Time Capsule of 20th Century
1st of April, 2013.
Life during the 21st Century:
I am a 46 year old retired Navy Chief after serving for 24 years, where I fought in two major conflicts in Afghanistan and Desert Shield. My job description included being a construction electrician with the Naval, for the Seabees. I have secured another job as a Security Contractor at Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic US Embassy. My current job is engages 12 hours of my time, for 13 days every two weeks, one only one day off. I have no holidays at all, and I dedicate my energy and attention to my work so as buttress my financial base at this later age of life, so as not to have a load of debts on my name when I fully retire from active service at 55.
I own a beautiful little home in Hampton, Virginia, where my family, comprising of my wife and two college kids (21 and 24 year old boy and girl respectively) live and work. The late 21st century music, according to my belief, was the best of all music ever composed. During this time I was a DJ for several years, and I rendered my services my Disc Jockey services whenever I was off-duty, including Balls for the Joint Forces in Florida, Navy in Korea, and Marines and Navy in Germany. The wake of the 21st century, accompanied by a proliferation in technology, has completely eroded the traditional, untamed culture of music and social life. The youths, particularly, have lost the power of conversation, of socializing, and are immersed in the world of handheld phone communication. The introduction of cable TV has infiltrated the minds of children, such that they lack the capacity to conjure up substantive thoughts. Moreover, the presence of video games and programming technology has led to an upheaval of violence and brainwashing of the youth.
The conduct in conformance with ethical and moral principles is deeply eroded in this period. This has been worsened by advancement in technology, where almost every household in developed countries has a computer and internet connection (Janaro & Altshuler, 1979). One particular topic that questions morality is sexual conduct. Though definition of correct sexual conduct is challenging, obvious erosion of positive culture is manifested in rise of pornographic literature, mode of dressing among the youth, and engagement in teenage sex. Adult content is displayed openly in the internet, TVs, movies and every social media. Similarly, decision-making in the line of marriages has been left primarily to dating couples, however young and inexperienced, as a result of enactment of various Acts of human rights laws. Consequently, the numbers of trial marriages and break-ups have increased, with reference to the 20th century.
Happiness is defined as an emotional or mental state of well-being, depicted by pleasant or positive emotions of intense joy and contentment (Alexandrova, 2005). It has been found to be a fundamental human need to an extent that it is unalienable from human life. Thus, the pursuit of happiness and liberty are highly fostered in this period. I view this as the prefect description of joy, as whatever exhilarates and jogs the mind of a person suffices to be categorized as happiness. The Hedonist theory sees a happy life as one which maximizes on pleasurable feelings and minimizes on anguish. The Desire theory holds happiness as getting whatever one wants, while the Objective List theory lists all valuable things in one’s life, and sets one in pursuit of them (Alexandrova, 2005). My definition is thus in line with these theories.
The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel written by Camilla Gibb, provides an intricate, keenly accurate and complex description of culture of humanity in the current periods of 21st century (Camilla, 2011). Though it centers its description in Vietnam, it gives a representative picture of the entire generation of the period. The readers of 22nd century would find this novel intriguing and deeply captivating, as it reveals inner details of the culture and practice of humanity of the 21st century (Janaro & Altshuler, 1979). For instance, it compares the historical practices of the previous century with the current culture, and describes the extent of change and its effects in the current behavior of the people.
Architectural works and Arts of 21st century have been made in magnificent styles, incorporating every new technology and design (Niroumand, Zain & Jamil, 2012). The McLeod Residence, which was opened in 2006, is an epitome of the state of art and architecture of this period. The gallery emphasizes technology and socialization in no uncertain ways. Its photo-booth touch screen takes pictures of all visitors and uploads them to a server, as well as two unique mirrors hung in the bathrooms that take pictures constantly (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2006). These intricate patterns of the inner part of house are neatly orchestrated by the beautiful scenery of its architectural design, speaking volumes of the state of art in and technology in the 21st century.
The proceedings and nature of life in the 21st century can also be adequately described in its songs. One captivating music done by Konshens, dubbed Girl a Bubble, is an exemplification of moral degeneracy in today’s culture. It features partially nude damsels dancing in provocative manners, as opposed to the respectful styles of dancing in the 20th and preceding centuries. It displays materials of adult content, though viewer discretion is not advised, thus exposing the youth to contentions regarding norms and culture (Rambarran, 2010). The music incorporates current technology of editing and sound manipulations, which both serve to manifest the level of advancement of this period that can be crucial in historical studies in the next century.
Films are also great tools for communicating cultures and practices of a particular period. As can be observed, films and movies, especially the Hollywood category, have undergone massive transformation with time, driven by technological innovation and shifts in culture. Batman Begins, a film directed by Christopher Nolan, is a piece of work that exemplifies all aspects of modern culture. Fine editions, quality sound, clear multi-chromed pictures all add to its definition as a 21st century film (Kim, 2013). Moreover, just like any other film of this period, aspects of femme fatale, violence, robbery and other social crimes are manifest all over the setting. This film will be important in showing audience of the next century the form and style of Hollywood films as dictated by shifts in culture and technology.
Pop culture has been distorted over the years, with the 21st century bearing most of the bunch. Characterized with vampires, school teenagers dancing in tight pants, purity ratings and crave for sex, the Twilight is a phenomenon that reveals the patterns of modern culture in many societies (Rojek, 2011). In 100 years to come, readers will find this literary work an embodiment of cultural transformation in their previous century.
Finally, the descriptions presented in this capsule all reveal one particular characteristic of the 21st century: effects of technological innovation on culture and social life. It seems as the ultimate time and the end of this generation, as humankind has endeavored to delve into every single piece of knowledge available.
References
Alexandrova, A. (2005): Subjective Well-Being and Kahneman’s ‘Objective Happiness’. Journal of Happiness Studies 6(3), 301-24.
Camilla G. (2011). The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel
Janaro, R. & Altshuler, T. (1979). The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. Publisher: Pearson Longman.
Kim, J. (2013). Manipulated Surface and Time: Digital Video and the “Film-Video Hybrid” in Bill Viola’s 21st Century Work. Quarterly Review of Film & Video, 30(2), 140-158.
Niroumand, H., Zain, M.F. & Jamil, M. (2012). Modern Architecture in the 21st Century Advanced Materials Research, 6(4), 457-458.
Rambarran, S. A. (2010). Innovations in contemporary popular music and digital media and reconstructions of the music industry in the 21st century. University of Salford.
Rojek, C. (2011). Pop music, pop culture. Cambridge, U.K. ; Malden, Mass. : Polity Press.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (2006). Art finds an unusual home at McLeod Residence.
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