can be turned off, lost, ignored or even deactivated if you would like to go that far to be alone. If you want to be alone, you could just not get on the sites and stay off your cell phone for however long.
Another reason why I disagree with Deresiewicz is because of this statement: “Solitude isn't easy, and isn't for everyone. It has undoubtedly never been the province of more than a few.” Here, he somewhat contradicts himself. Throughout his essay, it seems like he doesn't like the connectivity to everyone and would rather everyone have the solitude he speaks of. With this statement, he actually acknowledges the fact that some people simply do not want to be alone. A majority of people like having the connectivity from technology. Why? Because they can do things such as reconnect with old friends, make new friends, show off their talents to get noticed by some big agency (YouTube) and other various things.
Being connected to the world doesn't mean you have to be connected 24/7. People have to be social with one another. The Internet, TV and cell phones simply make doing so much easier!