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Essay / Technological Advances: A Social Interaction Dilemma
Wes' primary state is now exhaustion because he is constantly with the Relive Box, and he has no time to feel emotions except of those he relives. Technology has caused a disconnect between the feelings he repeats by reliving them and the emotions he should feel as a result of his interaction with the world. When reliving a particularly painful moment, Wes thinks, “…and I needed to get out of it, not to analyze whether it hurt or not, but because it was there…” (Boyle 7). Wes continues to experience his past emotions because he doesn't have to deal with them; Old Wes had had these experiences before, which made them a lot less painful. Dr. Lancer explains Wes' condition when she says, "Obssessions can possess our minds. Our thoughts race or circle, fueling incessant worry, fantasy, or a search for answers” (1). Wes puts these worries aside, focusing on the times in his past where he can be disconnected from them and they aren't as painful. Why make the effort to experience feelings in the present when you can simply relive the pleasant/hurtful/exciting/loving memories of