4 ms·

I've had it explained to me not as an aversion to technology, but an aversion to anything that prevents people from being together, communicating and close. Of

I've had it explained to me not as an aversion to technology, but an aversion to anything that prevents people from being together, communicating and close. Of course their definition of "things that prevent people from being together and communicating" seems a bit odd to outsiders, but there is a kind of logic to it.

electromagnetic 17y ago
Agreed, I believe their caution on cell phones and the internet is due to the fact it enables people to be farther away. Without the internet, I doubt I would have emigrated to a country ~6,000km from my family and without phones I doubt my in-laws would have migrated ~1,500km away from theirs. My own parents moved away from their family, but a lack of technology wouldn't have stopped that one. I believe cell phones and the internet haven't helped with community cohesion, or even family cohesion. I do believe it has enabled people to not settle with the "well that's all we have", which where I grew up was the de-facto response to a lot of things. Abysmal job opportunities, abysmal urban environment/quality, the only opportunities for pretty much everything was on the other side of the country. The majority of people I knew left their families behind, those that didn't were already stuck in the "well that's all we have" attitude. The Amish have the attitude of making their own opportunities, so I believe cell phones and the internet could truly hurt their community how they have chosen to make it. Where I grew up opportunities weren't made by the local community, it had a disgusting unemployment rate (this wasn't because of seasonal work mind you, this was simply due to people refusing to work) and I personally enjoy working. If my community had made opportunities, something would have likely attracted my attention before the 'outside' did.

4 ms·

I've had it explained to me not as an aversion to technology, but an aversion to anything that prevents people from being together, communicating and close. Of

by elblanco 17y ago

electromagnetic 17y ago
Agreed, I believe their caution on cell phones and the internet is due to the fact it enables people to be farther away. Without the internet, I doubt I would have emigrated to a country ~6,000km from my family and without phones I doubt my in-laws would have migrated ~1,500km away from theirs. My own parents moved away from their family, but a lack of technology wouldn't have stopped that one. I believe cell phones and the internet haven't helped with community cohesion, or even family cohesion. I do believe it has enabled people to not settle with the "well that's all we have", which where I grew up was the de-facto response to a lot of things. Abysmal job opportunities, abysmal urban environment/quality, the only opportunities for pretty much everything was on the other side of the country. The majority of people I knew left their families behind, those that didn't were already stuck in the "well that's all we have" attitude. The Amish have the attitude of making their own opportunities, so I believe cell phones and the internet could truly hurt their community how they have chosen to make it. Where I grew up opportunities weren't made by the local community, it had a disgusting unemployment rate (this wasn't because of seasonal work mind you, this was simply due to people refusing to work) and I personally enjoy working. If my community had made opportunities, something would have likely attracted my attention before the 'outside' did.