It’s Sunday. Jamming Sunday.
Singer-musician-owner of Van’s Unforgettable was kidding, after a round of live and unrehearsed performances that we should just play a commercially released CD since we at times failed at recalling certain lyrics.
He had a point. The age of automation and atomization is here.
Each of us, with headset and in private should just entertain ourselves.
IN THE COMING DECADES WE WILL EXPERIENCE A KIND OF NEUROSES THE WORLD HAS YET HAD A CURE FOR. Knowing everything yet not knowing anything.
Spying on everyone yet not knowing anyone.
Data rich, content poor.
Socially connected, but emotionally isolated.
Like the song by the Foreigner, “I want to know what love is…why don’t you show me”.
Mobile and cloud computing, with semi and soon full automation assembly, will lower the costs and increase personal computing power. Yet no eye- contact, no time for organic relationship.
The lost art of the start : “Hi, my name is….”
In the 60’s, the anti-war group was cool “Hell No WE won’t go”.
In the 70’s, the me decade.
In the 80’s, the politicization of religious America (as a reaction to Iranian Islamic revolution). The We there was meant for many splintered groups, not just the Moral Majority.
In the 90’s, chip speed gets faster while at the same time, we “got mail”.
So instead of getting inter-connected, we end up with the atomization or re-individuation this time mobile-enabled.
By 2020, we will have lived in a world utterly foreign to our parents.
The narcissistic propensity comes in full circle. First, in looking at his reflection in the water that Narcissus felt in love with himself.
Then, the witch looked at the mirror (who is the fairest of them all).
Now, it’s the crystal – Samsung or Apple – screen which is our digital mirror or still water.
People are using mobile phones to put on make-ups, to take pics of themselves etc…
To “friend” and “Like”.
Mostly, as a recent study by Solis, to project onto others that which happened to be theirs in the first place.
Sort of Paris-Hiltonian world. “Nobody f… with my family and gets away with it”.
She is our new “Godfather” personified: famous and furious.
Lethal combo.
Sex symbol and icon of a new age. The age of virtuality. Of 4-hr work week. Of instant access and gratification.
The Orwellian world has arrived, except this time, it’s so democratized that you don’t recognize it.
So put on a CD. Click on play, replay and instant replay.
Puff, the magic Dragon. No wonder music has also evolved, from Peter Paul and Mary (communal 60’s) to Madonna’sMaterial Girl (greed is good) to Gaga, At the edge of Glory.
Who cares about attempts at creativity, or our feeble memory. The chips will do all our memorizing and processing. All we have to do is “amuse ourselves to death”. Sit back, relax, and take a pill. Protest not. And even if you do try, you won’t know how. The machine and the men behind it have it all figured out in their races to world’s domination. Wake up checkers in this new attrition war. This time it’s neither cold nor hot. Just virtuality vs reality. A fight to the death – the mother of all realities.
Thang Nguyen 555 