Technology's Attack on Relationships: Take Two

      Mass media and technology have evolved our style of relationships. Relationships used to be about compassion, commitment, and true love. We may still have that in today’s culture, but the style we have in approaching it is completely different.
      One of the main reasons as to why relationships have been changing is because of how they are advertised in the media. Society chooses to mimic the media and fulfill these “role models” whether they mean to or not. A very popular style in today’s culture is, bluntly, to see how many people you can sleep with. The cast of “Jersey Shore” is a prime example of how young adults think they are supposed to act. The better “game” you have, the cooler you are. This is the idealized single lifestyle that young adults attempt to fulfill. When they do decide to settle down and get into a committed relationship, they usually decide to make their relationships more technology-based so they do not have to deal with the stress of human interaction all the time.
      Without the need for human interaction, people rely on technology to stay in touch with their spouse. Technology has rapidly changed our ease of access to other people. Whether we use dating websites or social networking sites to find our soul mates, we lose the simplest way of communication…speaking! The ability to hear someone else laugh, talk, cry, or see them smile is something you can never get with technology. There is no way to show emotion over a text message or a computer screen; basic human contact is the style that used to always be used.
      Although technology has advanced greatly for the industrial world, it should not be brought into love. We have lost a lot of human interaction and have learned that is acceptable through the media. Our styles of relationships are easily influenced by what the media feeds us. Our relationships have the potential to be committed and loving, but it is a matter of getting over the threat of brainwashing from the media and technology.

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Technology's Attack on Relationships

     Mass media can bring relationship standards down to disappointing levels. Our relationship styles have evolved greatly since the 1960s. There are online websites to find a companion, or we have the usual find someone in a bar. Neither of these are usually what we would call stories to tell the kids and grandkids. The main aspect of relationships, though, is how they are perceived in the media and in the general public in our society.

Love at the press of a button

     Relationships used to be about compassion, commitment, and true love. Although we may still have that in today’s culture, we have a completely different style of going about it. Texting, facebook, and “sexting” are all the newest ways of forming and “keeping” a relationship. Technology has changed the meaning behind a relationship. The way the media portrays relationships are either way over the top, fantasy fairy tale love stories or there are the relationships where the man treats the woman like dirt or sleeps around and the woman is usually oblivious. If we compare that the show, “Leave it to Beaver”, it is very apparent that these are complete opposites. The husband and wife in “Leave it to Beaver” had a respectable, happy relationship, unlike how our culture portrays relationships.
     My grandparents were married 53 years before my grandfather passed away and they were the most loving, committed couple I have ever seen. My grandfather was always a chivalrous gentleman. There may be a select few men who do treat their ladies right today, but according to the media proper gentlemen are a minority.
     The style of our relationships today is very technology based. We have lost a lot of human interaction and have learned that is acceptable through television shows and movies. All of the previous examples show that our styles of relationships are easily influenced by what the media feeds us. Our relationships have the potential to last for a very long time, but it is a matter of getting over the hump of getting brainwashed by the media.

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Two Prescriptions for Writing

      Within two weeks, my entire world seemed to be falling apart right before my eyes. My father walks out and then not even two weeks later, my role model grandfather gets diagnosed with lung cancer. In my heart and mind, there was no possible way to get through such a shock. My mother was very upset as well and we needed to find something in order to cope with all the heartache.
      We came up with the idea of writing; we can write anything down from our thoughts to simple adjectives scattered around the page to exemplify how we were feeling. Writing became a release for my mother and I; we would trade our writings to get a better understanding of how each of us was feeling.I took our idea above and beyond because I would sit in my room for hours intently writing poems and multiple pages of what I was feeling inside. Being able to let out all of the pain by simply taking a pen to paper was exhilarating to me!
      Writing is a good way to learn about and love yourself; when a person’s life seems to be falling apart, being able to explain how you feel boosts self-esteem and gives a sense of serenity. Writing was my outlet for the hardest times in my life and I got through them as a stronger person who lives life to the fullest! Writing has truly been a healing and rewarding experience for me.

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My Life is a Dream

      Growing up in a small town with little to do, I never thought that my biggest dream would ever become reality. I have always had a strong passion for playing softball and just like every young athlete, I dreamed of having the opportunity to play Division I college softball. My family was always very supportive when it came to getting me on multiple teams to be able to play all year round. After my parents got divorced when I was in high school, I did not know of any possible way that I was going to be able to fulfill my life-long dream. My mom and grandpa were my heroes; they did not skip a beat when we had opportunities to go to college showcases. Without their unconditional support and sacrifice I would have never been able to achieve my dream of becoming a Division I college softball player.