The Defining Moment

September 11, 2001—the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington determined our priorities, our politics, our history, our economic direction and elements of our popular culture more than anything else. George W. Bush presided over two wars in the war on terror which have yet to be concluded. A sluggish economy was propped up by expanding government. U2 turned the Superbowl into a national memorial for those we lost—a memorial shared through TV and rock music. Patriotism and faith became important to America again (at least for a while), country stars sang ballads for war heroes, pop stars blamed everything on President Bush. We made movies and TV shows about war and terrorism (and ended the decade with 2009’s The Hurt Locker receiving Oscars for best film and best director). Everyone who isn’t twelve years old or younger probably remembers exactly where they were upon first learning about the attack on the World Trade Center. And the last time that happened in America was probably the assassination of President Kennedy. This is the big moment of which we are all aware.

The Electronic Moments

Less noticeable are the influences of technology which nevertheless also had a big impact on us. They cannot compare to 9/11, but I spend more time on them because they “snuck in on us,” and so I need more time to explain why they matter.

Our lives became more technological in the decade of the 00’s. You might not have begun the decade with a personal computer, but you probably have one now. That, in turn has led you to start corresponding by emails, make purchases through Amazon.com and Ebay and participate in an expanding internet culture. Through Amazon.com you’ve finally been able to buy those books you never could find in a bookstore, and Ebay helped you find or get rid of things you otherwise could not—garage selling has gone from dozens of people coming by on a Saturday to thousands looking for items which you just happen to have.

Many people also became technologically social in the last decade. You Tube made it possible for us to upload home movies for family and friends or to find an audience as amateur film makers. My Space and Facebook allowed us to stay in touch with friends at a distance or get in touch with old friends we haven’t seen or heard from in years. Facebook, which was originally created for college students, has become especially popular among Baby Boomers who have used it to reconnect with friends from high school and college.

Solomon said, “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). Apparently this is true of electronic formats as well. The 00’s were the DVD decade. Like your vinyl albums which started gathering dust in the late 80’s when CD’s became the new standard, your VHS tapes are languishing on dusty shelves or in forgotten closets (with fears about what Blue Ray is about to do to your DVD collection on the horizon).

I resisted cell phones as long as I could. But like me, most Americans now have cell phones, and some have even dropped their “land lines.” The results: the convenience of being able to contact or be contacted anywhere (I confess I’ve enjoyed being able to call home from the store to ask about an item on the grocery list) coupled with impatience (when someone we want to reach won’t answer or return a call immediately) and a growing inability to be left alone when we want to.

If you’ve sold your vinyl records in a garage sale, go ahead and toss your CD’s into the next one. I-Pods have universalized music downloads and forever changed the way we listen to music and the way recordings are made. We used to have to buy an album or CD for the one or two decent songs on it. Now we can buy just the songs we want and put them in our I-Pods, I-Phones and computers to listen to in exactly the order we want. Music is more portable than it’s ever been, and the number of musicians who can now be heard has mushroomed.

Next month we’ll continue this retrospective on the 00’s with a look at hurricanes, popular culture and more.

¹Let’s continue to pray for and offer help to the people of these nations. Return to Text