"I can't believe we're paying to see something we could get on TV for free!" says America's favorite dad, Homer Simpson, at the beginning of The Simpsons Movie. This is exactly the thought I had when a group of friends invited me to the ESPN Zone in Times Square a few weeks ago. While I would rather walk a mile in five-inch stiletto heels than do anything sports related, I agreed to go and welcomed the experience with a somewhat-open mind. It was certainly a revelation.
Upon entering the establishment, I was in awe - I had never before seen so many televisions in my life. We walked upstairs to the second level, passing TV after TV with packs of patrons fixated on them. After a short wait, our group was seated. The waitress led us into a room full of tables, all facing a wall covered with TVs, each one showing a different sporting event. Each table also had a private television on which we could watch any of the games being shown up close on the giant wall. At one point, I went into the restroom - only to find that each stall was equipped with a TV set as well. While my sports-obsessed friends thought they were in heaven, I couldn't help but feel that the multitude of television sets was a bit excessive. I felt saddened by the whole experience. The restaurant was packed full of people, sometimes even five or six to a table, yet people were not interacting with each other; instead, each was in his or her own world, interacting only with the TVs. After we finished lunch, I came out of the establishment with a thinner wallet, a fuller stomach and the uncomfortable belief that technology may just be man's new best friend.
As a potential communications major, I thought this was an important topic to address. We are living in the age of technology. From Walkmen to iPods, iPod Minis to iPhones, there is always a new must-have gadget on the market. I'm just as guilty as anyone in coveting the latest in electronic entertainment, but it seems that there is a price to pay (aside from upwards of $400, that is) for broadening our technological horizons. As the technological revolution continues, the value of simple communication and human contact diminishes.
2008 Woodie Awards
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