A World of Isolation

In this modern age of technological advancement, it is sad that people get lonelier every waking day. Before the advent of microchips and virtual reality, we grew in knowledge through direct observation and skill through direct participation.

Last night, I was looking at my 15 year old daughter, Christine, slump on the sofa flipping channels. She moaned that there was nothing good enough to watch on TV.

Unbelievable!

300 channels and nothing to watch! When I was growing up, we only had 4. But I could while away some afternoons watching old movies and some evenings watching game shows. I never complained. Never cared that we had only 4 channels, which to me, was a lot more than I could handle back then.

Frustrated about nothing to watch, she retreated to her room, closed the door and plugged in her earpiece to listen to her iPod music player. I liken this small contraption to an invisble huge wall she can put up anytime she wants to withdraw in her own little world. This is also a subtle way of saying "don't bother me" or "I'm into my own world" moment. Oblivious of her surrounding, it isolates her from the rest of us.

Meanwhile, her phone doesn't ring but lights up to signify an incoming call. She flips it open to read a text message and replies the same way. Whatever happened to the voice on the other end of the line?

Today, she is in her room socializing...on line. She emotes as if there are other people in her room. She laughs, she giggles, she screams, she gets mad and she empathizes with her friends' frustration and pain. Alas! all in a virtual world.

A world of isolation. Such is the age of modern technological advancement.