Cyberpunk

2007-11-21

For some reason I kinda like the genre of cyberpunk. I haven't read a lot of literature or watched a lot of movies in the area, but I like the idea. The film the Matrix, the anime series Ghost in a Shell, books like the Neuromancer, all fall in this category. In my (perhaps misinformed) opinion, cyberpunk says something philosophical about humans in a world of machines and telecommunications.

I had a thought about that today. I had written about PostSecret before; recently my dorm did a similar event, with residents writing on cards and the cards being posted in our lobby. I would like to share some of them:

• I eavesdrop constantly and I don't feel bad about it.
• I almost cheated on my girlfriend on Thanksgiving.
• I'm scared I will never be loved or love someone. I (heart) u.
• I'm afraid I'm actually a terrible person inside.
• I just found out that I have HIV. I've been having unprotected sex for a year. I still haven't told my girlfriend.

Not all the secrets are sobering, of course. But I look at the cards, and besides wondering who wrote these words, I also wonder why people are so compelled to keep secrets and then let them out anonymously like that. It's sort of the same thing with the internet, of course: anonymity behind statements. Some people say it allows them to be judged by their inner qualities, as opposed to their physical appearance.

I think the fact that people post secrets like this shows the world is lacking deeper human connections.