Technologically Advanced? Let’s try Dependent…

Technology is a funny, funny thing. I mean look around – how much of our tech-savvy lives need to be plugged into an outlet? House a battery? Soak up the sun’s rays? Everything we’ve created is contingent on an outside power source. I find it a little ironic, actually, that after praising the internet and online journalism so much, I started this blog on paper…you know, writing with a pen? An apparently more reliable form of communication, even if it can’t reach the masses.

Today at 1:00 PM the Miami area as well as other portions of Southern Florida and all the way up to Daytona, experienced a little over an hour long black out. I was stranded alone at work for a moment and am not too proud a person to admit that at one point, yes I was convinced this might be an alien attack…whatever I’m imaginative alright?

After a few minute of serious consideration, and a few out of area phone calls however, I figured that no, an alien invasion was not, for today, an immanent threat. Overreliance on technology, however, is another story.

After managing to settle myself down I realized, “Oh NO! I have a blog due for my class at 5:00PM!!!” Well I stared at the blank black computer screens all around me and was a little distraught – “now what?” definitely came to mind.

This all got me thinking and what did I come up with? The blog…has a flaw! It’s wonderful that what I write can reach a lot of people – but specific people, people hooked up to the internet, who have electricity and quick modems and blackberry’s and everything else. But what about when we lose connection, or worse still, never had it to begin with? Not a day goes by when I don’t see a computer, access my email, check my blog or other people’s blogs, but the truth is that’s just simply not the case for all of America.

So after some time in the dark to think of things other than aliens I reverted back to how I started writing, pen in hand. And what conclusion did I draw by the end of the page? Online is great – for some people, but newspapers, magazines, broadcast news, radio – its all necessary. Everyone needs to be able to access information in many different ways, because what do we do when it’s lights out for the greater portion of an entire state? I mean – we need options. The more ways to get the news the better!

So who knows – maybe its time I gave Mr. Newspaper another shot at wooing me, I’m skeptical, but we’ll see.