Connected or Disconnected?

Paul Virilio's concept of dromology is defined as the logic of speed that is the foundation of our current technological society. Virilio see this term as form of pollution that society is facing on an every day basis. I found it interesting that he compares dromology alongside air and water pollution. We live in a fast paced society where the demand for information is increasing at a rapid pace.

How is this information provided at such a quick rate? Technology. My generation tends to be glued to their cell phones are have an online presence in almost every social media outlet. The question is whether this form of connectedness is really keeping people connected. Virlio believes that people are so engrossed in the virtual world that the concept of real life and real time relationships are lost.

I found this reading to be very confusing, primarily because of the unfamiliar terms and how the author spoke a lot about physics, which is not my forte. My main question was why so many connections to the environment when talking about how society goes about communicating through technology? Maybe it's because technology has become the main mode of communication in the past decade?

I constantly see people glued to their cellphones. In today's world there are a lot of applications such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook that allow people to communicate but not in real time. These conversations are not taking place instantly, but rather have a time lag between when the post is made and when the audience members/friends are obtaining the information.  I think Virilio sees communicating through technology as an issue that is affecting all of society, just like air pollution is an issue that affects all of society.

I can see where Virilio is coming from when he characterizes dromopsheric pollution as a pollution that attacks the liveliness of the subject and the mobility of the object by wasting away the journey to the point where it becomes needless. What he is saying with this statement is that through this new form of digital communication we are losing the meaning in our messages as well as losing meaningful relationships, by being so involved in our online social media and relationships.

My generation has become so dependent on technology and the modes of communication through technology that meaningful, and personal relationships are being lost. By being so attached and engrossed in our cellphones, iPads, and computers we're losing touch with reality. So is technological communication really the way to go? I understand that it allows us to multitask and stay connected... but is it really keeping everyone connected, or just creating distance?