Wherever you turn we are reminded of this soon becoming hobby of our generation- from the basics of watching tv- US drama after drama- 90210, gossip girl, desperate housewives, the good wife.. to more local programs such as; Eastenders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Holby City... then there are the 'Homeland' dramas- Indian, Pakistani, Arab...toppled by the latest youtube uploads- where hitting one button of 'subscribe' can lead to an average Joe Bloggs becoming a partner on Youtube- earning money from our watching!
This is the worse kind. When the object of spectating is so within reach (where you can message, befriend, facebook chat, twitter tweet these born-at home celebs)- there soon after grows a fascination of understand the video makers life- what they eat, how they dress, where they shop, even what contents lie in their makeup bags & handbags! Something you would not on a normal day ask the average person!
But why have we become so obsessed with watching other people & their lives? Why do we feel the need to sit & spend hours- be it at your work desk, or when your laying in bed with your Iphone and you cant sleep, or on a commute to work or University- why are we so proactive in watching other people live their lives rather than living our own to the fullest? Have we always been this nosy? Or has technological advances just made convenient what was before a less achievable when wanting to obtain intimate details on other peoples lives.. Call me a prude but from rubbing shoulders with the elder genetaion, back then a 'dirty net curtain' was simply enough to get the local town tongues wagging- but why now is the hottest topic of discussion another persons misery or happiness as detailed via facebook or twitter? And moreover, why do people put such intimate details on the world wide web? Is it to fool oneself into a false sense of happiness or merely to make others green with envy, irrelevant of whether or not what was posted was actually genuine..
The worst thing is that most people, I believe, feel a sense of slavery deep within to these websites- a constant whining need & desire to post pictures, comments, statuses about their life...How many-a-time have you come across a young bunch of ladies who have the world at their feet, a future full of prospects but yet they would much rather waste away their fruitful youth posing for a group photo with open anticipation to "post this on facebook tonight"? And sadly enough, this very mentality is penetrating deep into the habits of the younger generation- just the other day I came across a 12 YEAR OLD GIRL uploading a "My daily skincare routine" video on faceboook, containing lots of harsh chemical high end products (including anti wrinkle cream!!) Bizarre!!! When I was 12 a simple "wash & go" technique was more than adequate! Not to forget the fact that concentration levels in youngsters is at an all time low- with so many distractions- why would one want to sit in a classroom & learn about the history of old civilized life when one would rather be tantalized by the modern day way of living and all that it has to offer?
As for the minority who withdraw from such activities (not necessarily the old as I have received friend invites from people on the dark side of the 1950's)... But the people who honestly do abstain from the likes of facebook, and twitter or daily watching Youtube & the like on fancy endorsements such as the latest Ipad 2, Iphone, Android or whatever gadget is available- what quality do these people possess? Is it called being 'old fashioned', or is it sheer "I'm too busy for anything else', or is it that are genuinely free to live their life how they please, without seeking the constant need of approval from society and its inhabitants?
Don't get me wrong, technology has advanced in so many ways in the form of medical advancement, easy communication between families living many miles apart...yet this one thought always eats me...in such a modern age...how does one remain 'pure' from the poisoning of modernization? Perhaps if we spent less time on social networking sites & Youtube we would have more time for the more important & wholesome things in life such as enjoying our family & health in its prime as oppose to flaunting it?...
We have become a generation in which we all know the price of everything...yet we know the value of nothing... I lay awake at night wondering what future awaits to greet my unborn children...
