Querido lector, seguro que te has dado cuenta de lo poco que actualizo el blog últimamente. Bien, podría dar mil excusas para explicártelo pero no lo voy a hacer. Lo que voy a hacer va a ser compartir contigo una presentación en inglés -sí, en inglés- que tuve que hacer para clase y que creo que habla de un tema que nos interesa a todos últimamente, y que no es otro que las nuevas tecnologías y la manera en que han entrado en nuestras vidas. ¿Las usamos correctamente? ¿Están sustituyendo las redes sociales a una buena conversación? ¿Es buena o deseable una relación puramente virtual? ¿Es verdad que todas estas tecnologías nos acercan a los que tenemos lejos pero nos alejan de los que tenemos cerca?
En el texto que sigue no respondo a ninguna de estas preguntas pero, ¿a que te he hecho pensar una pizca? Es broma, algo digo sobre todo esto. Como estudiante de telecomunicaciones creo que es completamente necesaria una reflexión sobre estos asuntos. Y si de paso ejercitas el inglés mucho mejor. En realidad lo que escribo es una manera velada -o no tan velada- forma de criticar al Whatsapp, pero no se lo digas a nadie. Aunque estando en inglés no espero que lo leas... (¿te he picado? Guay).
Good morning, as some of you already know, and for those who don't, my name is Jose L. and I’m going to be talking today about the current and fashionable topic of new technologies. I will mainly focus on mobile phones and social networks, going over two main issues: Communication at first, and Slavery at last. My goal is to explain to you these two concepts making it short, and trying to wrap it all up to see how two so different topics are somehow related. I am gonna ask you to please save your questions for the end, Maybe you will find the answer for those questions while I am presenting. If not, I will respond to all of them when we are through the whole thing. Thank you!
Communication
Well, starting with communication. Communication as a whole isn't something so modern. Actually, it is not modern at all. Humanity has always had the need to communicate, and this need has since turned into an urge when the topic is about good news.
Going over a bit of history (I promise you to make it short). Try to picture this in your mind. Greece some thousands of years ago. The Persian army destroying everything they found in their way. And suddenly, they are defeated in the battle of Marathon. Well, this name sure sounds familiar. The so-known competition was named after it. Poor Pheidippides had to run his way back to Athens to tell them they had won. 40 kilometers. How awesome would have been for him just having to send a short text message, right?
As we can see, the need of communication has always been there, because men always have had to say something, to express something, to share something. And all of these so modern things (Blackberry, iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp) are only the replies to this essential necessity of the human being. They are only new forms of getting in touch.
Anyway, new technologies have completely changed our world in a way as it has never been seen before. Smartphones, social networks, websites; they have modified our way of seeing the reality and interacting with the environment. We all have these awesome apps we can download, and in a question of few minutes we can be already using them to connect ourselves with the rest of the people.They are fairly cheap if not free, accessible and fast, and they let us save the two most important commodities: money and time.
Slavery
Remember what I said in the beginning? That little part where I wanted to talk about slavery? Well, fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen because here it goes. Whatsapp, Facebook or Google are good, but we have to be aware that above all, they are immensely addictive. We can get easily trapped into what I decided to call “technological slavery”. Yes, using WhatsApp all day and all night is a modern way of slavery, tyranny, oppression. I would even dare to say it can even lead us to stop being humans! I know it might sound a bit harsh, but let me put it into a more graphical example so you can picture what I am trying to say here.
How many of you have gone through this situation? Please raise your hands! My point exactly. Most of you, if not all, have seen this before. THIS is what I mean by "technological slavery". People with no capability of communication if it is not by using a phone. People ignoring other people because they "totally" need to respond their whatsapp, or check their facebook, or update their twitter.
Technology should be of service FOR people, and not the other way around which is what is happening. We are not machines and we have to learn how to deal with this issue. I mean, it's not even healthy! The use of smartphones has been proven of weakening your capacity of attention, your vision and even your sleep! I don't know about you, but I find it pretty annoying when they wake me up with this midnight whatsapp saying "hey! How are you? I am bored".
So basically, for wrapping it all up...Two centuries ago a man called Lincoln appeared and abolished slavery in the United States.The odds for another Lincoln appearing and "saving" us from technological slavery are pretty inexistent. But I truly think we should already be capable of doing it by ourselves. Using technology properly shall set us freer. Luckily we are not alone and once in a while a good idea appears:
Puzzle Bobble
Karate Blazers
Puzzle De Bloques
Magical Cat Adventure