The Soft Glow of Technology
Posted by casey on 05-30-2008
Between tuning out a conversation because you're tuned into your iPod, fielding an important call in the middle of socializing, or zoning out in front of your computer with oblivion to your surroundings, we are all guilty of being unknowingly controlled by electronics.
Photographer Evan Baden just published a gallery of snapshots capturing tweens and teens in their element — in front of the omnipresent glowing screen. Cleverly titled "The Illuminati," the fascinating series captures a diverse group of kids entranced with their gadgets in the comfort of their bedrooms, cars, even swimming pools.
Baden explained his project to FILE Magazine:
In Westernized cultures today, there is a generation that is growing up without the knowledge of what it is to be disconnected. The world in which we are growing up is always on. We are continuously plugged in, and linked up. We take this technology for granted. Not because we are ungrateful, but because we simply don't know a world without it.
From our earliest memories, there has always been a way to connect with others, whether it is Myspace, Facebook, cell phones, e-mail, or instant messenger. And now, with the Internet, instant messaging, and e-mail in our pocket, right there with our phones, we can always feel as if we are part of a greater whole. These devices grace us with the ability to instantly connect to others, and at the same time, they isolate us from those with whom we are connected. They allow for great freedom, yet so often, we are chained to them. They have become part of who we are and how we identify ourselves. These devices ordain us with a wealth of knowledge and communication that would have been unbelievable a generation ago. More and more, we are bathed in a silent, soft, and heavenly blue glow. It is as if we carry divinity in our pockets and purses.
The photos possess a wonderful fly-on-the-wall aspect; they give a refreshing judgment-free view of Generation Y in their device-dependent environment. These teens look so comfortable in the bright shine of technology, it makes their constant connectivity seem as natural sleep.
