These are truly sad times we are living in today. Do you remember when you actually had to go to the bowling alley to physically bowl with your friends? I do (although it was one time…two times tops, but you get the picture). With the Wii/Wii Fit and XBOX Kinect, you can stand in front of a motion sensor that’s connected to the console, and bowl until your heart’s content without ever leaving your home.
Alright. Maybe that was a bit of an exaggerated statement, but the fact that the ever-advancing world of technology continues to introduce newer, better ways that convince people to stay-in rather than go out is no joke. Don’t get me wrong, I love competing on the Wii/XBOX Kinect every now and again, but I still like the actual “real-lifeness” that comes with playing a game of football with a real football more than anything. I was watching the Big Bang Theory (© CBS) the other night, and one of the main characters had declared he would order food online and be a hermit the rest of his life, because he’d never have to face the shame of being stood-up by a woman in a coffee shop at all. While it’s a fictional set of characters on a sitcom and was intended to be funny, there are, surprisingly enough, people who actually live that way, citing that it is incredibly convenient to never have to leave the house (unless you physically have to show up to work).
I love a new gaming system, LED LCD TV, or amazing new iPod that blows my mind as much as anyone else, but when it starts to become a crutch/excuse for people who, for lack of a better word, “suck” in the social skills department, then it’s time to take a step back and look at the situation. Using technology as a last resort when all social plans fall through is one thing, but to use it as an excuse not to go out with friends makes one seem antisocial/misanthropic.