@cougar_sean
We take so much for granted. Living in a first world country and being an active participant in Internet activities such as social media and news networks, I personally have innumerable “online” connections each and everyday. Whether it’s checking email with breakfast, reading about world news between classes, or texting a friend the time and place to meet that night, we all use electronic devices as an extension of ourselves. According to Haraway, we should all be considered “cyborgs” because of this. And really, we are. Through Smartphones and desktop computers, we have all become cyborgs to some extent or another—pushing our abilities beyond their physical limitations. We can be chatting on Facebook, texting friends and doing research all at once (debatably). If I’m not mistaken, this is an obvious example of x-reality and the ability to be in multiple places at once. Our physical bodies may just be sitting in a library chair, but through electronic devices we have extended ourselves cross country, over open waters and to our international friends all through the World Wide Web. I didn’t realize how heavily dependent I had become on my computer for basic interactions. I can’t even remember that last time I actually called someone on a phone. The Internet has taken a lot of basic communication skills away from our society. The more prevalent Internet becomes the more silent our lives become; yet at the same time we are more impulsive due to copious amounts of immediacy: direct contradictions, yet perfect complements.