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“Onlinism” and the Real vs. Virtual World
Social Networking and the Demise of Society
As We Once May Have Known It.
Onlinism and “social networking” has become the standard, “de facto” ways of life for this western generation. Do we really know anything else?

Once you start playing the Sims, who needs real life?

Or if you play role-playing games, who wants to return to the mundane, uninteresting, “Real 3D” world?

The virtual world seduces in a huge way.

Do you think you can, will leave it, and go interract with real people instead?

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There is a ever increasing group of talented “young people” and “not so young people” who spend most of their free time online. Additionally, they are turning to the Web for means of income.

This is a fairly new phenomenon, but probably one that’s here to stay, at least while everyone has electricity and the grid keeps performing.

What does this mean for our society?

Well, what it probably means is that society will change and adapt, as it always has. Of course let us not forget that societies do fade and disappear…

Nevertheless, right or wrong, good or bad, old habits die and new habits are born.

It looks like the future generations may decide to live without much, or even any, actual human physical contact. Perhaps they will find comfort in having pets. And order pizza online.

Of course, in order to procreate, they may have to marry an “actual person.” Will they? Does one want to have little ones scurrying about touching the sanctitious reverential electronic equipment?

If people do decide to marry, will they then tire of the Internet and join the physical world rather than live in their “virtual” one? Will their children be onliners or choose the real world, opposite of their parents?

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People do crave human contact. But more and more we seem to grow more distant from one another when we are in public places. Even parties.

We avoid looking at each other, we avoid physcial contact, we idly say polite phrases to one another signifying nothing, and we seldom if ever actually engage in meaningful conversation.

Do you know your next door neighbors? Do you interact on a daily basis?

How often do you see your family members? Are you all spread over the country or world, hardly recalling what one another looks like?

What about your children or parents? Do you sit down together, talk together, take walk together and really connect with one another?

If you do, you are an ever decreasing minority.

The world changes… we adapt.

Could it be that one day, we could have our “robots,” and that actual human to human interaction becomes a novelty rather than the standard?

“Wow! A real live person! How interesting! What will I say, what will I do?”

Science fiction has delved into this subject quite often and predicts bigger index fingers, bluish, greyish countenances and permanent couch potato flaccid bellies and rears.

But other writers say that we will tire of our online communities and reenter the “actual 3D” world.

But the online world of friendship, communication, game and role playing is mesmerizingly addictive.

Furthermore, it is BETTER than the real world. It is more romantic, more beautiful, more controllable, more imaginative, fancier, darker, lighter, more idealistic than the real world.

Those immersed in said worlds may never have the will to leave them.

Pull the plug and they will be lost. But, consider this… the human is most related to the cockroach, rat and pig. We are highly adaptable.

So, perhaps we have nothing to worry about! : )

 

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