Digital Representation devices have provided a distraction from boredom through there stimulating entertainment in both adults and children, and are a primary reason of our societies failure and ignorance. From day 1 of any persons existence on earth they are surrounded by digital representation devices. We are brainwashed from the start to think certain things, not all of which relate to digital representation devices. When a child is born it is dressed in a pink outfit if it is a girl and a blue outfit if it is a boy. We conform to this because this is all we know. To a certain extent, the same applies to digitalization. We buy mobile phones but rarely use them for their original purpose. I for one, rarely talk on the phone and spend all my time sending text messages because everyone else does it, not necessarily because it is easier. When asked by my parents why I choose to send text messages over talking on the phone I realize that I conformed to doing it because everyone my age does. The main reason for the decision of teens to text message goes back the digital representation devices as a method for people to prevent boredom. A conversation on a given topic that can be completed through talking on the phone in a matter on minutes can last for a span of numerous hours through text message which provides a stimulation for someone over a longer period of time.
Stimulation comes into play at a young age and is almost an addiction. The common situation for children is video games. Often times, primarily in America but also in many other countries, children are left at home while parents are at work. They spend their time watching television while simultaneously playing handheld video games. They use this as a way to alleviate boredom because it is easier than going out and socializing face to face with friends or being active. Even at times when parents or siblings are home that could provide a different form of entertainment or stimulation, the child often chooses to play his video games or watch his television because it is effortless on his part and the decisions he makes in his forms of digital representation devices will not nearly have a similar affect on him as the decisions he will face in real life. This does not only apply to video games with children. Families in general use digital representation devices to avoid boredom or awkwardness. An example is my extended family. Every thanksgiving we get together to see one another and end up watching a movie together. We almost use the movie as a way to make it seem like we all get together and enjoy doing things together. In reality though, during the movie everyone is glued to the television screen and no one talks to each other. The movie in a given situation can be a tool to avoid getting into a personal conversation with a person or group of people. After the movie though, we all talk as a family, but strictly using the movie we all just watched as the base for our conversation. This is how hidden and unintentionally most of these digital devices can be. They affect the way we socialize and behave. My family as a whole would have gotten into more arguments and fights if it weren’t for television because we would not be avoiding things. On the other hand our family would be a lot closer because we would know more about one anothers lives. I personally know very little about how my cousins are doing because of the mere fact that our relationship is so weak and the memories we have are just of us and the rest of our family huddled around a box of moving motions silent with our eyes glued to the screen.
Digital representation devices are the easiest way for us to escape reality for a while. Often teens and even adults go to movies on dates. Usually they do it for sexual pleasure and sometimes even for the excitement of the actual movie. But they often take their “dates” to a movie theater because this is the easy escape to an experience where little talking is done. Friends of mine have admitted to bringing a girl to a movie because they felt unable to hold a decent conversation with the girl. This is an effect of the aftermath of spending too much time isolated alone playing video games.
One of the worst problems with all of this is that we are unable to face it and are in complete denial of it. If would not be quite as bad if we were universally able to point out this mistake and its affects and do something about. The reality is completely different as we think we are fine and it has little effect. I often hear an argument for video games and other digital media representation devices as being a good thing. Whether the argument is good or not becomes irrelevant when you realize how many people fall for it. This just puts us into deeper denial of the situation our society is in as a whole
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