The Relationship Between Nature And Society (Essay Example)

Throughout history, the human race’s connection with nature has dwindled. As explained in “Some Psychodynamics of Orality,” written by Walter J. Ong, we have gone from telling stories to never acknowledging the world around us. Although many of the world’s citizens still protect their connection with nature, such as the Indigenous peoples, others have forgotten their roots within nature, such as individuals who are ultimately surrounded by city life. The Indigenous peoples, to this day, continue to practice integrating nature into their everyday lives. This integration of nature is something that others in society must relearn to do. Sadly, our disconnection from nature has caused it so much pain. Our disconnection has brought us closer to technology, forcing us to neglect the world as a whole. Technology has caused not only pain to the world but also to the world’s residents. With the invention of social media through technology came about a type of competition. Friends and family competed to see who had the best pictures, had the most followers on Instagram, or traveled to the best places. It wasn’t about appreciating everything nature has to offer. Throughout the past decade, we have seen articles about technology and social media destroying our brains and articles about how the world is slowly dying, but barely anyone is listening. While technology may never disappear, society must reconnect with nature to find itself and save what is left of our world.

Social Media’s starting purpose was to enable individuals to share information and photos and make connections worldwide with their peers. However, it soon became a competition instead of being about sharing things and making connections. It became a competition to see who had the best pictures, had the most followers on Instagram, etc. This competition and addiction may be why no one truly knows themselves. As Giraldi mentioned in his guest lecture, we are so addicted to our technology that we will never be able to know ourselves truly. The line between reality and fantasy is easily blurred regarding social media. We cannot fully find ourselves in this world of technology because we have been strongly influenced to have evidence of everything we do. For instance, going on a hike or to a national park is no longer about getting out of the house to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views. Instead, it has become a photo opportunity only to post and show people your accomplishments. However, please don’t assume that it is our fault. Technology is developed every single year. 

With the development of technology, our world had no choice but to evolve with it. Or rather around it. It became necessary to have technology within every household. With the use of technology embedded into every aspect of everyday life, people have forgotten what it means to be yourself along the way. Thoreau also had a similar idea in “Where I Lived and What I Lived For.” In this reading, Thoreau states, “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep.” From this quote, it is clear that Thoreau also believes in the idea of riding the use of technology to reach inner peace. Both Thoreau and Giraldi think that technology has chained society and kept individuals from getting to know themselves by serving them with an addiction to phones and social media. While both authors have an ideal world in mind, it is impossible to achieve. Technology has been rooted in everything and will not be going away anytime soon. So while encouraging the idea of nature is the common goal between the two, it will take more than a walk or stay in the woods to accomplish.

Technology’s chain has kept individuals from knowing their true selves but has also forced actions of neglect and abandonment towards nature. We have heard more and more about how the earth is dying throughout the past decade, yet most everyone is turning a blind eye. Most believe that nature is not the root of these issues, but in my opinion, I believe that it is. While the world developed fast, society slowly began forgetting ideas and cultures within nature, one of these ideas being the preservation and appreciation of nature. Our ancestors used to tell stories using nature and left their mark through it. Now society has wholly forgotten such ideas. Now everyone is only worried about their own lives and things that affect themselves. The thought that global warming, pollution, etc., affect them doesn’t even cross their minds. However, it is essential to give credit to those who still try to preserve nature and talk about how much pain we have caused the planet and how to reverse it. As seen in “Trouble of Wilderness,” William Cronon does talk briefly about nature’s impact — “Although wilderness may today seem to be just one environmental concern among many, it in fact serves as the foundation for a long list of other such concerns that on their face seem quite remote from it. That is why its influence is so pervasive, and potentially, so insidious.” This is where the idea of rescuing our connection to nature comes from. Since destroying the bond between humans and nature, society has neglected and forgotten it causing our demise by global warming, fresh-water depletion, etc., for global development.

Society’s relationship with nature is not great, but it could be. Although we have been disconnected from nature for a long time, writers such as Cronon, Thoreau, and Giradli believe there’s a chance to save it. I also believe in such circumstances. With the pain society has caused the world, there is still a chance to change our mindsets and save our dying planet. However, changing attitudes is not an easy task. Our lack of knowledge of nature could be to blame for our neglect of it. To change minds, we must reconnect with nature, but to reconnect to nature, we must first become educated on its cultures and ideas — “The concept of wilderness had to become loaded with some of the deepest core values of the culture that created and idealized it; it had to become sacred.”  

If the world was once in an intimate relationship with nature, why can we not become in one once more? Education and the teaching of cultures that strive to preserve nature and idealize it may be the only way to reverse all the damage that has been done to it. Along the way to educating ourselves about preserving nature and embedding it into everyday lives instead of technology, we may also learn how essential nature is for the human mind and how nature and tranquility are important for the mind to grow. Everything starts with rescuing nature.

Cronon, Giraldi, and Thoreau all talked about the different ways nature impacts, but they all have a common goal. To convince society to reconnect with nature. Our disconnection from nature has proved to not be in the world’s development. We have seen this through society’s lack of attention to the world we are destroying and how we have been hit with constant technological addictions. The only way to reverse such problems is to look to nature. It’s to go back to our roots where nature was idealized and preserved. This starts with educating ourselves. While society may often be divided, this broken relationship with nature is something we can become united for to save a broken and dying planet.