People often complain about the internet reducing the amount of intimate interaction we have in life. For example, instead of calling someone to hear their voice, people send an email or chat on MSN or Facebook. And I think this does happen, to an extent. But for me, in my situation, the internet has increased my ability to communicate with the people I love and care about.
I am big on travelling. I have been studying in Denmark for over five months now. About a year ago, I travelled around South America for two and a half months. Before that, I spent four years at a university that was 2000 kilometres away from home. If it wasn’t for the internet, I wouldn’t be able to keep in touch with my loved ones back in Canada - they would have to rely on postcards and snail mail, which means they would hear from me, maybe, every few months. With the internet I can get in touch with them pretty much whenever I want.
I also have endless options. I send an email. I can call home from my computer. I can use Skype for a free live video chat (cheaper than a non-visual phone call). I can chat with them on an instant messaging program. And I can blog. The latter is my primary way of keeping the masses of my friends and family informed of my whereabouts and goings-on. I give them the link, they read it, and then respond by email. When I want to talk to my family or my really close friends, I arrange a Skype date.
I remember when I’d be on the computer back home and my dad would often say to me, “You’re spending far too much time on the computer, go do something else, grumble grumble!” And I would say, at times, he was definitely right. There are times when I just waste the day away watching TV shows online or surfing random, pointless, unnecessary, stupid web sites. But without the internet I wouldn’t be able to keep in touch with my friends from South America, Europe, the States, Canada, or anywhere else.
I can make friends all over the world and keep them. And I think that’s pretty cool.
2 comments:
I say bah to the internet. Got an address I can send some snail mail to? (How much is postage to Denmark anyway?)
I can't believe it's been five months already. I still remember sitting in the sushi restaurant trying to figure out which books Hans Christian Andersen *actually* did write.
-Ant
Thanks for posting, Ant. I do have a snail mail address. Haha, I remember that too.
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