Thursday, February 09, 2012 By Ania Nazarian [ArticleImageHyperLink] Advertising Letting Go of the Wheel (Feb. 9, 2011) -- Since I got my permit, opening the car door, situating myself in the seat and clicking my seat belt on have become a new cause for excitement. Rather than being a passenger, I get to enjoy the adventures that come with being the driver. Even after numerous times of hitting that gas pedal, I still get a burst of excitement.    However, according to Upgrade Your Life, a Yahoo news blog, the manufacturers of Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Ford are coming up with ways for the car to drive itself, taking away much of that excitement. This will go along with new built-in systems that allow the driver to connect with the Internet---a new form of “infotainment” and a huge distraction for the driver. Mercedes-Benz has produced its own version of a Facebook application which would be displayed on a screen in the center of the car and be controlled by a dial. They have also created a concept car which includes navigation, entertainment and communication, which are all controlled with hand gestures; there’s no need to even touch the screen. Day by day, people are losing their social skills, and for some, the only time their eyes aren’t glued to a screen is when they’re driving. With all the time today’s society spends on the web, whether it be at home or anywhere else, is being online in the car while driving necessary? These manufacturers are making it worse by giving people the option to not have to look at the road while driving. There are programs being developed that alert the driver when they are going off the road or if there is a sudden change anywhere around the vehicle. There’s even a program that actually fixes the issue on its own, rather than alerting the driver. So now instead of having only the passengers absorbed in the virtual world, the driver will be too. So many teenagers in the world count down to the moment that they can legally drive and can get into the car with their friends and just go anywhere. What’s the point of looking forward to this day if everyone—literally, everyone—is just going to be on Facebook and Tumblr rather than actually socializing and enjoying the ride?

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