Sad as Hell by Alice Gregory: read the essay here.

This essay really stood out to me due to the relevance it has in my life, and in all of society in this day and age. Alice Gregory reveals insights into the human condition in a  very interesting manner; she uses allusion and imagery to her advantage. Her writing style is very easy to follow, and makes me intrigued to read more; she is somewhat humorous yet also very serious about the topic at hand. She uses Gary Shteyngart’s novel, Super Sad True Love Story, to exemplify the impact that technology and social media can have on us, and the problems they can cause. She establishes that modern technology and social media can take away from the experiences we face on a day to day basis. When you have a cell phone, you tend to miss what happens around you, and you don’t have to urge to discover new things. People tend choose to watch others experience new adventures for them, as opposed to really living it themselves. She also explains the fact that most of us with cell phones, the internet, or technology of any kind often resort to “loneliness” as opposed to real people. We, as a society, often pick staying at home and using modern day technology as a source of entertainment and to fill the void of loneliness, instead of simply going out with friends or family. This essay really helps me to clarify the issues of modern technology that I tend to skim over. I need to stop choosing to stay at home and watch others experience their lives instead of me choosing to live mine, and I need to start meeting new people and going on new adventures.