From BBQs for Barack Obama to groups like “if you have a big butt join this,” Facebook has expanded from a means of communication into a lifestyle for students around the world. WORLD. Now that’s a big word. And I don’t mean big word SAT-style (words you rarely hear people use in sentences), but big because it rolls around the tongue, echoes within the walls of your mouth and makes you realize how small and insignificant you are.
Websites like Facebook and ProgressiveU reaffirm how gadgets-based our daily lives are. Not that I don’t revel in the magic that lies within the slim .46” of a spankin’ new iPhone, but there’s a different kind of magic in the stars, sunsets, moon and all the gorgeous landscapes that can be seen even on the nearest beach. Specifically, magic lies in the (insert sigh here) summertime.
I couldn’t live without hearing waves crashing and foaming, feeling the hot sun on my back, taking in looming, majestic mountains… yet I could survive without a cell phone. I’ve done it for over 3 weeks. But I definitely miss texting.
We’re babies of a different type of movement than the psychedelic blur of controversial activism many of our parents lived through. Of course, controversy still exists. But a majority of teens nowadays are concerned with the newest advancement in technology than with nature or politics.
Despite the fact that sweet summertime has slipped through our fingers again and nature can no longer distract us from technology, we can still change the perception that teenagers nowadays are out of touch with the world. Putting our nostalgia for summer aside, as well as minimizing Facebook and deserting our cell phones for a minute’s time, we should dive into the school year with the conscious goal to educate ourselves outside of the classroom. With the 2008 elections coming up, we should abandon all stereotypes and actually inform ourselves politically. We should stop paying attention to the peers who encourage us to take another shot or buy the newest ring tone and instead pay attention to those who challenge us with their ideas and opinions. We should think and create rather than allow ourselves to decay in a dark room playing video games.
I believe that if you can put a smile on someone’s face, you’re helping to change the world. Let's stop assuming other people will get things done. Let's stop doubting that we can make a difference.
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