The English Language as a Tool of Empire

        Upon revisiting my first blog post I have noticed that my concept of where empire is apparent in the present has greatly changed. When I first began humanities core I viewed empire as something that was only present in businesses such as monopolies or in systems such as education that reign over us. However, I have come to realize that the empires we often discuss in history classes indeed do have “ruins” or influences that continue to reign over us today. As such, the past continues to affect the present through tools such as language. The English language in the United States can be viewed as a tool of empire that reigns over the people emitting control, influence, and power.

       I have learned that language is a tool for establishing power over people in an empire and this is evident in today’s society through the use of the English language. In California for example, there are people of various ethnicities and so various languages are spoken. Language is used by these people as a form of connecting with their culture even while in the United States. However, in the school setting English is primarily spoken and so the students must conform to the US empirical power. Language can then be seen as a tool for the US to establish their reigning influence on people of so many different ethnic backgrounds.

       The use of the English language can also further be seen as a ruin of past empires that continues to reign over the empires of the present. The English language in the United States can be viewed as a reminder of the British rule that reigned over the founders of the United States, and arguably continues to reign over the US today. The reign of language can then be seen as the empirical ruins that continue to reign over the United States from their former ruler. Language is a tool of empire that is used to establish reign and control and is often a ruin or reminder that a previous empire once existed.

      The English language can also be viewed as a tool of power for those under US control. The ability to speak out against injustices and to be heard comes from the use of the English language. Often when people rally to protest, they deliver speeches in the English language and in this way influence others. The message of their words such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement begins to resonate with the American people. The English language then gives people a platform to resist empirical rule and to establish their own sense of power. The English language can then be seen as a tool for empire that transmits power to both the rulers and those who are ruled.

 

Los Tigres Del Norte Portray Mexican Migrants’ Mestizo Identity in the Song “My Two Nations”

     Los Tigres del Norte explore the mestizo identity many Mexican migrants assume in the United States in the song “Mis Dos Patrias”, which translates to “My Two Nations”. The speaker of the song expresses pride in being Mexican but also asserts that he is also American. The speaker embraces both countries as his own, and refutes the criticism of other Mexicans who claim that he has abandoned his identity as a Mexican for an American one. Los Tigres del Norte portray the mestizo identity many Mexican migrants who come to the US assume in the song “My Two Nations”, and also explore the reasons for this assimilation.

      The speaker of the song establishes his audience and argument regarding his dual identity as Mexican and American. The song begins with the swearing in of the speaker as a new American citizen. We first hear the voice of a white man leading the Pledge of Allegiance, the man ends by saying “Congratulations, you are now all American citizens” (lines 10-11). The song beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance asserts the speaker’s identity as American. However, the speaker then starts singing in Spanish, which reiterates his identity as a Mexican through the use of language. The speaker begins by saying “For those who say that I’m a malinchist and that I betray my flag and my nation, so that my singing may break the borders, I will open my heart from side to side to you” (lines 12-19). These lines establish the audience of the speaker to be those who criticize him as being a malinchist which is “a person with a deep-rooted Mexican inferiority complex or self-hatred for the preference for all things foreign”. The speaker argues that he will break the image of being a malinchist and a betrayer of his country with his song, and embraces his identity as both an American and a Mexican.

      The speaker defends himself by stating his reasons for becoming an American citizen. The speaker states that he worked as an illegal immigrant and his children were born and grew up in the United States (lines 24-27). He then claims that the American government had been “stepping all over” his rights. He argues “What will I do when I’m old if they take my money? I only want my pension security” (lines 31-33). Without pension security the speaker would have no way of fending for himself when he is old and therefore became a US citizen to qualify for pension security. The speaker claims “for defending my rights, I can’t be a traitor” (lines 59-60). The speaker establishes a sense of seeking security by becoming an American citizen, and can therefore not be judged as less Mexican by doing so.

      A sense of pride in the speaker’s attitude regarding his Mexican American identity is also established. In the chorus of the song the speaker argues “But who cares if I’m a new citizen I’m still Mexican like the pulque and the cactus” (lines 61-63). The speaker reiterates his identity as a Mexican even when he is an American citizen. The speaker embraces both countries by saying “Two flags stirred inside me one green, white and red with an eagle stamped, the other with its blue full of stars, with its red and white stripes printed” (lines 55-58). The speaker speaks of the two flags with pride embracing his two nationalities. The speaker ends the song by saying “Two nations fit in my heart” (line 69), embracing both nationalities as his own, and establishing a mestizo identity.

 

Bibliography

Los Tigres del Norte. “Mis Dos Patrias”, Jefe de Jefes, Fonovisa Records, 1997, Youtube,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnZSpW0-V_w

The Conflict in Assimilation for Mexican Immigrants in the Song “La Juala de Oro”

The Spanish song “La Juala de Oro” by Los Tigres del Norte, expresses the emotional struggles Mexican immigrants face when adapting to the United States. “La Juala de Oro” means “the Golden Cage” and is a metaphor in this song for how although the speaker of the song is in the United States, a country full of opportunity, he feels trapped since he is not able to go back to his country Mexico since he is an immigrant. The voice of the song expresses a feeling of melancholy for being away from his country Mexico. The voice of the song expresses the loss of culture he witnesses in his own family, as his children adapt an American identity and reject their Mexican identity. The voice of the song holds on to his Mexican identity even as he adopts an American identity as a Mexican immigrant. “La Juala de Oro” explores the conflict of assimilating a mestizo identity for Mexican immigrants.

I’m established here

In the United States

Ten years have passed

Since I crossed as a wetback

With no proper documents

I’m still an illegal

 

I have my wife and children

Whom I brought when they were young

And they’ve already forgotten

My beloved Mexico

Which I can never forget

And cannot return to

(La Juala de Oro, Lines 1-10)

The voice in “La Juala de Oro” begins by establishing a sense of homesickness that he feels in the United States. The voice of the song states that he’s been “established” in the United States for 10 years now and is still an illegal immigrant (lines1-6). The voice expresses that he has come with his wife and children and says that his children, whom he brought when they were young, have forgotten his “beloved Mexico” (lines 7-10). The voice expresses how although his children were born in Mexico, they do not remember Mexico, alluding to how they have disconnected from their Mexican identity, which pains the voice of the song. The voice also further says that he “can never forget and cannot return to” Mexico (lines 11-12). The voice of the song feels pain for being far from his country and watching his children disconnect from his country as well.

What’s money good for

If I live like a prisoner

In this great nation

When I’m reminded of this, I cry

Although this cage is made of gold

It’s still a prison

 

Listen son,

Would you like to go back and live in Mexico?

“What are you talking about dad?

I don’t want to go back to Mexico,

No way dad.”

 

My kids don’t speak to me

They’ve learned another language

And they’ve forgotten Spanish

They think like Americans

They deny that they’re Mexicans

Though they have my skin color

 (La Juala de Oro, lines 13-29)

The voice of the song begins to question whether living in the United States is worth being away from his country. The voice states, “What’s money good for if I live like a prisoner in this great nation? When I’m reminded of this I cry. Although this cage is made of gold it’s still a prison” (lines 13-18). The voice expresses unhappiness even though he has more money in the United States than in Mexico, and states that although the United States is a grand nation, he still feels imprisoned. The voice speaks to his son in Spanish, “Listen son, would you like to go back and live in Mexico?” (lines 19-20) to which his son replies in English “What are you talking about dad? I don’t want to go back to Mexico, No way dad.” (lines 21-23). This dialogue between father and son expresses how the son has disconnected from his Mexican identity by rejecting to go back to Mexico and even rejected the Spanish language, while the father still cherishes Mexico and embraces the Spanish language. The voice further says about his kids “they’ve forgotten Spanish they think like Americans they deny that they’re Mexicans though they have my skin color” (lines 26-29). The voice witnesses the assimilation of his kids to the American culture with pain since he doesn’t feel like his children identify with him anymore even though they are still a part of his ethnicity. The voice of this song expresses a feeling of melancholy as he witnesses his children lose their sense of Mexican culture as they adapt an American one, while the voice of the song continues to cherish and miss his country Mexico.

Bibliography

Carlosmeza70regio. “”La Jaula De Oro” Los Tigres Del Norte – Video Oficial.”YouTube. YouTube, 28 Nov. 2009. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

“The Golden Cage (La Jaula De Oro).” La Jaula De Oro Lyrics + English Translation (Version #2). N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

The Presence of Passive Resistance in Ghandi’s Teachings and Protests Against President Trump’s Travel Ban

   

      In the book ‘Hind Swaraj’ and Other Writings by Gandhi, Gandhi encourages the people of India to utilize passive-resistance as a method of protest against injustice. Gandhi argues “Those who believe that they are not bound to obey laws which are repugnant to their conscience have only the remedy of passive resistance open to them. Any other must lead to disaster.”(Gandhi 91) Gandhi claims that it is okay to oppose laws that are unjust, but that passive resistance is the only way to do so efficiently. Gandhi’s teachings can be seen in the protests against President Trump’s executive order issued on January 27, 2017. President Trump’s order suspends citizens from Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia from entering the US for 90 days, and bans refugees from entering the US for 120 days. In addition, Syrian citizens and refugees are banned indefinitely. Many peaceful protests arose in resistance to Trump’s executive order, as described in a New York Times newspaper article titled “Demonstrators in Streets, and at Airports, Protest Immigration Order” by Niraj Chokshi and Nicholas Fandos. Both Ghandi and the protestors of Trump’s Immigration order utilize passive resistance as a method of protest against what they consider unjust.

       Protestors of Trump’s executive order label Trump’s order as unjust and discriminatory towards the primarily Muslim people of the 7 countries banned, whom are addressed as potential sources of terrorism by President Trump, and denies help from war refugees in need. War refugees can be labeled as victims of war and chaos, and include innocent children, whom need a place of safety. Through Trump’s ban, many people seeking protection from the US are denied help. Gandhi says, “If man will only realize that it is unmanly to obey laws that are unjust, no man’s tyranny will enslave him.”(90) Gandhi encourages people to question their laws as to whether they are just or unjust as a criterion for obeying laws. Comparatively, protestor Asma Suaib, a 22 year old Muslim student from Jackson Heights, cried, “If you see something that you believe in your heart is wrong, you must speak out, and then act.”(Chokshi and Fandos 4) Suiab’s claim sounds very similar to Gandhi’s belief in standing up to unjust laws. Suiab also utilizes the words “speak out and then act”, which implies that you must utilize your voice and question whether something is ethical or right before taking action. “Actions” doesn’t refer to violence to Suiab since she chose using a peaceful protest as her method of resistance, similar to how Gandhi chose peaceful resistance as his method of protest. Resisting against unjust laws is seen as necessary and correct through passive resistance.

     Protestors utilized peaceful protests as a way to use passive resistance in opposition to Trump’s executive order. Protestors gathered in rallies across the country in public areas and airports (Chokshi and Fandos 1). Thousands of protestors even gathered on the White House lawn in Washington chanting protests (Chokshi & Fandos1).  Protestors utilized their voices rather than violence to protest against unjust laws, and express their compassion for those affected by Trump’s ban. In general, the protestors of Trump’s travel ban can be understood as being similar to Gandhi, since both Ghandi and the protestors peacefully resist laws that they consider unjust or immoral, in order to protect victims from the law.

 

Bibliography

Gandhi, and Anthony Parel. Hind Swaraj and Other Writings. New York: Cambridge UP, 2013. 90-91. Print.                    

“EXECUTIVE ORDER: PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES.” The White House. The United States Government, 23 Feb. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

Fandos, Niraj Chokshi and Nicholas. “Demonstrators in Streets, and at Airports, Protest Immigration Order.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Jan. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.                          

                                                                       

Utilizing Language as a Tool for Protest Against American Immigration Laws

     The song “Mojado” by Ricardo Arjona utilizes language as a way to protest against the immigration laws set by the American empire. “Mojado” is a song written in Spanish, the language of many Mexican immigrants who cross the border. Arjona’s audience can be understood as the Mexican immigrants who cross the border since the song is written in Spanish and emits compassion towards Mexican immigrants. The title “mojado” can be translated to mean “wetback”, the derogatory name given by Americans to Mexican immigrants who often had to cross rivers to cross the border. Arjona utilizes his words to build a humane image of the Mexican immigrant we can empathize with, as well as to protest against the laws that keep immigrants from entering the US.

(Mojado lines 1-11)

He packed a pair of shirts, a hat

His vocation of adventurer, six tips, seven photos

A thousand memories

 

He packed his desires to remain

His condition to transform himself

into the man he has dreamed of

But has not achieved

 

Said goodbye with a grimace disguised as a smile

And he pleaded with his God crucified on the shelf

The preservation of what is his

Arjona commences the song “Mojado” by painting an image of the Mexican immigrant preparing for his journey, without stating who he’s describing, simply saying “he”. By utilizing pronouns, the listener can imagine anyone, even themselves, in the immigrants place. Arjona says “he packed his desires to remain” (lines 4-7) alluding to the emotional difficulty the immigrant encounters when leaving their country. Arjona continues to say “he pleaded with his god crucified on the shelf” (lines 8-10) characterizing the immigrant as a good man of faith, breaking the stereotype that immigrants are bad and criminals. Arjona uses words to build a very humane picture of the Mexican immigrant we can empathize with.

    (Mojado Lines 16-23)

Why does the wetback need

to prove with visas

that he is not from Neptune?

 

The wetback wants to dry himself

The wetback is wet with tears caused by nostalgia

The wetback, the undocumented

Carries a weight that the documented wouldn’t carry

Even if obligated

Arjona uses language to protest against the subjugation of immigrants by playing with the meaning of words. The chorus of the song states “Why does the wetback have to prove with visas that he is not from Neptune?” (lines 16-18), alluding to how Mexican immigrants are referred to as “illegal aliens.” Arjona plays with the connotations of “alien” as being a being from outer-space, which does not apply to Mexican immigrants since they are humans. Arjona also plays with the connotations of the word “wetback” by saying “The wetback wants to dry himself the wetback is wet with tears caused by nostalgia” (lines 19-20). By saying that the “wetback” is wet with tears, Arjona changes the meaning of a “wetback” to be a person who has suffered and by saying that “the wetback wants to dry himself” he’s saying that the “wetback” wants to stop suffering. Arjona challenges the meaning of derogatory words used to describe immigrants as a form of protest against American ideologies.

     (Mojado Lines 24-33)

The search for a paper turned him into a fugitive

And he isn’t from here because his names doesn’t appear

in the archives

Neither is he from other there (home) because he left

 

If the smooth moon slips

Through whichever cornice

Without permission from anyone

Arjona challenges American laws by stripping their power away with his words. Arjona states “the search for a paper turned him into a fugitive and he isn’t from here because his name doesn’t appear in an archive” (lines 24-26). Arjona equates the “wetback”‘s suffering to his name simply not appearing on a paper, a material thing, which highlights the stark reality of how unjust the law is to the “wetback.” The paper has the power to change the “wetback”’s identity to that of a criminal. Arjona further states “the smooth moon slips through whichever cornice without permission from anyone” (lines 28-33). By comparing the moon, to the immigrant, Arjona highlights how it is only natural for all humans to travel, and laws are simply man-made barriers.  Arjona utilizes his words to characterize laws against immigrants as unnatural and unjust. Overall, Arjona establishes a humane identity of “wetbacks”, and challenges the nature of American immigration laws by utilizing language.

 

Bibliography

TheJordan22m. “El Mojado-Ricardo Arjona.” YouTube. YouTube, 26 June 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

“Wetback (Mojado).” Mojado Lyrics + English Translation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

 

 

Exploring the Idea of Mestizos in the Film “Instructions not Included”

   The idea of a mestizo has been something we have repeatedly encountered in Humanties Core. A mestizo can be defined as a person who identifies with more than one culture or race. We can observe this in Garcilaso de la Vega’s texts where he speaks from both an Inca and a Spanish perspective(O’Toole 1/9/2017). We can also relate this back to the Revenant with Hugh Glass’s mestizo identity as both white and native(Lazo 11/21/16).  I believe that the film “Instructions not Included” directed and starred in by Eugenio Derbez and aired in 2013, shares this mestizo identity. It accomplishes this in the development of the characters of Valentin and Maggie, in a way that reflects many people living in the US today, a nation of immigrants.

    “Instructions not Included” is a film that reflects the development of a father and daughter of different races. Maggie is a child born to a Caucasian mother while Valentin is a Mexican man living in Las Vegas. Julie, Maggie’s mother, leaves her in Valentin’s care. Valentin travels to the US in an attempt to give Maggie back to her mother but ends up living in the US while raising Maggie. This leads to a cross of Mexican and American cultures for both Maggie and Valentin, who assimilate to American culture to live comfortably.

     Maggie acquires a mestizo identity, by becoming bilingual. Maggie receives an American education and learns to speak English at school, but continues to speak Spanish to her father. Maggie’s bilingualism later becomes useful, since Valentin does not learn the English language and relies on Maggie for translation especially during his job as a stunt double. We have observed in Humanities Core that language often serves as an identification of culture such as in Hugh Glass or Garcilaso’s case where they speak two languages due to their families’ influence(Lazo 11/21/16). Maggie also successfully assimilates herself to both American and Mexican culture by speaking in both Spanish and English fluently. Maggie’s bilingualism shows that a duality of two cultures is possible and beneficial for the thriving of a mixed family.

    Valentin in his own way also assimilates to Western culture. Valentin abandons Las Vegas where he enjoyed living, to stay in the US for Maggie. He begins to dress differently than when he lived in Las Vegas. Valentin abandons his dyed blonde hair and tank tops for black hair and dress pants with button up shirts. Valentin’s change in clothing relates to the idea of the importance of clothing discussed during Professor O’Toole’s lecture on Incan culture as reflecting status(O’Toole 1/9/2017). Valentin’s change in clothing represents his change in economic and social status, as having improved for his daughter Maggie with his job as a stunt double. Valentin still holds on to his Mexican culture through his use of the Spanish language, but also begins to identify with American culture making him a mestizo. In general, Maggie and Valentin are a perfect example of how immigrant families in the US adopt a mestizo identity today.

Bibliography

“Instructions Not Included (2013).” IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.                                                 

 

 

    

  

Reflection on Empire

During this quarter my perspective on empire has greatly changed. During my years of school we only touched up on the surface of the idea of empire, and a vague idea of what was right and what was wrong. This is the first time I’ve had enough context to form my own notions on empire. I appreciated the exposure to the perspective of both sides, from the conquerors and the conquered. I believe that the texts invited us to analyze the cost of empire, and to determine whether we felt the cost was worth the result.

The idea of the other that was presented during this quarter frequently was something that greatly caught my attention. It not only made me consider the idea of the other in the past, but whether I could be considered the other in society today. As a Mexican-American woman I too am not considered fully “American” and the only way to prove my worth is succeeding in my education and going on to pursue a career. However, I never questioned why this was my goal. Without realizing it I believe that the reigns of assimilation have controlled me as well. It is the criterion to fit what society believes makes an individual worthy, successful, and American. If this wasn’t the case so many people wouldn’t seek education here from different countries.

I can also analyze the cost of the American empire on myself. Although my first language is Spanish I utilize English with a lot more frequency. Although I am still fluent in Spanish, when it comes to writing I am a lot more comfortable with English than I am with Spanish, even though Spanish is the tongue of my parents. The mere fact that I was born here rather than in Mexico deems me somehow more worthy to society than my peers that were born in other countries and immigrated here since they were young. It is the reason they now fear deportation, rely on the Dream Act to achieve their goals.

As minorities, many of us hold onto our cultural identity, we rarely refer to ourselves as Americans. When I am asked to label myself I always reply “Mexican” I do not say American because I don’t believe that American is a word that describes me. However, the idea that I prefer to be referred to as Mexican is also a strange since I have only visited Mexico 3 times in my life. When I do visit Mexico I also feel that I do not fully belong. Assimilation has caused me to be stuck in the middle with no real place where I can fully feel I belong.

Overall, I have very much enjoyed this course and I think that it has given me a lot to  l think about. Empire I believe is for the individual to decide whether it is positive or negative. Personally, I can’t say that I have a clear mindset as to whether I believe empire is good or evil. I have however, been able to form many opinions on the matter, some that contradict themselves. However, I can say that being openly able to discuss my opinions and analyzing the ideas of others has been a learning experience and I look forward to what Humanities Core offers me in the next quarter.

The Revenant

The Revenant was an interesting film for me to watch because of the exposure to a different perspective on Westward expansion. I felt that the frequent use of blood established a sense of cost of empire and also kept the viewer intrigued. The use of nature was also very eye-catching and the acting by Leonardo Dicaprio really made me connect with the character’s struggle. I felt that the grand value of life was greatly established throughout this film.

Blood was often depicted throughout the film during battle scenes. The opening battle scene was extremely gruesome which kept me in anticipation for what was going to happen next. The dragging of a naked dead body in this film was especially eye-opening because it showed man as bare and an easy victim to the claws of war. Man’s mortality is seen as much more prominent in this film because of the many deaths that occurred from both the indigenous people’s side as well as from the settlers.

The protagonist’s struggle with the bear also emphasized on the notion of bloodshed and how fragile man really is when in the hands of nature. However, nature also serves as a healing force as we can relate back to when Leonardo Dicaprio utilizes weeds to heal his wounds. We see the mixture of blood and nature when Dicaprio took shelter in the dead horse’s body to survive. He seemed to be reborn from the horse, a symbol of nature. The river could also be viewed as an example of nature being a healing force since it kept him alive when he drank from it, hydrating him and cleansing his wounds.

The images of the vast landscape also added to the drama of the protagonist’s struggle. Dicaprio was often depicted as very small in size against nature, whether it was his shots in the river or climbing the mountains. It seemed almost impossible for him to survive in the harsh weather conditions, dramatizing his struggle for survival. We could argue that nature emits elements from the Sublime in this movie because of its depiction as being grand and infinite in abundance.

Overall, this film established a connection between man and their original natural state, something we widely discuss in Humanities Core. I believe that it defines man maneuvered by the force of nature and a reminder that civilization cannot overpower the will of nature, because it is wild and unpredictable. Although nature works sometimes in favor of humanity, we do not have control over it and can merely do our best to regulate it.

A Blinded Perspective

The idea of “the other” brought up by the book Waiting for the Barbarians by Coetzee, still pertains to our world today. We can see it in the xenophobia that has been so prominent in Trump’s campaign. Fear of “the other” rather than an attempt to understand the other is blinding and leads the imaginary gap between us to widen. Stereotypes are also another example of how we try to categorize those different from us because it’s what has been implemented in us. Various factors such as these have created this bubble that separates us from those we consider “the other”.

The movement “Black Lives Matter” is an example of the way some people are fighting against being seen as “the other” rather than being accepted. Cases of police brutality often break out against minority groups in an attempt to establish superiority over other races. This can be considered torture which is an idea very similar to the one presented in the book Waiting for the Barbarians. This creates a wish for those oppressed to let their voice be heard, which is the motive of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Trump’s accusations against the Mexican community about being rapists and criminals, is an example of the diluted view of people seeing “the other”. His proposal in building a wall only furthers this division between people of different ethnicity. We are so blinded by the hateful views that have been established in us through the media. We are influenced by stereotypes, labeling people based on their ethnicity. This is because we are too afraid to understand another race, so instead we form a bubble around ourselves and guard ourselves against what we see as different.

We see this issue of racism towards those who are different arise even in statistics. A white man is significantly less likely to receive the death penalty than a man of color based on the cases that have been recorded. This shows us that this prejudice against men of color is not made up but a real thing that has affected many. Law is often utilized unfairly towards men of color.  This is similar to the way the “civilized” treated the “savages” in Waiting for the Barbarians as less than them.

In conclusion, we live in a very diverse nation, but have still not succeeded in fully valuing those from a different ethnicity than us. We must learn from one another in order to get the real perspective. It’s difficult because this racism has been implemented in us for many years now, but not impossible if we make the effort into understanding each other. Getting out of our bubbles is the first step in making this happen.

 

 

 

The Tyrant that is Technology

The idea of man becoming a slave to its culture is brought up in Rousseau’s Basic Writings, and is something we can still identify today through the evolution of technology today. We see it everywhere, in the way we navigate utilizing GPS, in our obsession with our phones, in our craze over social media, even in the way we pass our time utilizing a TV or video games. We are as Rousseau puts it “happy slaves” to technology. However, is our reliance on technology making us less human?

    When we’re thinking about going out with friends or even on a date we usually rely on a trusty app to tell us where the nicest restaurant nearby is, and our GPS will tell us how to get there. Ratings on the restaurant give us an idea of what the restaurant will be like. However, these ratings are keeping us from constructing our own opinions. We’re merely relying on other’s opinions of what the restaurant is like and it will cause us to form a bias about what it is like when we do get there.

    Our phones are another example of how we’re controlled. On our phones we keep our contact numbers, so many of us don’t bother to memorize anyone’s number because we already have it in our contacts. We also rely on our phone to communicate through texting and phone calls. However, this often keeps us from socializing with the people before us, since when we’re going on an outing with friends; a person in the group is often texting instead of paying attention. We even rely on our phones to do homework for example, if we don’t remember the definition to a certain term, we’ll look up the definition on our phones, relying on that rather than our own intellect.

    Social Media is another example of how technology runs our lives. We are often influenced by the trends we see on sites such as Instagram or Facebook, such as using certain forms of slang because of the repetitive exposure to them. We also learn about all the celebrity gossip, which influences our opinions on certain people in a negative or positive way, rather than forming our own opinions. We also often get caught up in doing things such as utilizing Snap Chat to show our friends what we’re up to, taking our privacy in life away. The reason we utilize these social media sites is because many people utilize them so, we follow the crowd and do the same rather than being an individual.

    The way we pass time has even been affected by technology. Many of us often resort to watching TV, or utilizing our laptop or tablet to use Netflix or something of the sort. We play video games and often become obsessed with these hobbies. Our obsessions often make us neglect our duties such as homework, studying or any other task we should be doing. TV even brainwashes us into buying certain things through repetitive commercials that claim that we need certain products. We often fall for the lure of infomercials.

    Overall, we can conclude that we are slaves to technology, but are happy with the way things are since we have become so accustomed to it. We often depend on technology to form our ideas and to connect ourselves with the rest of society and its culture. However, is this necessarily a bad thing? Or should we be proud of how technology connects us?