Avatarism

If you have seen the Avatar film, you know what I mean. If not, avatarism , is my concept of the state of having a proxy of some kind, instead of the true you, at a function that you are supposed to be attending bodily. I have to say, right off, that I am not in favour of avatariam.  I am sure you have been at a meeting, for example, where an electronic gizmo sits at the table instead of Susie or Steve who "can't make it". They hear you and your company, and you can hear and perhaps see them via a screen or other device. They enter the conversation, sort of, and offer their input through the good graces of those who actually gave up other events to be there. Many meeting rules allow for this kind of "attendance" and even voting. Sometimes, it is valid for very good reasons, but most times, it is simply a lack of courtesy and commitment or otherwise, just pure nonsense. If you take the situation to an extreme, it puts the whole idea of allowing "ghostly presences" to "attend" meetings into the theoretically ridiculous area of only devices and no human flesh at the table.  Arguers of this idea will say, what's wrong with that? We are still talking and exchanging ideas and information: we see and hear and do the same agenda just as though we were there. My answer is, but you are not there. Your image is there, yes, but your body is not and it does make a difference. At least to me. When I am at a meeting, I want to see your body language in addition to your words. I want to hear if you sigh or grunt assent or denial or other forms of unspoken response during discussion. And furthermore, I don't want to have to gaze at six screens rather than the three dimensional person emanating his or her opinions.  It is harder to gather auras of selfness in a room through  hard copies of people on a screen even if it's in HD or Blue whatevers and a great sound system. It isn't you, the living, scented, glowing, breathing, warm blooded,  you. Today on air, I heard a millennium chap say that he couldn't attend a conference and was disturbed that he was not permitted to do so via his device. He had to be somewhere else, but was keenly interested in "being there". Well, honey, I wanted to say, in the real world, you have to be there, you are not your phone. It may be that you do all of your business including entertainment, shopping, security and family communication  from your phone, but you do have a body and oftentimes, it is actually required in its entirety. The present sickness of human beings thinking they are part of society when attached constantly to a small device stuck to their ears, are vastly ignorant of what society means. It means you and others face to face, not wire to wire. Your movements, gaze and presence are what you are. You are real; you are human.