The Lost Art of Survival

Family Outreach
Mankind vs. Technology
Ryan P. Pugh - Editor

The Problem
In a world of perfect serenity where our maids are artificial intelligence and our cars drive themselves, it doesnt appear that life really is all THAT bad. I mean, we eat whenever we want and whatever we want, we exercise whenever we need to whether it be at home or at the gym. We even can just lay around and play videogames if we so desire to. I hear the Xbox 3000s state of the art simulation system places you literally within the confines of the game! But of course, we must somehow still pay for that electric bill Needless to say the advancement in our technology has come a long way from simple touchscreen telephones to full holographic phone calls and messaging systems. I even have an AI that watches my front gate for trespassers and uses lethal force if necessary my very own police force! But when the rubber meets the road, do you even have friends that you can go out and spend quality time with? Or is your quality time simply getting on the hologram and having dinner together? Do you REALLY have that interpersonal relationship with your friends? Or how about dating? Do you date over a webcam or do you actually get to know that person? Point I am trying to make is that we as people need social interaction we crave acceptance and love and it is in this where our society is lacking. We as a society have become so in tuned in our own personal lives with technology and the need to know everything at every given moment of life, which we forget to live fully. When we talk and interact with people around us, we become emotional we give two types of hints as to our perspective on a given topic: our verbal opinions and our body language. Only a few days ago I saw a couple where both the husband and wife were having dinner, but both were holograming their friends! They showed little to no remorse of spending 0 time together! How has society stooped this low?

The next day I saw the same couple shopping together at the local TechNo+ looking for new AIs. With full intent, I approached the couple and informed them that I was writing an article on social relationships and I asked them the following questions: 1) When you two talk together, do you feel that you are able to give an honest and truthful reply to one

IMPORTANT KEY NOTES

WHO: UNITED STATES CITIZENS WHAT: TECHNOLOGY FAILS NATIONALLY WHEN POWER FAILURES SPREAD WHEN: 11 DECEMBER 2081 WHERE: UNITED STATES WHY: POWER GRIDS FAIL DUE TO CYBERWORM COLLAPSING TECHNOLOGY IS GROUNDS FOR WAR HOW: NO ONE TAUGHT THE FUTURE GENERATIONS HOW TO SURVIVE

another? For that matter, are you able to give any of your friends the same honesty and respect? Reply: We try to be as honest and respectful to one another as possible. However, it becomes difficult when a lot of our communication is between our phones and because we work so much we really dont see one another.

Issue #5678

2) Because a lot of messaging is done via phone and hologram, do you feel it is difficult to hand write or maybe even type something? Or do you feel that because almost everything is voice activated that writing has almost become antiquated? Reply: In all honesty, writing has almost become a nuisance. We feel that because we are able to say everything aloud and have the microprocessors translate our voices into digital text, writing has most definitely become a lost art. 3) Would you say that technology has taken away from your ability to survive on your own? Meaning, if you needed to fix a flat tire, or make a cake, do you feel that technology has progressed so far that you really only need to google it and get the exact results you are looking for? Reply: I would say so, yeah. But also who really wants to get dirty changing a tire, or make a mess in the kitchen and clean it later when your AI can literally do everything for you without the hassle and twice as fast? 4) What is your view on the recent power outages across the US? Do you feel that the Chinese are asking for war? Reply: We figured there was a bug in the power grid no war enthused act. 5) Do you believe if the US were to take stronger security measures we would be able to defend ourselves against a cyber-attack? Reply: Most definitely. With that I thanked them for their time and input and went on my way. The point I am making about technology is that technology is GREAT. It makes our lives simpler and it allows us to do multiple things at anyone given time freeing up more time in other aspects of our day. But where technology faults us is in our human nature. We lack the physical and psychological skills to grasp the fact that when technology becomes far greater than its creator, we have essentially diminished our own existence. We are relying too heavily on our technology.

The Power Failures

Now, with recent power failures the government has concluded the United States is under attack and will take measures to ensure its defense of her people. With this declaration, my sources have confirmed to me that yes the cyber-attack originated from China and yes, the US will be retaliating both in the cyber realm and in the real world. Recent interviews with military officials have confirmed the movement of troops across the Pacific and from Europe. We are at war. I mention these power failures not only to inform my readers of the impending war but also to show the connection between humanity and technology. As a nation we have become so in tuned and so focused with technology that instead of a noble hand to hand combat, we are cowards sitting behind a screen filled with 0s and 1s. I digress. Reports of power failures originated in Southern California near the old nuclear plant and continued north toward Sacramento. From Sacramento, reports came in scattered from Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, Montana, and Western Texas. By the time these reports were received, intel came through that parts of New York, Washington, D.C., and parts of Florida were also without power and Kings Bay Nuclear Power Plant was beginning to leak nuclear waste from their storage units. Storage units that are remotely controlled. In addition to leaking nuclear waste, rioting and crime are increasing nationally and local police forces are spread thin. We have confirmed intel that the US Cyber Command has contained the cyberworm, but as a domino effect power failures are still occurring throughout much of the nation. This is the most-up-to-date news that I can report to you my readers. However, let this news article be a reminder that as we progress farther and farther in technology we become more and more susceptible to foreign attacks and surveillance. We must remember that as a society, we cannot become so divulged in technology that we forget who we are as a society and we cannot forget the basic fundamentals to survive. We must hope for a better tomorrow, but must remember regardless we must always be prepared for the worst. God bless our troops.