Ruhika, Week 10 - Shocking News!
What is the number one driving force in the world? It’s power—whether it be political influence, billions of dollars, or even simply flipping the lights on. When trying to identify what is the most “powerful” power, you can parse through infinite lists, but to save you the effort, no power in this world controls us quite like electricity.
I talked about the monarchy in my last blog, detailing how kings and queens have ruled empires. But I’ve seen wars started for less. Have you seen the every day twenty-first century person when their phone was at 2%? The hysteria, the fear, the utter terror is irreplicable. Electricity is the real boss, and if you don’t believe me, let us look over our battery-dependent existence
Blackout!
A few months ago, my neighborhood had a sudden power outage. I remember hearing all of the lights and plugged-in devices “click,” and watching my zoom meeting disconnect as we lost Wi-Fi. The panic that ensued immediately was embarrassing. It went something like this.
Step 1: I instinctively reach for my phone to text everyone what is happening.
Step 2: I realize the Wi-Fi is gone and start to worry about other alternatives.
Step 3: I consider using data, but remember my phone is at 7%.
Step 4: I reached for my charger, and almost shed a tear when I didn’t hear the buzz of the charger symbol go off.
Step 5: I start praying to God as if I am in a disaster movie, “Please, give me the power back. I’ll never let my phone under 60%, just give me the data back.”
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| My embarrassing panic over a temporary power outage! |
Off The Grid!
Every so often, we feel the need to disconnect from the digital world and live off the grid. Mind you, we really have never gone a single day without a working outlet. Literally, everything we have is powered by electricity. We stock up on a lifetime supply of power banks and downloaded Netflix movies for a three-day camping trip. Let’s face it—none of us are as tough as we think when the power goes out. We go from functioning members of society to the status of medieval peasants unaware how to cook without using a microwave or a stove.
My Thermostat
If electricity truly rules all of us, I think that makes the thermostat the queen. I don't know if it's only my household, but in my family my parents control the temperature and their decision is final. Whether it be 100° outside or 50° inside, your comfort and survival inside your house depends on whoever is controlling the thermostat. You have no choice but to bow down to energy.
Our True Overlords
At the end of the day, electricity has us wrapped around its finger like a coiled copper wire. It not only dictates our comfort, but our entertainment and our ability to function like normal humans. So when you start to type your comment to my blog, and see your computer warn you for low battery, be grateful for electricity. What shocking news—it is holding everything together.
Hi Ruhika, I completely agree with how electricity has all of us in a chokehold. Personally, sometimes I choose my flex based on the accessibility of an outlet in a classroom. My personal favorite class when it comes to outlets are the science lab classrooms. They usually have an outlet in every corner. I do not have any notable power outages at my house, however I do have an instance where my laptop screen shattered so I couldn’t work. I was so devastated for the entire week.
ReplyDeleteHi Ruhika,
ReplyDeleteYour blog made me realize how important a running electrical system in our lives is to our survival. I agree that the rise of social media, especially amongst us in high school, has led to an increased reliance on our phones and technology to get things done. I like how you pretty much ordered the five stages of grief to depict your disarray during the power outage, showing how an overconsumption of electricity by each person may cause an outage. An interesting fact that could support your blog is that our bodies also have a small electric current running through us for certain bodily functions. I hope that we can all learn to disconnect every now and then to enjoy the benefits of the outdoors and indoors.
Hi Ruhika! I love the unique spin you put on on our quarter topic—power! When I write about power, I think of the same things; the social systems in place, the internal struggles of confidence and self-expression, power in its literal sense. I appreciate that you not only wrote a blog about power in a more literal sense, but managed to relate it back to how power holds…power over us. As you stated, electricity and technology are truly “our true overlords.”
ReplyDeleteIt’s a bit unsettling to think about how dependent on technology we all really are, in every sense of the word. Those of us pursuing careers in STEM fields have electricity and technology at the forefronts of our future professions, making their influence impossible to ignore. Advancements in AI technology, for better or for worse, seem to pervade our everyday lives as well; I could go on and on about the influences of social media and how we communicate, but this comment is long enough.
I’m getting the “uncanny valley” feeling as I currently type this blog comment on my laptop—it’s chilling.
Hi Ruhiska, your blog post is spot on about electricity being cliche our invisible boss that's always in charge. When you said a blackout is basically a time machine to the Middle Ages, I couldn’t stop laughing, but it also got me thinking hard. We seriously panic when the power goes out, because we lose our basic ability to communicate and do any work. The whole heating and cooling mess is the worst, it’s either super hot like we’re in a sauna or freezing cold like we’re stuck in a walk-in fridge. It puts a sincere concern on our overt dependency on electricity and about how much we’re all basically puppets to the power grid.
ReplyDelete