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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-05-31, Page 66 Signal Star • Wednesday, May 31, 2017 opifli� • www.goderic#lsigna $inaI-$tar9A more anti -social world VOL. 26 – ISSUE 10 PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 Signal Star Publishing 120 Huckins St. Goderich ON N7A 3X8 519-524-2614 www.goderichsignalstar.com POSTMEDIA JOHN BAUMAN Group Manager, Media Sales jbauman@postmedia.com ext. 232 JANET SHRIER Office Manager jashrier@postmedia.com ext. 220 KATHLEEN SMITH Editor katsmith@postmedia.com ext. 211 SUSAN MCINTOSH Sales smcintosh@postmedia.com ext. 228 TARA CORRAN Sales tcorran@postmedia.com ext. 230 STACEY SCOTT Inside Sales sscott@postmedia.com ext. 229 RHONDA BUTT Accounting rhbutt@postmedia.com MARY JOHNSTON Accounts Receivable majohnston@postmedia.com CURTIS ARMSTRONG Group Director of Media Sales 519 376-2250 ext. 514301 or 510 364-2001 ext. 531024 Editorial Deadline - Friday 2 p.m. Advertising booking deadline - Friday 1:30 p.m. SUBSCRIPTION RATES ADVANCE: Regular $50.00 includes GST (12 months) Seniors $50.00 includes GST (14 months) US $249.00 plus GST Foreign $416.40 phis GST Single Copy 51.50 includes GST Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 120 Huckins St., Goderich ON N7A 3X8 For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: 519-524-2614 Goderich Signal Star Is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, whlch is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For more information or to file a complaint go to www.mediacouncil.ca or call toll free 1-844-877-1163. The Goderich Signal Star shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad for typographical errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of that portion of the ad in which the error occurred. The Goderich Signal -Star reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement. The Goderich Signal -Star is a proud member of the Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) and The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA). Member of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association and the Canadian Community Newspaper Association. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. ocna uanaaa Is the technology that is meant to connect us, isolating us more than it should? Kathleen Smith Goderich Signal Star Wie have all been witness to t and we have all been guilty of it - being fixated on the world of likes, followers and funny cat videos on our cell phones rather than with the real world happening around us. As technology advances with new products that will perform more efficiently and more quickly, information and entertainment at the ready constantly, our human social behaviours seem to be regressing. I remember when growing up, the most technologically advanced handheld devices that we had access to, were a Nintendo Game - boy or the Tamagotchi digital pet. Each generation can look back fondly at their childhood and notice a significant difference between what they experienced and what is influencing the minds and social behaviours of today's children. When I was a child we would go to school and not know if our friends would be there or if they were home sick; if we had a project or essay to do, we had to go to the library, talk to the librarian and take out several books; if we wanted to meet someone for lunch, we made plans ahead of time and stuck to those plans, and while walking to lunch we would have nothing but conversation and actually observing our surround- ings; if we went to a restaurant, wedding, birthday party, the mov- ies, a park or the beach, we actu- ally enjoyed moments instead of trying to capture and display eve- rything for people to see. I remember being young and having to remember information, people's names, birthdays and phone numbers, whereas in today's world we have it all stored inside the memory of a phone or tablet, rather than the memory inside our brains. Truth be told, today 1 most likely could only rhyme off a handful of phone numbers, and that is only because of the frequency I call those people - when I was younger, I had to memorize numbers and addresses. The emergence of handheld devices that could connect to the Internet changed our world. In a positive manner, we are instantly connected to friends, family, facts, information and entertainment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On the other side of that coin, the negative consequences seem to be endless, from antisocial behaviours that could lead to social anxieties, to constant mental stimulation and poor sleeping pat- terns, which could result in weight gain and depressed states. Despite the contradicting posi- tive and negative impacts that our dependability on technology and devices has on our mental and social wellbeing, changing with the advancements in technology and any social changes can be healthy - life is change. Everything around us is chang- ing and growing constantly, and we too must move along with it. It is very convenient to have access to information at our fin- gertips, but at what cost? To recognize and enjoy what we have, there is Family Day; to raise awareness and promote a healthy environment, there is Earth Day. Perhaps there should be a "Day without a cellphone" where every- one shuts off their handheld device, by choice to take part of course, and remembers how to look someone in the eye as they walk down the street or order a cup of coffee. I am sure we have all had the experience of driving north to the cottage or to go camping and the lack of cell service is at first daunting. After a few hours of not having to be at the beck and call of people we are not spending time with, a sense of peace and freedom settles in; you might actually forget that you have a cell phone sitting File photo Has the technology that was made to serve us created an antisocial monster, in the way we interact with others and constantly search for gratification? somewhere up at the cottage while you enjoy interacting with human beings on the beach. When did we become so uneasy to stand somewhere waiting for a ride or for a friend to show up, that we had to entertain ourselves by looking at our phones? Why did we forget the feeling of belonging we get when we look at others, smile at passers-by or actu- ally converse with people? Unfortunately I do not have all the answers but I can understand that there is a very thin line between the positive aspects of technological advancements with the downsides and aspects of regression in social interactions. As I write this, I am reminded of • a set of comparison photos: one of young adults on a streetcar, all in their own world, staring at their cell phones. Beside this photo, is a black and white print of young adults on a streetcar during the 1940s and they all have their heads in a newspaper. Perhaps the way we interact with others has not changed all that much, but rather the means in which we remove ourselves and commit anti- social behaviours has changed. Perhaps it is in our human najure to want to soak up as much information as possible and have access to it; maybe we deal with and interact with people on a con- stant, that sometimes for mental health reasons we remove ourselves from situations and momentarily escape. I try my best in social settings to be checked into my surroundings and mentally checked in to the con- versations around me as well as the people I'm spending time with. I constantly remind myself that the news or the picture so-and-so posted will be waiting in the depths of the Internet universe when I'm done enjoying the people around me, paying attention to the people in front of my face, making memo- ries and actively living. It is time we all remember that the people in front of us are more important than the people we are connected to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It is time to remind our selves to not get lost in the fog of social media gratification and the dark trap of constant comparison. It is time to remember that we can go for a walk down to the beach without documenting it or without our phones completely, not only for our mental wellbeing but to not be a slave to the technol- ogy that was created to serve us. It is time to open our eyes at the beauty around us and in our world; at the love and gratification we have right in front of us; at the beauty in a moment and a mem- ory; at the mental images and impacts we carry with us through- out our years of the events and memories of our lives. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Signal Star welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include the writer's full name, address, daytime phone number and signature (for verifica- tion). Anonymous letters will not be published. We reserve the right to edit all editorial submissions including letters for clarification, style and length: Let- ters must be signed and be in good taste and follow the laws of libel and slander.