An Application of The Red Buffalo Woman In Todays Society Although today's society is more advanced and innovative than

ever, its respectfulness and care for others is rapidly declining. In society today, almost every person has a smartphone. Although the use of cellular data may allow communities to network and interact, the immersion in technology has ultimately separated these communities from possible tangible relationships that could have occurred through human interaction. "The Red Buffalo Woman" demonstrates this conceitedness in its characters and underlying message. Each character depicts a trait that is deleterious to the community, and negative in building a prosperous and productive society. The values found in the message of "The Red Buffalo Woman" are also applicable to today's society (Roberts and Lynch 103).. The myth should be interpreted into a cell phone application in order to develop a sense of kindness and warmth in a society that seems to have gone cold with the narcissism of technology and instant information. Because of the amount of use that the average smartphone sees daily, grafting the message of the myth into an application is directly relevant to the way that society interacts with ideas and information on a daily basis. In a society where eighty seven percent of the population owns and uses a cell phone, it comes as no surprise that genuine interaction is a rarity (mobiThinking 4). Information and virtual communication tend to be readily available, heavy cell phone users do not actively seek out real people to communicate and converse with. As a result of having everything in the palm of its hand, society tends to be socially distant when it comes to real life interactions. This distance is not created by a lack of interest, but a by selfishness that is fostered through the ease and satisfaction of being able to develop masked relationships that can be ignored when they become difficult. A healthy relationship necessitates time and communication in order to thrive. Without these elements, a connection cannot be established. Paradoxically, by becoming

connected to Internet data, being immersed in cell phones, and enveloping itself solely in individual interests, society has unplugged itself from reality. This "reality" is a world of connected humans, showing genuine attention and compassion for one another. But this vision has been lost somewhere amidst the instant gratification and impertinence of a text message or Facebook status. Ever since the Manifest Destiny, America has striven to be a capitalist nation, embracing the idea of individual development and personal worth. But society seems to have become consumed with its selfimage. Whether it is updating a personal status or shopping for clothes online, conceitedness is a characteristic that has, to some extent, worked its way into lives of almost every person in the United States. Although this type of communication is convenient, one must not become so concerned with the immediacy of technology that they lose sight of what it means to truly connect with a human. A real relationship involves quality time, discussion of feelings, and physical presence, each of which are not easily achieved through technology. "The Red Buffalo Woman" portrays the message that one must not be self-seeking and deceitful in order to receive help or happiness. The Chief of Hunters deceives the Buffalo Woman, only to be disappointed when she leaves, showing the reader that while there may be instant gratification in deceit, a lasting relationship or happiness cannot be cultivated. But in the relationship, The Chief of Hunters learns to care for the Buffalo Woman and her well being, which is reinforced when his life is spared in the rage of the Buffalo Woman, a sign that care and kindness can be redeeming, both personally and spiritually. The wives that deceive the Chief of Hunters represent the contempt and impatience that society holds for information. Because society has become accustomed to instant information, when ideas are kept secret, or at a distance, society tends to become impatient and resort to deceit in order to access the information

or simply neglect the concept or person altogether (The Red Buffalo Woman 6). By constantly being self-centered in this virtual world, technology users tend to become caught up in being better than the other person on the same network, leading to an unhealthy competition that does not build either person up, but rather draws attention away from the altruism that is so prominent in collaboration and honesty. Todays society, by being immersed in individual elements of consumerism, has divided itself into narcissistic individuals, each focused on the wellbeing and prosperity of their own person. Because of the ease of access of information, society may be less inclined to legitimately seek out information that seems difficult to obtain. There is a large gap between actuality and the virtual world for society today. Humans that utilize technology to such an extent have become accustomed to readily available information, and a result, have become lazy and conniving in seeking answers, often cutting the wrong corners to obtain this information (Storr 4). "The Red Buffalo Woman" suggests that some of these corners lead to deceit and trickery as a means of obtaining information or developing a relationship for selfish reasons. Through the dynamic character of The Chief of Hunters, the reader can gather that the rewarding aspects of life come through way of kindness and assisting others in living their life fully. This mutual and selfless collaboration leads to productivity, because when a relationship is built off of trust, ideas are fostered and grown collectively. These ideas tend to be more positive and community oriented than their individualistic counterparts, which tend to be self-seeking and static in nature. Humans thrive in groups, and more than one mind equates to different ideas, that when shared and discussed, have the potential to expand without bound. The myth of the Red Buffalo Woman demonstrates the negativity of deceit through the rage of the Buffalo Woman, who kills the wives and threatens the Chief of Hunters. In Yoruba

belief, the Buffalo Woman represents the continuity and prosperity of society. Her power as a Buffalo denotes the restoration that occurs over time with the practice of selflessness and a life that serves others, reflecting the honesty and care in the world. The Buffalo Woman, a physical manifestation of the divine system of Ifa, provides a strong cultural influence and creates an inner compulsion for morality and exhibits the restraints for conscience in Yoruba society (Olusegun 93). The myth proves that these aspects of character, such as conceit and honesty, are relevant in todays world of deception and narcissism. Just as the Chief of Hunters realizes the importance of being truthful in his endeavors, society today can come about difficult situations honestly, and confront a relationship directly, rather than through a virtual medium such as a phone. The morality that is inspired by Ifa in Yoruba culture has digressed in todays society through the concepts of individualism and becoming cut off from reality through technology (Washington 264). Technology also has the potential to connect the world in a positive way, but as of late, the implications of being consumed by cellular devices seem to have outweighed the benefits of communicating through them. Society walks through life with its head down, caught up in the wake of instant information and virtual power. The Red Buffalo Woman reminds the reader to look up every once in a while and remember their neighbors feelings, because the relationships developed in real life are just as beneficial, those established via messaging or phone calls. Relevancy of the myths message of kindness and honesty carries over into the daily lives of todays media-oriented society, and cell phones have the potential to be a way to change the selfish outlook that has been so engrained in culture by media. The messages of the myth, specifically those of altruism and honesty, should be interpreted into short reminders that contain words of wisdom pertaining to the restoration and care that the Buffalo Woman represents

(Olusegun 91). The myth should be crafted into an cell phone application that daily delivers a daily reminder of the implications of being human, so that society is not lost within a house of mirrors that is so easy to find in technology. The application would resemble a devotional, a word or message to live by each day, and be reminded of what it means to truly care for ones neighbor and develop a sense of selflessness. The application should be placed at the heart of the problem, where America spends too much time, on its phones (mobiThinking 2). In this way, the application will encourage healthy connections through technology, but at the same time, bring society back to life through the warmth of compassion and honesty. Because cell phones are checked so often, the application would have a random notification that reminded the user of a value portrayed in The Red Buffalo Woman, and motivate them to apply it to their daily life. The reminder would serve as a guideline for interaction with others, and would instill a sense of selflessness in the cell phone user. This individual change would spread throughout the population of technology users and find its way into the mindset of society, encouraging kindness and honesty in real relationships. Society today seems to have regressed in its emphasis on the human being. The overuse of technology, and specifically, cell phones, draws the focus from the community and segregates it to the individual, a consumer. The focus should reflect the values of honesty and warm interaction that draw society together and develop prosperous communities. The Red Buffalo Woman illustrates morally jaded characters to prove that a community cannot prosper with deceit and selfishness (The Red Buffalo Woman 5). Using these values as guidelines, the myth of the Red Buffalo Woman can be reinterpreted into a cell phone application that effectively imposes these ideals on the media-consumed audience that is todays society. This application of the myth would remind society to not be conceited in their motives, but seek honesty so that

healthy relationships can be made. When this honesty and kindness is established, society prospers. Not just in productivity, but also in the deeper, lasting aspects of life, such as kindness and creativity.

Work Cited Lynch, Patricia, and Jeremy Roberts. African Mythology, A to Z. 2nd. New York: Chelsea House, 2004. 102-103. Web. mobiThinking. "Mobile subscribers; handset market share; mobile operators." Global mobile statistics 2012 Part A: (2012): n. mobiThinking. Web. 10 Feb 2013. Oladosu A., Olusegun. "Ethics And Judgement: A Panacea For Human Transformation In Yorb Multireligious Society." Asia Journal Of Theology 26.1 (2012): 88-104. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. Storr, Kevin. "UAB study: teens plugged into media nearly 24 total hours daily." UAB News [Alabama] 10 May 2012, n. pag. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Washington, Teresa N. "Mules And Men And Messiahs: Continuity In Yoruba Divination Verses And African American Folktales." Journal Of American Folklore 125.497 (2012): 263-285. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.