Image and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Image and Identity - Essay Example son as such communication media allows lesser personal interaction with another person and thus â€Å"internal† qualities are left unseen (â€Å"Body Image,† par. 13). She quotes psychologist Dr. Hue-Sun Ahn as saying that â€Å"the increase of communication though electronic means †¦ [gives us fewer] opportunities to get to know people †¦ on a personal level† (par. 13). Personally, I just could not see how this lack of a more personal involvement in electronic communication directly affects our perception of how we look. Perhaps Rispin and Ahn’s stand simply reflect our irrational fear of technology. Dr. Reville, a professor at University College Cork in Ireland, explains that this fear is due to the perception that technology is unnatural and our â€Å"lack of understanding of [its] technical and scientific basis† (â€Å"If We Fear,† par. 2). True, technology has revolutionized the way we communicate that there is much less sensory involvement when we chat via instant messaging or call someone on the phone. But has it really transformed us into mindless nonchalant beings? Is technology taking away all of our emotions that we have failed to see â€Å"compassion, spiritedness, sense of humor, loyalty [and other] non-visible qualities,† (â€Å"Body Image,† par. 13) as Ahn puts it? Obviously, the answer is no, for technology merely speeds up the way we communicate and does not, in any direct way, change the way we think and feel. Yes, we use technology on a daily basis that we can’t seem to live without it. We send e-mails, we blog, watch YouTube. But at the end of the day, we still long for that one-on-one communication that no other medium could substitute. We have not forgotten to talk personally to friends, family, and mentors; we still laugh or cry on someone else’s shoulder; we fall in love. We are still, in every essence, human beings, with or without technology. We never really lost anything, not even our feelings. Speaking of blogging and YouTube (or