Technological Advancements: A Social Interaction Dilemma

One of the main concerns for the current generation is the lack of social interaction that takes place because of technological devices. Communication is screen to screen, and slowly people are losing their abilities to be present because they are so engrossed in their electronics. It has even come to the extent that people are falling off buildings trying to take selfies or meeting creeps online through dating websites. Even with the mishaps of accidentally posting something inappropriate online and not getting hired because of things found on one’s social media page, society is drawn to technology like a moth drawn to a flame; even though many times users get burned. T. Coraghessan Boyle’s short story is reflective of this issue with our

Wes’ primary state now is exhaustion because he is constantly with the Relive Box, and he has no time to feel any emotions except the ones that he is reliving. The technology has caused a disconnect between the feelings he repeats by reliving them and the emotions that he should be feeling as a result of interaction with the world. When reliving a particularly painful moment, Wes thinks, “...and I needed to get through it, not to analyze whether it hurt or not but because it was there…” (Boyle 7). Wes continues experiencing his past emotions because he doesn’t have to deal with them; the old Wes had already had those experiences, causing them to seem a lot less painful. Dr. Lancer elucidates on Wes’ state when she says, “Obsessions can possess our mind. Our thoughts race or run in circles, feeding incessant worry, fantasy or a search for answers” (1). Wes pushes these worries aside, putting focus on the moments in his past, where he can be disconnected from them, and where they aren’t as painful. Why put forth the effort to experience feeling in the present when one can just relive the pleasant/hurtful/exciting/loving memories from the