Choice One: "Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death, and Technology" by Tiffany Shlain
After viewing the film, what particularly struck you as powerful or important?
Overall, I felt that this film was powerful in the way that Tiffany Shlain interwove her own personal story with the bigger picture that she wanted viewers to see. In her narrative about the interdependence of our world, Shlain has provided a personal narrative within it which further emphasizes the relationship between an individual and the world. The main concept behind the film is the interdependence of our world and how that interdependence has evolved and become more and more powerful in the age of technology.
Shlain
emphasized that the more connected we become, the greater the consequences of
human actions. I feel that this is a
point that is often overlooked or lost on today’s world. I know personally I
often witness individuals exhibit behaviors that they feel will not impact our
environment because they are just one individual among billions of people on
Earth. They do not consider the fact that the actions of individuals when they
occur on a large scale (the billions of people that live on our planet) impact
our world as a whole. For instance, I
have a friend that refuses to buy a reusable water bottle, and instead has a
plastic water bottle that she drinks and throws away each day at lunch. That
one water bottle thrown away each day makes up 365 water bottles each year
(from just one person!). This wasteful behavior of one individual may seem
small to that person but when multiplied by all of the individuals who do the
same thing it leads to worldwide concerns, such as the Texas-sized island of
garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean that Shlain discusses in the film.
Shlain
states that with connection comes responsibility, and I believe that this a
powerful statement that many people do not think about. Yes, it is great that
we all are able to connect across oceans, that with just the click of a button you
have access to resources continents away, but at what cost? This connectedness has furthered our desire
to consume, and as we continue to consume more and more we are using up
resources that are not regenerating. While many people may feel that consuming
is good and keeps our economy growing, they have failed to open their eyes and
look in their own backyard. They never stop to realize that the resources used
to produce the products that we are never-ending consumers of will eventually
run out.
1. Taylor Terhune
2. Whitney Campi
2. Whitney Campi
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ReplyDeleteHi Alaina,
ReplyDeleteOne thing that really stood out for me during this film was the quote, “Humans are the most passionate and destructive species.” This made me think about exactly what you were talking about above that humans are using things that cannot be recycled, such as plastic water bottles, and have create a Texas-sized mass of garbage in the Pacific Ocean. There are so many destructive humans on this planet that I wonder, how can we all show our passionate sides and stop/reverse the damage?
-Natalie
Alaina,
ReplyDeleteThis was such a powerful message in the film. I agree that our connectedness breeds this desire to consume because it is so easy to do now. That responsibility that we have to maintain our connection and avoid consuming all of our resources is so so important, especially for future generations. I think as teachers, we have an obligation to protect future generations because those are the children we will teach. Your response made me think that if we are becoming more and more connected, then why are there so many people who refuse to acknowledge their impact on the world by behaving irresponsibly with the environment? Great thoughts!
Katie Rainey
Alaina,
ReplyDeleteYou propose a very global point of view taking into consideration the expanse of our population, our responsibility and connection to one another and the earth. This is part of the Big Picture thinking and 21st century skills that we need to teach our students. Through our connections, we are able to know more, understand more, evolve and consume faster. I really like Shlain's idea of unplugging. Taking time to think and look at the big picture instead of moving full speed ahead. I like your insight.
Jennifer
Hi Alaina,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. You make great points. The water bottles do add up in the grand scale of things. In the film, Shlain mentions an island of garbage forming in our oceans and her visual of the garbage accumulating to the size of a state was eye opening. One person can make a difference x365 days a year.