Civilization IV
I just bought a Civilization IV cd last week. I have yet to play it but I'm kinda worried if my PC can handle it. Which got me thinking about why having the latest, most expensive video card has become a prerequisite if you want to play the newest games. You could go the way of the console but you would still need to upgrade to the next-gen versions if you want to play the "coolest" games. Call me paranoid, but I see a something disturbing here; an alarming trend of consumerism fueled by the blinding pace in which technology has advanced in the last decade. And it’s not just limited to video games either. Consumer electronics like mobile phones, PDA’s, portable music devices and the like have become necessities for most people. This is quite remarkable considering that a few years ago it was a luxury only a select few could afford.
Is it a conscious effort by the major electronic companies to flood us with these gadgets? Are their marketing skills so good as to convince the consumer that he/she can’t live without having these toys? For toys are exactly what they are. Do we really need to have a PDA in order to remind us what to buy at the grocery? Whatever happened to the good old paper and pencil? On a more alarming note, do people today have a need to fill up the emptiness in their lives with the latest Nokia? I don’t claim to be free from these wants like everybody else. I want a 52-inch plasma TV like any other hot-blooded male out there; I want a DSL connection for faster downloads; I can’t wait for the PS3 to come out so I can act out my frustrations in real time. Hell, I’m writing a blog for crying out loud. What I’m trying to say is that technology per se isn’t all bad, but it isn’t all good either. The internet created a curious paradox in the fact that it had the power to bring people who are continents apart closer while at the same time the power to create a barrier between the people closest to you. Confused? Try imagining someone playing Counter Strike over the Net against someone from another country. Got it? Now imagine his reaction when his mother calls him to have dinner. Point made.
There is no doubt that technology has made our lives a whole lot easier. I can’t imagine not having my mobile phone with me at all times. I even wonder how I’ve managed for so long without it. This is something that I still have to figure out. If I’ve managed to get by without a phone for more than half of my life, why can’t I survive a day without it now? Has circumstances changed that much over a decade that what was once a next to worthless luxury is now a basic necessity? Has the big companies deviously manipulated the market to the point that they can dictate what we need? I dread the day when the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter gets lumped together with connectivity, having the latest 4G phone, and having a bad-ass rep on Xbox Live.
Is it a conscious effort by the major electronic companies to flood us with these gadgets? Are their marketing skills so good as to convince the consumer that he/she can’t live without having these toys? For toys are exactly what they are. Do we really need to have a PDA in order to remind us what to buy at the grocery? Whatever happened to the good old paper and pencil? On a more alarming note, do people today have a need to fill up the emptiness in their lives with the latest Nokia? I don’t claim to be free from these wants like everybody else. I want a 52-inch plasma TV like any other hot-blooded male out there; I want a DSL connection for faster downloads; I can’t wait for the PS3 to come out so I can act out my frustrations in real time. Hell, I’m writing a blog for crying out loud. What I’m trying to say is that technology per se isn’t all bad, but it isn’t all good either. The internet created a curious paradox in the fact that it had the power to bring people who are continents apart closer while at the same time the power to create a barrier between the people closest to you. Confused? Try imagining someone playing Counter Strike over the Net against someone from another country. Got it? Now imagine his reaction when his mother calls him to have dinner. Point made.
There is no doubt that technology has made our lives a whole lot easier. I can’t imagine not having my mobile phone with me at all times. I even wonder how I’ve managed for so long without it. This is something that I still have to figure out. If I’ve managed to get by without a phone for more than half of my life, why can’t I survive a day without it now? Has circumstances changed that much over a decade that what was once a next to worthless luxury is now a basic necessity? Has the big companies deviously manipulated the market to the point that they can dictate what we need? I dread the day when the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter gets lumped together with connectivity, having the latest 4G phone, and having a bad-ass rep on Xbox Live.
I know that this is a topic that needs expert analysis, not a pseudo-social commentary by this so-called “writer”. Somebody please enlighten this hapless soul, or at the very least provide me with a decent enough video card so that I can play with Civilization IV instead of over analyzing our civilization.
posted by myklvncnt @ 3:16 PM
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