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Andrew Sullivan Retreat Into The Retold

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In Andrew Sullivan’s article, “Retreat into the iWorld”, he begins by relating his recent visit to New York and how through his personal experience and observations, society has been indulged in technology. Sullivan on arrival in New York in which he described as the methamphetamine of daily life, has noticed that the town has grown much quieter. While walking around the town, he began to notice the “little white wires hanging down from their ears.” Becoming aware of their “vacant eyes” as if they were in a different form of space in their mind; where they can create any soundtrack in their mind via the little white box. Sullivan refers to these people as the “iPod People.” In where any form of social cue and consideration is completely shunned …show more content…

Technology was given shape to form easier ways of doing things and providing escapes from reality. I don’t agree whatsoever that total awareness is shunned from those who use technology in social areas. Personal experiences of using technology in social areas, people have adapted in learning new social cues, such as eye contact and hand signals, to communicate with each other, even with the obvious obstruction of listening to music or any form of audible. The author is correct, however on how people misuse technology so much that the simple pleasures of meeting new people, or listening the “soundtrack” of the world are useless. The authors reference of the “iPod people” origin from the 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, where people have lost their whole being and personality when captured by alien invaders. Personally the use of technology does not remove people from their whole being socially, instead it just provides a harmless escape from society to find comfort in the uplifting of music as the author states. Some cultures in general, such as Hispanics are extremely eccentric when it comes to meeting new people or seeing them again. As a Hispanic myself, I respect and am fully aware of my surroundings with other people, given whether or not they want to know me more or listen to music. This brings the factor of who the person might be socially while using technology. In overall, Andrew Sullivan’s view of society can have a variety of factors, but does establish a strong base on how technology affect people

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