Computer and Phone Dependency

1. Have we become too dependent on computers and cellphones?
2. How many people use computers and phones today?
3. What is the future of humanity regarding the use of these technologies? 
4. Will these technologies eventually replace outdoor activities and socialism?
5. Are people becoming introverted because of this?
6. What is the average time spent on the usage of these?
7. Is this dependency a good or bad thing? 
8. Are we benefiting or being damaged by these?
9. Why are people so dependent of these? Why?
10. Can IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder) be obtained from these?

Since the invention of the computer and the phone, society has become increasingly dependent of these devices to function in the everyday life. Almost every aspect of people's lives has been affected in some way by the use of computers and phones. These devices can be used to conduct business, meet new and find old friends, maintain relationships, stay updated, and many more things. Every year, more and more people rely on these devices to survive each day, from waking up to going to sleep, people are dependent on these. Thus, it begs the question - have people become too dependent on these technologies.

Elie Wiesel and Friendswood

Henry Barboza

Professor Young

ENGW 1101

April 10, 2017

Elie Wiesel and Friendswood

            After reading The Perils of Indifference speech by Elie Wiesel, I was astounded. Reading this profound and saddening speech I learned new information not only about him, but about what indifference is, how it affects people and about World War two. Wiesel’s speech is a powerful piece, he talks to the president and explains that what was happening in Auschwitz and Treblinka was known by the Pentagon and by former president Roosevelt. This left me impressed as it is something that I did not know about the war, it is something that is both terrible and confusing. It made me feel just the same way as in Friendswood. With Willa being raped but others knew and did nothing. It amazes me that this kind of indifference can happen and so much terrible decisions made.

            In Friendswood, character Willa is raped by two students in the football team while she was blacked out from drinking. Her friend Dex was present and did nothing. He knew that something was wrong but decided to remain silent and other people knew as well, like her parents but did nothing. It makes me wonder what leads people to make these decisions to just be by-standers much like the American government in World War two with the situation in the concentration camps. It compels me knowing that people know something is wrong and unjust but still decided to be mute or turn a blind eye on it. Doing this causes indifference to the victims of these events and as stated by Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, “he or she feels forgotten” (Par. 9). These two events are related because they are crimes and in both times, they were left behind by others. It is sad to realize that this is a reality and I believe people, instead of being by-standers should take action and help, intervene where it is needed.

            If situations like these keep going on, it is unpredictable where our world is headed to. Would anyone want to see crimes on-going on a regular basis, with people knowing who did it and doing nothing about it? Would anyone want to integrate this feeling of disparity and indifference towards the victims of these crimes? Why should people just decide to watch and not act, if someone is drowning would you watch them struggle and slowly die or would you help? These are questions that I ask myself. Questions that would help other people realize that our fragmented mentality is wrong. That by not helping victims and the law punish the perpetrator we are essentially an accomplice.  Both the rape of Willa and Wiesel’s speech are very eye opening to how helpless and demised people feel when nobody helps, and the agony they go through when they find out people knew but did nothing. Our mentality needs a change and as human beings action needs to be taken, else our world is going down a dark path.  

Group-think is a state of coexistence where individuals within a community try to reach a state of harmony and the avoidance of conflict. Although it sounds like a good idea, this can have positive and negative outcomes; it can bring people together and minimize conflict or it can severely diminish an individual's opportunity in life through the suppression of their being. The outcome depends on the situation, but I think it always ends up taking something valuable of the self from those involved.

We live in a society where most teenagers try to fit in, go with the trends and the flow, which ends up taking away their sense of self; their individual thoughts as human beings disappear. Whether they want to fit in their friend-group or just in genera, oftentimes people like me find ourselves not speaking up and rather just doing what everyone else does. This tends to be more prevalent in small communities because they want to live in harmony, have no conflicts, avoid controversial issues and isolate themselves. Also because there are less individuals to suppress, it makes that process easier to keep track of the community and the topics that are discussed.

Personally, I think that group-think it’s a futile way of living because the only thing that it does is get you to think like everyone else and seek for their acceptance, which for me is not something I agree with. I should be able to make my own decisions, talk about whatever I want without having a filter in my life that is trying to control and dictate my moves. Group think should be dropped as soon as it starts to have an impact on the way one thinks, acts and lives. It is dangerous for people to live like this because then no inventions would be made, the controversial topics would not be exposed to everyone letting them know of the dangers that they may contain, ideas to arise and individuals to take action against wrongdoing because they want to avoid conflict within their community and live in their own bubble of harmony. A perfect example of this is to look at the Reformation of the 1500’s where Martin Luther spoke openly against the church and their wrongdoings. Many people who lived in a group thinking community spoke against Luther because they wanted to avoid speaking about controversial topics like the indulgences and other things that were corrupt within the empire. If Luther had not gone against his community, this issue would probably have never been resolved or it would have been too late. I think that he felt restrained of his thoughts because of the way his community thought around him, what he was taught and if he had not broken those chains then he would have not made an effort to battle this.

I think that the best time to descent upon group thinking is when it starts to take over our thoughts and our lives, where we can no longer express ourselves freely and speak of anything we want. We should able to command and dictate our own moves and not be filtered and forced to act and speak about certain topics. We would not do what we truly want to but rather we will go with what everyone deems correct, even if it goes against what we think. We would be like a herd of sheep that will be afraid of the wolf, which in this case is going against what everyone thinks is okay. That is why group-think is dangerous.