sarah

whether you want to believe it or not, or maybe you’re just tired of beating a dead horse, the internet has changed everything. so much has changed; it seems as if nothing is the same. everything we do has been altered by the internet. not just in the way we communicate, although that plays a huge part, but the way we date, shop, read, all of it is different. our world has become so small. large parts of the economy have been affected.

it all started with this article by Yahoo Finance, “Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know”. and it’s quite scary. i remember reading a report a couple of years back that polled high school seniors and they learned that most of the kids didn’t know the holocaust ever happened. but, this goes deeper. it shows the world is at an apex, a shift where nothing will be the same again. it seems trivial when you think of how much more convenient netflix is compared to blockbuster. and i remember getting into a serious argument with my mother when i told her buying me a house phone was a real waste of money. but, some points of the article tug at my heartstrings to think that babies born this year won’t know the authentic touch and small of a paperback book, they won’t have the patience that could only be taught by waiting for a dial-up connection or learning to read a paper map, and they will never know the romanticism and distinction that comes with receiving a handwritten note. how sad, indeed.

then this happened. when i first saw this video on facebook (of course, because the internet rules our lives) i had an off reaction to it. personally, i don’t have anything against spankings and the like, but this displays a level of embarrassment that i believe doesn’t benefit anyone. mortifying your child is not a disciplinary action and should never be used. but, then i go back to the previous article.

as my best friend Adam put it, “thugs are online!” everyone has internet access these days and almost everyone has a social networking account. so, it would seem natural that certain behaviors that were once cloak and dagger would find their way onto the internet. especially since social networking feeds into such narcissistic and voyeuristic behaviors. everyone is their own celebrity and would love for everyone else to tune in to their show/lives. e-thugging and bullying is nothing new, so posting allusions to gang activity, especially amongst young (and dumb) individuals should not be a surprise. however, if my brother ever alluded to being in a gang, my father would go off! and it seems as if this guy’s father (or uncle??) did too. he just took it to the next level.

i won’t debate whether the father-uncle was right or wrong, because that is personally something i an undecided on, but what he did was try to exhibit his message in the same manner his nephew tried to debase himself. he is just keeping up with the times, right? all we know is, the internet is changing the game and, unless you want to go the way of encyclopedias and cds, you better be ready with a modern approach.
2 Responses
  1. ME Says:

    Nice post! I agree, that online butt-whooping was utterly disgraceful.


  2. sarah Says:

    i thought so too! it took a minute for me to half-see where the "uncle" was coming from, but it still doesn't sit right with me.