Musing.
Humanity is at a crossroads of technology and nature. For quite sometime we have existed in a society almost entirely detached from nature. A society basked in monolithic religions has conquered the elements, thanks to the proliferation of technology, and basked humanity into an illusion of control.
Many centuries ago we created a story in which man was separate from the animal and that Earth was our kingdom to reign. This story has been internalised by our species; one which never fails to prop us as the protagonist. As the second decade of the 21st century rolls on, we have started to believe in these stories.
Technology has played a major role in supplementing this illusion. Whether it is our modes of transport which have made continental distances into mere overnight sleeps, or modes of communication which have turned us all into citizens of the world. We also seem to be living in a time of astute contrasts.
Many of us have a knowledge of the world around us, and have a particular penchant for the landscapes and cultures of faraway continents. How many of these same people know about the histories of the towns they inhabit? We may be able to name the last 5 U.S Presidents without much difficulty, but how many of us know the name of our own local MP?
Facebook tells us that once we log-in, we are “connected”, and this lexicon suggests that by appearing online we are sharing a moment with others and their virtual presence. Scrolling through the newsfeeds of the different social media applications that live on your phone…