Socializing: in person or behind a computer?

MTV Shows

First off, the video above took me forever to find online, so I hope you really enjoy it. While watching MTV, about a week ago, I stumbled across this commercial and immediately thought of the novels we've been reading all summer, especially Amusing Ourselves to Death. In the video, the girl says she wishes that there were more teens interacting with each other, fighting for a cause, and getting out and enjoying the world. I think it's a nice representation of Postman's book.

My question to you is: do you think that sites like Facebook and Youtube have eliminated our need to socialize in person with other people, or do you think that they allow us to have more networking options to enhance our socializing?

"Video Killed the Radio Star" and left us with "Dirty Laundry"

"Video Killed the Radio Star"

"They took the credit for your second symphony.

Rewritten by machine and new technology,

and now I understand the problems you can see.

Oh-a oh

I met your children

Oh-a oh

What did you tell them?

Video killed the radio star.

Video killed the radio star.

Pictures came and broke your heart.

Oh-a-a-a oh"

"Dirty Laundry"

Don Henley - Dirty Laundry

- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

"We got the bubbleheaded bleach-blonde, comes on at 5

She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye

It's interesting when people die, give us dirty laundry"

These two songs relate to Postman's novel, Amusing Ourselves to Death. In Chapter 5, he speaks of how the telegraph and photograph came in and gave the first excuses for "news-from-nowhere". And throughout the novel, he goes on to say that as technology got better, society went from being literate and having very good comprehension to "knowing of lots of things" but "not knowing about them".

The first song, "Video Killed the Radio Star", brings up Postman's point that as technology is being quickly enhanced, other forms of relating ideas are pushed to the side. Books killed oral speeches; the telegraph, photograph, and radio killed books; the television killed the telegraph, photograph, and radio; and in recent times the computer is the top dog.

The second song. "Dirty Laundry" speaks of his point that the news is so much about entertainment and advertising now that when the newscaster comes on to talk, it's all about the excitement of the story and the advertising they can do after. It's about selling the information instead of relating the information to people for a valid cause.

Personally, I agree with the messages of these songs. I believe that technology seems to keep improving more and more each day, and the latest things seem to keep coming out each day. I also believe that newscasters are more worried about their appearance and ratings then the actual news. Let me know what you think.