Event #2

Event #2
U Still Up? By Christina Yglesias


I attended Christina Yglesias’ “U Still Up?” art installation at Broad Arts on May 2.  I had an inkling that the exhibit would be focused on texting since the title of the event was written in “text-speak.”  Upon entering the exhibit, I was instantly distracted.  There was a lot of noise coming from different sets of people having conversations on four video screens.  The screens were hanging on each wall.  In addition, there was a stack of papers containing print-outs of thousands of text messages on a table.  Headphones were also available for visitors to listen in on the video conversations.  
I did not initially appreciate that this exhibit was a form of art until after I stood in the room for several more minutes.   While my ears were full of noise from the video screens, my eyes were glued to the pages of text messages.  I suddenly realized that this installation was a microcosm of how technology has evolved in encouraging and disrupting how we communicate with each other.  Texting can be a wonderful and necessary tool to communicate with others but it has also become a huge distraction.  I wondered how tall my pile of papers would be if I were to print out my texts over the past month!  
Our society is spending more time than ever connected to technology.  People enjoy using technology for shopping, working, researching and managing their relationships.  However, too much technology can be bad for our society as it takes people away from having face-to-face interactions with others.  This exhibit confirms my belief that we like the technology available to us but that we need do a better job in managing how we use it and to stop relying on it so much.  

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