A friend of mine named Monte recently pointed out to me that no one says “Hi” on campus.
It took me a second to process this because to be perfectly honest I hadn’t noticed it recently. I remember thinking about it freshman year but now as a senior I simply didn’t detect the deficit of campus greetings.
I wondered why that was and after walking through campus and doing an unspoken scientific experiment I realized that Monte couldn’t have been more correct. No one says hello to strangers.
Not only do people not say hello, they make obvious attempts to not acknowledge other people’s existence. It’s as if we believe that if we look at the perfect angle (away from everyone) or decide to check our cell messages at the right moment, we will be able to avoid even a head nod in the stranger’s direction.
The film “Me, You and Everyone We Know” is about people trying to connect with one another in a digital age where all our connections tend to be filtered through some electronic device that separates us from actual human contact.
This film makes a great argument about the state of American society and should have been filmed on the DU campus. Walking through the labyrinth of copper and brick on the way to class you will notice, by my estimation, at least half of the people you encounter involved with some sort of mechanical extension of their body.
Whether it be the tell-tale white headphones of an ipod or a cell phone pressed firmly to their ear people will be distracting themselves with electronic devices. All over campus you will notice large groups of people walking near each other, but in reality they will be completely separate.
Before the digital revolution people relied on each other for entertainment.
Before ipods, personal computers and cell phones, people used to write letters and play board games. Remember those days? I don’t. I grew up at a time when technology was working to turn each human into a walking office/home entertainment system.
How many people do you know without a cell phone? Can you check your e-mail on your cell phone? My ipod can play movies, what can yours do?
The thing is: these advances in technology that were intended to bring us closer together are really separating us. Don’t say “Hi” to a stranger, text your friend. Don’t go to the record shop and talk music. Download your favorite song.
At this point in time, I don’t know if there is a solution. Humans crave the gadgets and gizmos that they believe will make their lives easier and more entertaining. We want to have the latest toys, it’s our culture.
What we mustn’t forget is that it’s our nature to be social creatures. It is of our nature and our evolution to share ideas that advance our race. So I guess the only solution is to unplug one day when you walk to class; if it doesn’t work out, plug back in and have a nice life.
