reply to my assignment 2 (Ted) aka tim

"To what degree does the non-use of or at-least minimized involvement with new technologies stand as a kind of resistance to the mainstream these days?"

while I do like how you put "resistance to mainstream" in a way I do feel as if it is. However I feel more like a technology outcast then a clever savvy rebel. I will say though that being anti-technology and not using the internet social networking as others do, makes me feel more humanized. I feel that if half the people I know were put in everyday social life awkward situations they would not know how to deal or feel comfortable or ignore it after the moment has passed. I on the upper hand have a way with people, you know that I would rather feel a real connection with other human beings, then using the internet to make connections. I know you all fool yourselves with that line "oh its faster or better for me, :fits my lifestyle" while I feel sorry for you then. I also believe Ted that the media has made my generation so dam insecure that the internet works almost as a security blanket, providing an out lit for my generation to reinvent themselves. I guess I dont feel the need to do that and I will keep using real human contact to suffice my needs.

As for the comment of the press of a button and you could become anyone. I am envious of generation, the base in which sub-culture you fit into was labeled by your style and the movies you like a recreational activities where you would meet others like yourself. Now we have people on face-book writing out their favorite movies ect. By the time you meet this person you could of had most of their personality likes and dislikes already picked out. whats their left to talk about. In your generation people seemed to be true to who they were. The other think is how did people make friends before a phenomenon such as facebook? town squares, traveling, school, sports activities, church socials? now how you go into a chat group called :"alternative music" and everybody that likes that is who your going to meet? NO! perhaps their are people who want to meet other people that like alternative because thats what they think is cool, so they are able to get away with it being in this chat room, because therefore no one is in from the same place visiting this chat room, no one can see that you dress like a private school boy/girl. No one knows anything about you. Or you have face book where I can see everything down to what underwhere you wore yesterday. I dont think their is a nice medium, I wish their was because then maybe I wouldn't think of most of technology as an evil empire........At the end of all this Ted I still feel like a technology outcast, and I am ok with that.

where do we pull social norms from?

Random thought : I was taking to a friend and they mentioned that when they went to sit on the beach for an hour head down just sitting drinking coffee no music staring into the abyss, that people would look at them like they were depressed or ask if everything is alright. I thought that was weird because I had done the exact same thing but not thought at all about what people think. It's like my parents tried to instill social habits and norms from their time period combined with modern age and I still disregard it. I realized today that I have no social awkwardness. I envy the people who say "god that was awkward I cant believe you/they said that. Think about what so and so will think. I then become mad for not understanding entirely the situation. I am not sure if this is a blessing or a curse. Right now it's a blessing because stuff that consumes the general population (social normality's) don't consume my mind. This is good. The bad part is I then am unable to interact with another human in this sense. Humility is that another way to interact with someone by sharing this moment together. I will never be able to have that until I start abiding by social norms. Is it worth me doing so, just so I have another way to interact with other people. ....anyways rambling.