Gazing Through A Gazebo

Yesterday I spent some time out by the gazebo, uninterrupted.  It was such a peaceful experience because there were not a lot of people passing through.  The sun was warm and the air was fresh.  Although the lake is not the cleanest body of water, it made for a pretty and relaxing setting.  The ducks and the geese quacked and swam around, people ran by getting their exercise for the day.  One couple was walking their dog holding hands and conversing.  It made me think about the virtual worlds and the "consensual hallucinations" that we have learned about in class.  When immersed in technology, people forget to admire the beauty of the world around them.  The number of times that I have walked around campus with my head down texting greatly exceeds the number of times that I have focused my attention on how truly gorgeous our campus is.

This class has taught me so much more than I had expected to learn about technology and virtual worlds that I am fascinated.  I am also becoming more likely to turn off my phone when I am walking to class and enjoy the beauty of campus.  I have noticed that when I lay out and enjoy the sun the only technology I use is my iPod for some background music.  I am content just laying there enjoying nature, completely disconnected from the virtual worlds.  However, I would never be able to immerse myself in a virtual world.  I would choose face to face interaction over a virtual one any day.

Ironically, as soon as I finished my observations at the gazebo, I turned on my cell phone and began communicating with my friends instantly.  I have become very much dependent on technology, but I would never willingly trade that for  a virtual reality.