Bright Lights, Big Headache

We are "Generation Y." Those of us in our twenties and even late teens fall into this category because we are too young to remember the Challenger Disaster, but old enough to recall the horrific events of September 11th. Video games, smart phones and electronic books have invaded our space and taken up permanent residence in our lives, and, to be honest, besides the rising obesity and diminishing eyesight that this has brought to our millions-strong group, I am proud to be a part of the "Millennial Generation."

However, and you know there is always, until the literal end of time, going to be a however with me, the instant gratification that we have been conditioned to expect is backfiring, I believe, in a big way. The pings and dings of our collective devices have not only created a constant, and extremely unwelcome symphony of reminders and messages, but these simple audio bytes have turned us all into the human version of Pavlov's dog. As soon as that buzz is felt or that familiar tone rings out, as sad as it is, our Gen Y hearts skip a beat and we are at our phone/iPad/computer screen in nanoseconds. The bright lights of technology have us conditioned, and we are drooling with delight. 

But sometimes it's just too much. The constant connectedness is overwhelming and occasionally intrusive. Why, oh why do I need to be notified every time someone clicks on the "like" button of the brand new photo I posted of Central Park? In what dimension do I need to be alerted that Nicole Polizzi, who most warmly refer to as our modern-day heroine Snooki, had a nightmare about leopard booties taking flight? The answer is actually quite simple. You see, social media overload has made hypocrites out of all of us. We say we don't want to be assaulted by this information, but if I did indeed post that photo and it was ignored by my entire facebook community, I would be slightly devastated. I would wonder to myself what was wrong with the composition of the image? Was I trying too hard, not hard enough? But, once a few people have confirmed that my photo is in fact "like-worthy," I am able to relax because I know I have confirmation of a job well done. The "like" button and the comments section is like a virtual pat on the back that we all crave. Good job, stranger, you done good. The Snooki alerts are my own fault as well. I chose to follow her on twitter fully knowing what kind of misspelled junk I would be forced to take in when checking my twitter feed. And the sickest thing is that somehow over the past few months I have allowed myself to follow every single Jersey Shore cast member, and even one of their mothers. Of course, their tweets are surrounded by CNN Breaking News posts and North Korea Updates, thus making me well rounded and eclectic, right? ...right?

So the problem at hand is really a self-induced one. We feel bombarded by technology and social media outlets, however we can not stay away. It is as if they breathe life into our otherwise hum-drum day. How can I live out this Monday without viewing 237 images of your recent trip to Sugar Mountain, North Carolina? The actual answer is, I can't, although I might pause around photo 174 for a quick check of Tumblr, Gchat and LinkedIn. These days, we can't miss a thing. Receiving information fifteen minutes after the intended arrival could be catastrophic. I still can't believe I didn't retweet Ellen fast enough to win that super-secret coveted prize that she only made privy to her intimate group of 11 million followers. It will haunt me to the death; I could be the proud owner of something special. 

It's a double-eged sword, a catch-22 and we are all addicts. But do me a favor and be addicted during your own time. The following times are not considered your own, so kindly detaching yourself would be much appreciated... When I am sitting across from you at brunch, lunch, dinner. If I wanted to eat alone, I would have done so. If someone else is so important why are you not guiltily splitting the bread basket with them? When in a movie. You took it upon yourself to look up a time that was compatible with your day, then you drove/subwayed/bussed to the theater. After arriving you shelled out upwards of $14.50 depending on the city in which your movie-viewing is taking place, and you mean to tell me you are going to buzz, ping, ding, smirk, and click your way through the entire plot? Gen Y classic. And seriously, and I am VERY serious about this one (please see previous post titled 30,000 terrifying feet up to know just how serious I am), turn off your phone when the stewardess tells you to do so. I am not exactly sure why Gen Y truly believes somewhere deep down that they are aviation safety experts. When you can make a situation teeter more towards life than death, why would you blatantly ignore this advice? Please stow your arrogance as well as your technology in the overhead bins provided. The Kardashians will still be posting annoying updates of their workout schedules and achievements when you land safely at your destination. 

The necessary evil of being connected has taken over our generation. We are almost lost without our devices. Checking our social media daily, hourly, constantly has become a habit, and I'm sure for most of you the feeling of anxiety creeps in when this, for some reason, can not happen. I fear for those younger since it seems they have been born and raised on a steady feeding of screens and buttons. 

I know that human interaction will never completely cease to exist, but it sure does seem like it's on a continual decline. Losing oneself in computer-generated interaction needs to be kept in check. Enjoy the now. The bright screens and tempting deluge of pop culture knowledge will be there to greet you when you are done living in the outside word, I promise. 

Now please excuse me while I blast this blog out to everyone I have ever met using every platform of social media that is in existence today. Gen Y til I die.