The Bus Trip

It takes a lot of effort to stay sane in this world we live in.

Mr. O'Neil - "let's pledge to make Daria's dream a reality."
Daria - "You mean the one where people walking down the street burst into flames?"

Especially when surrounded by half-wits who don't understand the concept of "manners" or "socially acceptable behaviour". You would sound cranky too if you spent a good half an hour of your life listening to two adolescent girls scream/giggle/sing at the top if their voices behind you on the agonising bus trip home. Their fascination with being able to say "chicken shit" in sign language was excruciating. I believe everyone on that same Tweed Heads bound bus felt the need to wrap these girls' ipod cord around their necks. Which brings me to ipods and back to socially acceptable behaviour.

I personally, don't feel the need to have pop-music blasted into my ears 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But obviously, this personal view of mine is shared by so little of my surrounding community. Everyone and anyone has an ipod. Is this so they don't have to think? Or talk to people? Technology such as myspace, utube, blogger and instant messenger all aim to keep people in contact; ipods simply isolate you from the rest of the world (which is fine if that’s what you wish to achieve). Just excuse me if i don't wish to be deaf and brain dead at the age of 34.

This blog is actually supposed to be addressing the following questions (which I’m sorry, but defeats the purpose of a "personal" and original blog if we are all asked to talk about the same thing):

• Do you have friends whom you only know from the internet and have never met in person?
• Is this different to people that you know in person? Describe the difference.
• How long have you been using these communication technologies?
• What influenced you to start using these technologies?
  

So let me answer. No, must be, 2-3 years and society.
Excellent.

I really do think the net is great. Being able to communicate with people and keep in touch with others half way around the world (instantly) is something I’m very glad to have access too. For example, my year 10 and 11 music teacher, not to mention beautiful friend, has her blog Katiekatie.com (see link on Blog Roll) so everyone can see what she has been up to. It is the only blog I check regularly, it's fantastic. But there are also people who instead of being enlightened by this technology (such as myself), are being stupefied by it. Communicating through the web too much could cause serious social behavioural problems in some people (the kind who say "lol" instead of actually laughing) and the girls who forget there are 20 other people on the same bus who do not appreciate their humour. Maybe they were bought up by hotmail instead of a mother.

In any case, we all clapped as they left the bus.. and it felt good.