"Where did I go? Found Me!!"

In the “The Museum of Me”, Ellen Ullman speaks to the loss of the middleman, the salesman, or in essence, human interaction. I agree with her observations of generations void of feeling, needs, or even in some case empathy. This great explosive end all in the name of technology called the internet along with other wonderful inventions like texting has removed the human element from everyday life. Families sit in their living rooms, the television staring at them while everyone waits to respond to the next text or they sit in front of their computers finding the latest and greatest gadget they can’t live without.

We have now named an illness for excessive internet usage like any other addiction. No need to call information or ask someone a question. It is one more step in removing the human element from society. Even on-line classes are based on text alone regardless of feelings or voice. It is at times simply symbols on a page being summarized, categorized, and graded. When Ullman says, "The only place of pleasure and satisfaction is your home", I believe she is basically saying, I you feel blue just dial up pleasure by logging on to your nearest search engine on the internet and all will be well (644).

Gamers joke about how many lives they have and if they get killed today, they just start over. Some have elected to emulate that philosophy in real life only for everyone to be confused or question why someone could possibly do such an awful act. We shrug as someone mentions the influence of the internet and all its information both good and bad. Starbucks and other coffee shops have changed from reading literature and discussion to simply internet troughs. There is no discussion while everyone is plucking on their laptops and certainly by no means should you interrupt their individual trip through the virtual reality, yet there is no reality attached.

The internet does have its use in business and in international arenas in the sense of high numbers and sales, but I do not think it is by any means an answer to world issues or even human issues. I agree with Ullman and her descriptions of drones living in the outside world and a whole new beautiful descriptive environment opens when you see the chair in front of the computer. The internet allows everyone to be what ever and who ever they want anytime they want instead of being their self; a person and a human being.

"Where did I go? Found Me!!"

In “The Museum of Me”, Ellen Ullman quickly relates two boys playing a video game to women on the internet who could not communicate what was just explored. They lost themselves with the barrage of information that seemed so relevant and interesting at the time. The premise of the internet was originally built on was to connect people to information and other people throughout cyber space. Instead Ullman quickly realizes this is not the case. “The message left behind was a child’s secret wish, the ultimate baby-world narcissism we are all supposed to abandon when we grow up: The world really does revolve around me” (641). What Ullman is relaying is as adults with the internet, we can make any world surround us, particular, one about me.

Her essay is riddled with examples of this concept which has a melancholy or dark view attached. When describing this narcissist view, Ullman writes, “Every time I passed it, its message irritated me more.” “It bothered me the way the “My Computer” icon bothers me on the Windows desktop, baby names like “My Yahoo” and “My Snap”; my, my, my; two-year-old talk; infantilizing and condescending” (641). This example of self centeredness is the basis of her essay which is fueled by advertising manipulating adults, who should know better, but embrace the concept of being the center of attention.

Ullman strengthens and supports these observations when she states, “And in a world so dominated by markets, I don’t think I go too far in saying that this will affect the very structure of reality, for the Net is no longer simply a zone of personal freedoms, a pleasant diversion from what we used to call “real life”; it has become an actual marketplace that is changing the nature of real life itself” (641-642). Ullman is correct when she makes this statement because by eliminating the middle person, the store representative and the salesman in retail, the consumer the direct-line to a distributer.

Ullman’s concerns are real time and real world. The cutting of the middle part of the pyramid allows the narrowing of the food chain directly to the world of “I” and “me.” Mortar and brick stores will be threatened because of on-line shopping. No longer will a consumer be nagged or irritated by a sales person. If they wanted to view a product or shop for merchandise all we need to do; my mistake; all “I” need to do is meet with my computer. The media has tapped into the very primitive part of humans by marketing the final domain, where they all can be the boss or whatever position they choose.

A telling statement of the future is “In this sense, the ideal of the Internet represents the very opposite of democracy, which is a method for resolving differences in a relatively orderly manner through the mediation of unavoidable civil associations” (644). The cyber world is not face-to-face or personal, or emotional. A person does not have to have any contact with a human or show any empathy.

Ullman’s concerns are valid and all the ramifications are not yet born. The media has found a golden egg here. They allow a person to be anyone, anywhere, at any time while being at home with their beloved computer.
We have now named an illness for excessive internet usage like any other addiction. No need to call information or ask someone a question. It is one more step in removing the human element from society. Even on-line classes are based on text alone regardless of feelings or voice. It is at times simply symbols on a page being summarized, categorized, and graded. When Ullman says, "The only place of pleasure and satisfaction is your home", I believe she is basically saying, if you feel blue, just dial up pleasure by logging on to your nearest search engine on the internet and all will be well (644).

This is the start of self centered driven propaganda and advertising campaign. If anyone doubts this has occurred, the computer or technological world has marketed some favorites of the narcissistic portion of our primal selves. They have marketed products that appeal to us, like the “I” pod and the “I”phone. We have invented mass connections on the internet someone might have interpreted as place to communicate. Places like “My Space”, “Face Book”, “Blogging”, and now “Twittering.” These are various types of journals that we somehow believe people want to communicate on. These are homes for people with narcissistic views of themselves believing someone wants to know more about “them.” Any person can manipulate, build, and customize everything we would care to call our own on our computer.

Ullman’s concerns are to be noted as a problem to be fixed in the future. Her final statement, “What can one of us possibly say to another about our experience except, “Today I visited the museum of me, and I like it” (645). The strategy of marketing the internet has just begun and the world of “I” is just peeking over the fence. This is not a fad but a way of life that will be carried throughout our everyday lives. We will have less tolerance with each other and when we are annoyed enough, we may retire to our sanctuary of the “net.” This self centered problem will be felt throughout every economic, social, and personal endeavor in the society.