21st century interview (HARRY)

I interviews a student (Maggie), IMC teacher (???), and a Caribou Coffee worker (Maggie)

As a young scholar, I traveled the world in search of what is a 21st century human. What I found was that we all share concerns over the abuse of technology. One of the students I interviewed in class stated, “Technology is tearing ourselves from how God intended us to be.” In addition, three out of three stakeholders indicated that they feared the loss of emotions. They came to this conclusion by examining our emphasis in the belief that time equals money. The IMC teacher indicated that she noticed the lack in emotions from adolescents from our generation; “we were becoming robots, who idolized logical thinking over emotions and justice.” Another interesting belief that a fellow Caribou worker brought up was that society is to blame for our conformist beliefs. Teachers have been enforcing the idea that all adolescence should be individuals. However, this lesson has caused us to conform unintentionally, since there are no original beliefs. On the other hand, all three stakeholders shared different beliefs towards what is most important in art. My friend indicated that she disliked realism and believed that abstract art is the only style of painting she appreciates. She indicated that abstract art allows us to imagine and feel multiple emotions, rather than being forced to think in a certain way. Furthermore, the IMC teacher valued Belle Opoque art (18th century painter). She indicated that technique and relativity was most important to her and that painters such as Andy Warhol are “what is wrong with art.” My final interviewee discussed the importance of realism over any other aspect of art. She had a linear perspective and believed that art can only exemplify technique and realistic views.  Overall everyone had similar views, besides my last interviewee who had an extremist view towards what art is and should be.   

Overall, after interviewing three highly intellectual stakeholders, I inquired multiple perspectives on what a true 21st century human is. Even if we differ on what art is considered all three illustrated that they had to express a higher meaning, than what the artist exemplifies. Other than having differences in preference of art, most stakeholders believed that technology was a good and bad concept. Technology has given us better living conditions but may have also damaged our lives indirectly. Two out of three stakeholders believed that society was digressing due to our lack of emotions and selfish attitudes. In addition, we are more disrespectful towards our past generations and are slowly losing our human aspects. As humans of this generation, we lack in originality and are forced to believe that money creates happiness. However, this ideology proves false, since studies show religious peace, hard work, and pride determines happiness. In conclusion, the 21st century human is increasing drastically in technology, but is slowly digressing from what makes us a HUMAN.

Roya's Interview

QUESTIONS:
1) What five words would you use to describe the average 21st Century human being?
2) What would you consider the most important value that has emerged in your lifetime?
3) Do you feel that humans of the 21st Century value individualism or conforming to a group?

INVERVIEEWS:
History teacher, locker buddy, neighbor
What I found most interesting in my interview was that all three of my interviewees used both the words "consumer" and something along the lines of "advanced" to describe the average 21st Century human being. As the interviews progressed, my subjects developed their answers, and explained their reasoning for these descriptions; we are always looking for the next best thing, even when we don't really need them. Because of the range of age and profession, my interviewees values were rather diverse. My history teacher values his freedom in America, my neighbor, who by the way is 92 years old, values land, and my friend values friendship. But their reasoning for their values were all somewhat the same; their values served as an outlet in life. My friend uses her friends to vent to, my neighbor labeled gardening as his favorite pasttime, and my teacher explained freedom as a necessity to voice your opinions and make a difference. My friend and teacher were more able than my neighbor to answer the third question, probably because they are more interactive with society. These two decribed individualism as a virtue and something we strive for, but because they are in a high school, they believe that humans are defined by a certain group. Basically, they both believe that we value individualism but we don't execute such values. All in all, the interviews ran smoothly, and at times the answers shared similarities and differences.

Interviews

In my interview with a teacher to be named later I found that he feels the 21st century human is greatly influenced by technology. He also felt that almost all privacy has been lost with the introduction of new technology and mainly the internet. Some specific websites that he cited as an invasion of privacy were Facebook and Twitter. He also said that people are very attached to their cell phones and have lost touch with the ability to communicate with somebody face to face. Another statement he made was that people's lives are very fragmented with everyone having way too much going on in their lives. Nobody has time to sit back, take a timeout and think anymore.

My interview with a community member was very similar to my interview with the teacher. This community member felt that our society is overly influenced by technology, which has led to less traditional communication between people, like talking on the phone or face to face. He said that wisdom and knowing how to act in certain situations was the most important value that emerged in his lifetime, along with learning to evaluate things more closely and on a personal level. He also said that the 21st century human has more of a group mentality because of the technology and social networking websites. Because of these websites people tend to rely on societal trends and their friends as a guide to live their lives. I also interviewed a GBS Senior and he said that the 21st century human was "wired" and reliant on technology for communicational needs. One of the most important values that he has discovered from his time on this Earth has been to try to be unique and pursue what he believes in. Although he strives to be unique, he thinks that most of the 21st century society does not value the individual and that people try to fit in or be "normal" when in fact they are just like a bunch of sheep following the herd.

Pursuit Of Happiness

Imma do just what I want lookin’ ahead no turnin’ back
if I fall if I die know I lived it to the fullest
if I fall if I die know I lived and missed some bullets