Smart Phones and Dumb People?

A new viral video questions the role of social media in real relationships.

Have you seen ‘Look Up’ yet? This new video, which questions the role of social media in our lives, has ironically gone viral by being shared via social media. In the film, writer, director and performer Gary Turk questions the role of social media and smart phones in our lives. “I have four hundred and twenty-two friends, yet I am lonely,” begins the five-minute spoken-word film, “I speak to all of them every day, and yet none of them really know me”.

Throughout the short film Turk encourages people to step away from their technology and embrace ‘real’ life, and ‘real’ friendships in a face-to-face context. He questions the role of technology in kids’ lives and declares that parks are empty due to the overwhelming take up of technology amongst kids. The video has caused raging debate online with some commentators seeing the film to be thought-provoking and timely, and others seeing it as cheesy and overly played.

On YouTube the comments have been most divided, with many applauding Turk’s efforts and seeing the work as “beautiful”, “thought provoking” and “amazingly written”. While others have not been so kind, YouTube user c0mmanderKeen commented, “Cannot understand this crap. Overdramatic & hypocritical. This was MADE to go viral on social media. Thanks for providing your twitter, use it often? Jerk” and Brenneau1023 wrote, "Obviously the sole purpose of this video is to go viral and garner as much controversy and therefore Ad$ense revenue as possible in your 5 seconds of internet fame, the hypocrisy is painful. Keep your straw men, we'll keep our technology thanks."

What is most ironic about the piece is that instead of making people Look Up, it has in fact, got people looking down at their screens. In fact, over 26 million people have viewed the video on YouTube since it was released on April 25.

What do you think about Look Up? Do you think, as Turk says that the world is full of “Smart Phones and Dumb People”? Does he have a point? Or is the viral nature of the video too ironic to be taken seriously?

Source : parents[dot]nickjr[dot]com[dot]au