The Rise of Technology and Fall of the Cheeseburger

People are. (They make something of themselves.) People aren’t. (They don’t) People are and say they aren’t. The worst kind are the ones who aren’t, but think they are. They’ve always existed. We know we’re in real trouble when we, as a society of respectable people, give them credibility.

A man used to go to university, get a job, marry his highschool sweetheart, raise a family and die a respected and upstanding citizen. Or a feared gangster. Whichever way you have it. He accomplished fame or achieved notoriety.

Came the new millenium, along with it came smart phones, Facebook, Twitter blogs, and texting vs. talking. Heck, there’s even sexting. This changed the way we think, act and dress. And I’d be hard pressed to explain why.

We’ve become a People- and I capitalize it because we’ve almost changed ourselves as a species- who feel like we are Somebodies (capital to denote extreme and unwarranted sense of self importance), because we’re more proficient with technology than the previous generation. Suddenly every kid straight out of college has “contacts” through extensive “social networking.” That leads some of them to believe they are artists  “making music.”  In the 90’s if you were someone who’s hit the big 3-0 with less than 10k in the bank and spent your day attempting to compose music, people told you to get a real job. Today you have a website and a bicycle along with a mac (and  skinny jeans, beard and ponytail) and you can call yourself whatever you want. Talent agent. Producer.  Businessman. Whatever.

We’ve techno-morphed into a People who don’t have the balls to make anything of ourselves. We simply are a People of who aren’t but think they are. The sad part is we know it. And we’re all to blame for it.

And the results can be- how shall I put it- odd. Disconcerting. Tragically comical. Just look at Dumbo. Or any other extremely artsy place. Everyone there has a business selling random crap that noone will ever want or need, let alone be able to identify. And the store and shop owners are never in their always empty stores.

Now I’m all for dreams and going for what you want out of life, but I sure hope that involves more than pretending to be cultured because you sell environmentally responsible…stuff.

And you aren’t a “small business owner” because you re-brand Grandma’s panties as vintage lingerie.

Besides, what ever happened to some good food? I understand the need for replacing greasy diners, but what’s wrong with a good old Chipotle’s? Why must every store sell organic whole wheat sandwiches with strange unrecognizable beverages to boot? Are we trying to be upscale? Is it the need to purchase the unrecognizable label that drives us to avoid good ol’ coke? Or perhaps drinking Perrier is no longer cultured enough? Too crass and un-artsy.

Getting back on topic, I don’t think this sad result of what seems to be an over involvement of technology in our already egotistical lives is the worst thing to have happened to our society, or lack thereof, because it allowed people to break the notion that success wears a suit and tie and works in a high-rise building in Manhattan. It allowed for true creativity to rise. Maybe.