Global Awareness & Digital-Age Communication

Upon my search for information in order to write this post, I came across a website (here) which stated a Yiddish proverb which I found particularly insightful...

"To a worm in horseradish the whole world is horseradish"

Now, I'll be honest- a few years ago I would have read this, noticed the overuse of an odd (and disgustingly pungent) plant, and skipped to the next website. Now I read this proverb and notice the different applications it holds. 

For example, take this proverb and imagine the applications to global awareness. Thousands of years ago, this 10-word phrase would have been directly applicable to the people of the time. There was little anyone could do to truly discover the world around them. Centuries ago, it became possible to travel long distances to find other cultures and people. Decades ago, digital technology was developed progressing to the present. Today children can literally hold a world of information in the palm of their hands; today we are able to recognize and appreciate the complexity and diversity of the world. We now have readily available information about cultures that at one point we may not have been able to understand. Unlike the tiny worm who knew only a single horseradish, we have access to a field of horseradish without needing to leave our single plant.

Enough about horseradish.

Our scope of the world is much larger than anyone thought possible. To be ignorant of the world in this day and age could be troublesome. Think about it: something that is deemed appropriate by U.S. culture may be completely offensive in another culture. Something that is said could be taken the wrong way because of a misplaced winky-face or "LOL". It can be hard to correctly get a point across and avoid misunderstandings. Grace Boyle talks about this concept on her blog (found here). She insists that with the technological advances today, authenticity between humans is declining. Text messages, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram detract attention from the person sitting across from you. 

Am I saying digital communication is bad? NO! (I wouldn't have this blog if I thought it was...) 

Do I think there is there is a time and place for technology? YES! 

Do I think that we need to be careful about what we post and how others might view it?

Absolutely.