Technology-Assisted Experience-ing

While my friends were in Araneta cheering on Team Ateneo against UE at yesterday's basketball game, I was at a meeting. It was sad that I wasn't able to go, but technology was there to save the day. I received tweets real-time, straight from Araneta. When my internet connection fluctuated, I received text messages. Unfortunately, Ateneo lost, and I got the news real-time.

One of the issues raised as to technology and its effects is that it has made a society of couch potatoes. Instead of going out and experiencing things personally, we have technology to give us at-home substitutes. We have televised games and matches, online updates that we receive real-time, and even simulation games on our computers. Children don't even come out to play anymore because they have all these game consoles, and even online games which they can play with their friends from anywhere in the world.

With all the advantages technology has given us, sometimes we don't realize that we miss out experiencing things in the flesh. In that game, for instance, despite all the updates I received, there is nothing watching games live. There, you can actually feel the tension with all the screaming, the cheering, even the taunting. A tweet cannot compare to the experience of actually seeing your favorite player make a near-impossible shot. Y!M and text cannot compare to face-to-face conversations with friends. The challenge therefore is to be able to maximize the use of technology in allowing us to experience things vicariously, while still wanting to experience things for ourselves and still maintaining personal relationships.