Materialism

"We live in a greedy little world/that teaches every little boy and girl/to earn as much as they can possibly/then to turn around and spend this foolishly". Shania Twain says it best: We do live in a "greedy little world". I write this blog post on Black Friday. It's nighttime so things have died down but I have pretty much looked at the entire day but I spent the day in town, shopping and going through sale after sale after sale. In fact, my mother and my sister started off the day outside of the mall, standing in line with everyone else waiting to burst into the mall. And for what? Good deals. It's ironic that we have Black Friday after Thanksgiving; nothing seems more hypocritical. 

Americans are trapped. Perhaps the rest of the world is too. We are exposed to more advertisements than we ever have before and we are given a whole new bubble of technology to distract us. This is a perfect set of conditions for everything to brew under. 

Small children want toys. Yet, in a way, adults want toys too. They want their fancy gadgets: iPods/iPads, TVs, nice laptops, cars. All of it.  

We have become addicted to things. They're all that we're able to think about, it seems. Everyone works so hard only to blow all of their money away. 

And who can blame us? People have been groomed. We're supposed to go to college, take on debt, get out credit cards, get a nice, big house, get a car expensive enough to be someone else's salary and be able to pay for the college tuition of the 2.5 kids we're supposed to have. Ads murmur to our basest selves and peer pressure is even louder. 

When I walk through hallways, I see girls with Juicy Couture and Vera Bradley, Abercrombie and Fitch as well as so many other designer clothes. For many, I can see how this would be enough to start up the urge and learn a set of behaviors that would make the urge strong for their entire lives. And that's pretty much the state of our society. 

With this kind of attitude, it's easy to forget what's actually important in life. It's easy to lose track of the fact that there are the deeper pleasures of life, that some things cannot be so easily replaced as toys can be. It's easy to lose yourself. 

Sure, people might acknowledge it in a shallow day like they do on Thanksgiving. They pretend that they've really mulled over their true blessings rather than just brushing it aside. They pretend that Thanksgiving is really about family rather than awkward situations, stress and turkey. Then their true natures emerge on Black Friday, when they show what has really ruled their lives. 


Of course, relishing in physical things isn't too bad if done in moderation. The only problem is that it seems most people are obsessed with it, that their whole lives are centered on it. And that's where the real problem lies right now. 

Materialism in excess leaves you distracted. You forget about love, happiness, freedom, thought. You only want things, only want to fill the deep hole inside of your chest. The only problem is that that deep hole will never be able to be filled. That greed inside will be insatiable because someone will always have more. Instead, you have an addiction you cannot fully shake. 

I truly feel sorry for these materialistic people. One day, they'll wake up and they'll realize that their life and everyone  in it is gone. 

Materialism has slowly buried our minds, our hearts and everything in between under layers of pretty toys. 

Crowds

I hate crowds. They set my teeth on edge and make me want to scream. The noise makes it hard to think, and the closeness of the people makes it hard for me to breathe. Crowds are loud and close and violate every instinct I have. I feel sick to my stomach and my nerves go on fire. I want to run and push past everything but I can't. Any more than a few people in a somewhat small place makes me very uncomfortable.

That's why Thanksgiving and I don't mix. That's why my school hallways and I don't mix. Usually I just push past it and forget about it. Yet now I can't. Especially since my family is large and full of large extroverts. I know it's stupid and I should get over it but I can't.

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do about everything. I'm a lone wolf by nature, thriving in solitude. It's bad enough to be in a crowd but this Thanksgiving, I will be forced to interact with said crowd. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get a spot on my couch, crammed in between others. If not,  I can handle a few people at a time and sometimes I can't even handle that. My encounters with people are so unproductive that if I could just shut off my biological need for human companionship, I would do so in a heartbeat. If I could stop worrying about them, take the pressure off, things would be easier.

I can't exactly say what it is. I know it's stupid. Crowds and throngs of people won't kill me. Hell, I shouldn't even have this fear being as I go to a public high school. And yet I have it. I'm sure they're actually beneficial to me. I'm sure that if I got over my discomfort of crowds, I could actually escape the suburb that I live in for a much better place.

Anyway, I wonder why I have it. Is it the fact that I feel threatened by the distraction of all the senses? Threatened by all of the people who I can't always keep track of and watch? I don't quite know why I dislike it so. Yet I do.

It's easiest when something distracts me. When I can think about something else and not have to worry about everything. Sometimes I think about the news or sometimes I breathe in the crispness of the air. It makes it easier. Sometimes, I can just take deep breaths and exhale slowly and that can work for me too. It all works, I guess. While it would be nice to whip out a book or sneak up in my room to write, that would probably be considered "rude".

It helps to latch on to one person too during Thanksgiving. At least I can talk to them and forget the fact that I'm utterly surrounded by so many other people. The sounds and the sensations of close people are things that I can forget.

So yeah, crowds and I aren't friends. For that very reason, Thanksgiving and I aren't exactly friends either. But I can live.

I'm still jealous of my friends with small families and quiet meals. I'm even more jealous of those who are surrounded by introverts.

The Majesty of Pets

Contrary to the beliefs of many, the world does not revolve around them. Hell, it doesn't even revolve around humanity itself. There are other creatures, among us, those that we have decided to take into our homes. And those little critters are our pets.

I am completely in love with my pets. They are my babies and I cherish them. This love pretty much extends to all furry, cuddly creatures, dogs especially. People might scoff at my complete love for my pets, but I don't get it. If anything, I think that people should value pets much more than they do.

Why do I favor the furry? Why do I think that pets are often so much better than human beings? Good question. Furry creatures often tend to be the most loving, the most giving. Pets in general tend to be very, very loving and open, much more than people are. Pets tend to have souls so much purer than those of most human beings.

Sure, a dog and some other pets can be mean. That's usually a result of people being mean to them. A vicious dog is always a sad sight to behold. Most dogs are kind, kind creatures. Why does my dog jump all over strangers? Why did my partner's dog pee all over the floor in excitement when I came to work on our school project? They have so much love and sociability inside of them that it literally explodes. And yes, dogs do stupid things like eating stuff they aren't supposed to eat and peeing in the house but none of those things are malicious.

Pets are innocent, though, and that innocence is absolutely beautiful to behold. That's why violence of pets has been so appalling to me as well as the blatant dismissal of their rights. They are children at their very cores. They give love and urge it with everything they have and they do so unconditionally. You can discipline them and then they'll come around the corner to be pet again. They never think of getting hurt or worrying what the next day will bring. Yes, like children, they are petty. My dog is often a child begging for candy at the dinner table. Pets often worry about silly things like a scary looking branch or leaving their mark. Their greatest worry is when they get their dinner. They do not know about evil and hurt and so they love and trust with everything they have. They give everything for their owners and would often die to protect them.

Pets are so empathetic and so feeling that it kills me. My dog can sense when I am home from school and when I am sad. She is the best listener in the world, the warmest blanket I can find when I am cold. She lets me hold her and hug her. When a minute goes by and someone isn't petting her, she will end up pacing the couch and looking up at everyone with wide eyes, begging to be pet (see picture below). It's one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. In many ways, pets are even better people than people are. 

Yet, these tiny creatures are so vulnerable. Whenever I hold Tinks and feel her cuddle against me, feeling her tiny heartbeat, I know that I hold her very life in my hands. Whenever I hold her, I am in awe.

I was reminded of this lesson throughout the day, when I felt the love forces of my pets as well as those of my partner's when I went to her house. Their cuteness and their love are so incredible and overwhelming that I can't help but bury myself in them.

Human beings are not so great and they do not hold the world in their hands. There is a gentler, meeker force that needs to be recognized, helped and seen for what they are. Their innocence and vulnerability simply make them deserving of our help and of our love and care. They are our pets and they are our world.

My baby girl, Sandy

My baby girl, Tinkerbell ("Tinks")

Why Are So Many Americans Stupid?

 A lot of people think that Americans are stupid. The sad part is is that, for the most part, they're right. The even sadder part is that I'm saying this as an American myself. I've been getting a total influx of stupid lately, so I can't help but be totally exasperated. It's been learning about history, seeing how people learn about history and still don't make the connection and are just stupid in general. I swear most of my peers and their parents just sit on the couch and watch stupid crap on TV.

Of course, not all Americans are stupid. I'm certainly not and I know a lot of my friends aren't. Honestly, though, if you were to pull a random Brit off the street and ask them a bunch of questions and then if you pull a random American off the street and ask them a bunch of questions, the chances are that the Brit would probably win by a landslide. Maybe if you go to Starbucks, you might get different results (Starbucks is where the hipsters are) but generally, that's pretty much the case.

I'm not just saying this. I definitely have some proof and experiences to assert this theory, however, so this isn't just talk.

First off, most Americans couldn't have an intelligent conversation if their life depended on it. They're too distracted by reality TV shows and celebrity gossip. If they're a guy, they like sports (which has much more merit but still). While this would be alright if it was just the occasional guilty pleasure, it literally dominates the lives of way too many people. Instead of caring about what this country's former CIA director was doing in our lives (and the activities he was overseeing in Afghanistan), we care that he slept with someone besides his wife even though it's not like cheating is exactly a rare occurrence  I bet most people didn't even know the guy's name before this whole story went viral. Of course, Americans being shown some guy's business (that's none of their business) is a lot easier for them to handle than looking into the government's business (which is their business).

Secondly, not only can most of them not have an intelligent conversation but they actually think that they're smart. I can respect a stupid person who recognizes their own stupidity and knows not to pretend that they know something they're completely ignorant of, but most stupid Americans are not like that. Not only that but they hold fiercely to those beliefs that they pretty much know nothing about. That's the worst part. And, to their credit, they might very well be "book smart" but knowing how to cram and purge information is not a sign of intelligence. For example, a lot of them still think "America is number one and always will be number one" and have all of this bizarre patriotism. Uh, no. Our education system sucks, our currency is rapidly declining in worth, we are fourth in industry and our GDP and GNP have been much stagnated (versus China and India's, who are rapidly increasing). So, if we are "number one", we definitely won't be for that much longer.

I think the worst part all of this is the fact that this stupidity is perpetuated in society. Not only does our education system suck, but so does our media. Stupid people are praised and given reality shows; intelligence and intelligent programs are often seen as "geeky" and too complex. Essentially, intelligence is, at best, seen as nonessential and, at worst, as a flaw or setback.

Okay, now I know that there are plenty of stupid Europeans out there along with being an American. I'm not saying that being a Brit automatically makes you smart or that being an American makes you completely stupid. But, like I said, Americans tend to have a greater stupid population for the above reasons.

I mean, what is the fallout of a stupid population? It makes me think that there has to be a concerted effort to be that stupid or at least a combined concerted effort by the media and the government to condition people into stupidity. The idea that people could be this easily, naturally stupid is too terrible for me to comprehend, honestly.

It's really scary that I'm surrounded by this much stupid. Government officials can pretty much do anything they want and only a few random people would protest; the others would be either too brainwashed to do anything or too distracted to say anything. And, actually, this has happened and will probably happen more. They're actually quite dangerous, because that's how totalitarian governments like it. I almost feel like those kinds of people deserve to be stripped of their freedoms though, because they didn't work hard enough to keep theirs when they had it.

Gaming

Today is a special day. Because it is Veterans Day, you might say? Yes but no. Today is so special to my friends and I because it is the anniversary of Skyrim's release. Gaming was revolutionized.

I have a confession to make: I'm a sucky gamer. I'm actually really, really bad. All I do is crash things and get myself killed and get in last. All sorts of lovely things like that. For this reason, I'm best at Grand Theft Auto though I always get busted by the cops. In my defense, I can only game over my friends' houses because I have no gaming systems at home (and didn't grow up with video games growing up). I have a Wii now but I don't really use that to game all that much but to play sports. So... yeah. I can game online but apparently online games are much easier than games on any controller so I'm screwed.

There is something pretty cool about gaming. Even in my suckiness, I feel exhilarated. Kicking some guy's ass (or, uh, beating, shooting or stabbing him) gives me a thrill. It's an adrenaline rush. Grand Theft Auto is my favorite because I can do this most often (and the little figures look and sound so funny when they fall down and scream especially if they are struck down by your card).

I was first introduced to gaming when I was younger. My mom signed me up for a course at my camp called "Game Making". My mom thought it was word games for some reason but it turned out to be video games (I knew I was in trouble when the instructor came up to me and handed me my name tag when I hadn't even said a word). At first, I felt dread but I found that making and playing video games was actually a lot of fun. Of course, the boys at my camp complained that my game was too easy (theirs were impossible to me) but I didn't care. I found something fun. I met my gamer friends years after this and they, of course, were much better gamers than I ever was (very good even by gaming standards).

At this point, I hear the objections from some of my readers. "Video games make you violent", they might argue. "They're a waste of time", others might say. Or, the most annoying response to my gamer girl friends, "Why would girls like video games?"

First of all, watching a video game character get killed feels nothing like watching a TV character getting killed. It feels fake. I don't make the connection to a human being at all. Real human violence still makes me feel equally as appalled as it did when I started gaming and I suppose my friends can say the same. I suppose those who start gaming young might be desensitized. After all, they cannot yet make this distinction and so it affects them during that time. Violent games should strictly be for older gamers for this very reason, of course.

Secondly, gaming is a form of entertainment. It's done to help someone relax and give them a good time. Must everything be productive? People need a chance to relax and video games can often help them do that. It's no different than writing, watching TV, playing sports, reading a romance or any other hobby. Some might argue that the above have educational value or help with physical and mental health, while video games stagnate the mind and make you antisocial. However, gaming often can be a social activity like it is with my friends and it has enough challenges to keep you alert and fully aware. Games like Skyrim can even incorporate elements of Norse mythology and high fantasy and read like a story; other games incorporate real life elements (gamers tend to be of the geeky sort after all, so these elements are often a turn on). Gamers tend to have great hand-eye coordination and can even be better drivers; they also tend to be really great at problem solving and not relying on others in the process. In small amounts, video games can teach a variety of important real life skills. It's only in large amounts that it can be problematic and can cause a variety of health problems, antisocial behaviors (when constantly gaming alone) and, at worst, addiction.
The notion about girl gamers is pretty insulting. There are a lot of preconceived notions about gamers in general but girl gamers are often treated harshly (especially by the gaming community itself). Yes, most gamers are guys. That's probably because games tend to be targeted towards guys and society paints gaming as uncool for girls. There's less of a chance for girls to be introduced to video games also. Admittedly, two of my gamer friends were turned on to video games by their older brothers. There's also a lot of sexism in games and with many guy gamers. Yet girls are turned on to the same elements of gaming as guys are so their interest shouldn't be surprising.

Obviously, most of these negative feelings towards games and gamers are held by those who don't game and never have. They're pretty ignorant and baseless.

The rush of gaming is like no other. It's actually pretty awesome. I'm so glad I have gamer friends who turned me on to gaming in the first place.

So, yes, today is a special day. Without Skyrim and games like it, my friends and I would be radically different.

Getting High Off of Life

Life is a drug that you can snort. So many people try to escape it and sometimes, it's because their life just feels permanently ruined, a stash sprayed with pesticide. So many people don't live their lives and so many people throw away their lives or other lives without a second thought. Most just shuttle from their lives day to day. Because I am at school and have somewhat limited resources as a minor, I can't say that I fully live mine and I have so much left to do. And yet, I have been finding more beautiful things within it, things that make me want to just live and live and live.

I feel that feeling when I take a picture, when I notice all of the beautiful things in nature and take a good breath of fresh air. I feel so fresh, like I'm rejuvenated. In all of those moments, I feel like I should feel that way all of the time but I don't. 

Perhaps life would be easy to get high off of if you lived the life you wanted to live. I suppose that's the point of this article. I just... don't feel high most of the time. If anything, I just feel well, low. Like low in school and everything like that. 

Yet then there are those moments. Those little moments where I feel like I'm somehow at home, somehow just another creature among many other creatures, somehow having reserved my place in this year. In those moments, I feel this rush and this brief peace, this sense of belonging. Those little moments when I feel happy and I just feel so free in that moment that I can shout. 

It is in those moments when I'm able to get high off of life. I'm able to feel an out-of-the-world exhilaration and taste crisp air and look around at the beauty all around me and I just feel totally at awe at everything all around me. In those moments, I realize that the world is such a big place and so small at the same time and it's just so incredibly wonderful sometimes. I feel like I can just hop and skip and hop and skip. Wow, it's incredible. 

I wish that I could just feel high off of life more often because it's such a great feeling then. I feel high off of life when I'm writing and around writers, when I'm taking photos on a nice day, when I'm on a rollercoaster. I feel like I should.

And yet I don't. I don't know why, but I don't.

Life should be about taking risks. About living and experiencing. There are always things that get in the way of that, though, and I just don't know why. I should be getting high off of life all of the time and yet I can't do that.

Politics

 Politics is that complicated science that governs our world affairs. It's a game that we pay people to play, but the consequences of losing it can be deadly. There are two sides, two parties; there are the Democrats and Republicans, with only a few other fringe groups. Second only to religion, it is the Topic Never to Be Discussed. And that's completely ridiculous, of course.

Politics are that unspoken thing on a lot of people's minds, though.The passion on both sides is so high that it's palpable. Today on Election Day, the stakes are high on both sides. Romney and Obama are neck and neck and there's no telling what will happen. That's scary.

I won't lie: I'm a raging liberal. I'm the deepest shade of blue that there is and it's pretty surprising that I don't bleed blue. I tested "Super Liberal" on the test we took in school (the only thing that I'm budging on is gun control). Clearly, I want Obama to win even though I've been less impressed with the way he's acting (yes, Romney is that bad to me and the stakes are too high). And another thing I'll admit- there's nothing I love more than political debates with libertarians and uber conservatives.

I am both interested in politics and disgusted by it. Democrat and Republican politicians are as greasy as fast food and just as hard on the stomach. Still, I am passionate enough about the issues to be passionate enough about politics.

If I could vote for the candidate I really wanted, I would want Jill Stein, honestly. I have looked at her platforms and I generally agree with them much more than Obama's.  However, being as she is definitely not going to win and I live in a swing state, I would vote for President Obama. I suppose I'll have to wait three years to cast a vote, though. If you're not from the U.S., this might be foreign to you (then again, it might not since foreign people actually tend to know more about American politics than Americans). Obama is my second choice but whatever.

Politics governs our lives. With careful maneuvers and sly promises, politicians dictate almost every facet of our lives. They decide our taxes and they decide what we can do and all sorts of things. In essence, politics is our life and our government. That's why I think that people are so passionate about these sorts of issues, I think.

Of course I'm interested in politics. I want to know what's going on in my country and any threats that I have coming my way.

Mostly, I'm interested in social issues with the two major issues to me being gay marriage and abortion/ contraception rights. I'm also very much interested in healthcare and social welfare programs. Taxes and all of that jazz aren't nearly as important to me, although I believe that the trickle-down economics and laissez-faire way of doing things that Romney wants is completely ludicrous and that it only gives businesses more opportunities to take advantage of people.

Politics is so interesting to me. It's so interesting because these issues are so complicated and have so many gray areas in them that force me to think about things. There are the major issues and then there are the smaller issues that somewhat relate to the bigger issues. They give me things to think about and people to talk to about such things. It shows the essence of the way that humanity functions in a way, the essence of how people operate. If aliens came down and wanted to observe human behavior, they should look at how various people talk about politics.

Of course, it's so disgusting because of all of the back-hand deals and the lobbying and all the sort of things that make it corrupt and ineffective. There's a lack of genuineness about how they operate and there's so much deceitfulness. Instead of sitting down and talking about the issues like grown-ups, all of there is is petty fighting and getting reelected. Politics should be about the issues and the people but often it's about politicians and the corporations that serve them. Politicians pretend be honest and they pretend to relate to the people but they just don't.

I may not agree with a lot of what Obama has done, but I really, really don't want Romney to win. I don't understand how his plan will create jobs or how giving to the rich will possibly benefit the middle class. I don't understand why he would be against abortion and then cut the programs that would help single mothers and would help prevent pregnancy. I don't understand why he is against giving everyone the right to marry and love who they want to marry and love. If he wins, it could have drastic consequences that I could write a whole other post about it (I still can upon request).

Politics is the complicated science that governs our world. Our life, world affairs... It all hangs in the balance, in the hands of politics.

Dating: The Clingy and Creepy

It's quite a common occurrence for teenagers to "fall in love" in a matter of mere days with people that they barely know. While this is really just lust mixed with teenage idealism, it still manages to be mistaken for "love". Perhaps I must feel this heady combination in order to understand what it does to a person, but I have not; I only see things from an outsider's perspective (as in seeing people spend time with their significant other 24/7, make goo-goo eyes and croon pet names, make out in the hallways and that whole deal).


However, my friend has gotten a particular guy who won't leave her alone. It literally borders on stalking and it kind of creeps me out. She has told him that she doesn't like him and doesn't want a relationship with him and I have told him that she doesn't like him and doesn't want a relationship with him. Yet he trails her and puts guilt trips on her and everything like that. It's incredibly annoying and pretty desperate and pathetic of him.

As usual, I have learned a lot about relationships from my friends' dating experiences. Everything from this to my other friend's verbally abusive relationship has informed me about the dark side of dating and it has made me stop and do a double take. There was a time when I would have done anything to be in a relationship, when I would have accepted anybody. I now see the danger of that predicament and am glad that no one asked me to date them.

Contrary to assholes, the clingy guys are usually seen as pretty nice at first. Too nice, like something's off. They wait on their girls and they say all of these really nice things and everything like that. These guys will be the ones to complain that "girls never like the Nice Guy". And that's because they aren't genuinely nice, but they're creepy.

Now, I do know where this all comes from, of course. The guy who is going after my friend clearly has no self confidence and he is trying to get my friend to be with him so that he can somewhat restore his self confidence. That's the case with these clingy guys. They are desperate, hopeful, pouring all of this energy into the relationship because they desperately need to be.

That's a recipe for disaster of course. You have to be in a relationship because you love that person, not because you're still trying to love you. You have to know and love yourself to know and love another person. Otherwise, the relationship is toxic and it will only be a matter of time before everything implodes (causing both parties to be hit by the shrapnel).

Not to mention, poor self confidence is a turn off. There's too much desperation, too much raw hope there. There's too much dependence and not enough freedom. Ir's hard to appreciate someone when they aren't able to give you the freedom to breathe.

Clingy can turn to creepy really easily. Obviously, becoming obsessively in love with someone in that amount of time is unhealthy and scary. It's a sign that the person is unhinged a little bit and that's not something people really good. It can turn into something really dangerous really quickly, especially when there was a large amount of delusion involved.

Clingy/ creepy guys are even worse than assholes and the pervs in my opinion. It's much more subtle and there's no telling how it will end up. There's always that lingering guilt in dealing with these kinds of people too.

Of course, I hope my friend turns out alright but I don't have a good feeling about this. Fortunately, she is a black belt so that would help her if things get out of hand.

"Love" happens too easily in teenage years. Make sure your creep-o-meter to sniff out the creeps is on.

Note: I'm sure this is a problem with guys too. I know plenty of girls like this. However, this is coming from a girl's perspective. 

The Internet

The Internet is an infinity of information in a click. A connection with more worlds than I can think of. For a geek like me, that's paradise. I always loved the Internet before. I always have. Yet when I had to go without it for a few days, I learned to love it even more and appreciate me having it.

When I didn't have the Internet, I felt so disconnected from the world around me. I had no idea what was going on and I had a much more limited ability to talk to my friends. I felt odd and empty.

The Internet has also become a staple in terms of my entertainment and something that I almost need. It's one of the few things that can entertain me when nothing else can. With the Internet, I can multitask, do a variety of tasks. When I get bored with one thing, I can think about the next thing.

On the Internet, I can observe and create content. I have a vehicle of expression that actually feels significant. With the Internet, I can make a mark and see other people make a mark too. It feels something very powerful.

There's something about the Internet that I love. I love that I have a world of my own, a world that I can actually fit into and work with. I love that I can learn whatever I want to learn and whenever I want to learn it. I love that I can actually connect to people that are like me and that we can actually create something pretty awesome. It almost feels magical and euphoric somehow.

Of course, I know that there are plenty of negative qualities to the Internet. I know that, unlike me, many use the Internet to make themselves stupider rather than more intelligent and they often end up saying cruel and hurtful things. Many often exploit the Internet and use it for their nefarious purposes (like crime). I also know that Internet dependence such as mine can create a load of unhealthy problems (some that are particularly unique to this generation, of course, such as the need for instant gratification as well as the large numbers of obesity and widespread inactivity).

Without the Internet, I have to admit that my life would be drastically different. My worldview would be different, I might not have been able to sustain many long-term friendships and I probably wouldn't know as much. Not to mention, I would end up being bored for much of the time.

I can already hear some older person talking about how the Internet has ruined the youth and about “the good old days”. I think that’s a load of B.S. because I’m sure their grandparents and parents yammered about technology and what it had done to them but they have been fine. My generation isn't entirely worse than theirs because of technology; it's just been different. There are good things and bad things about it and what it brings.

All I know is that I love the Internet.