“It’s almost
Pavlovian: I see the screen, I know it’s connected, and my thoughts shift into
a different gear.” (Hamlet’s Blackberry, 106)
It’s become
more and more noticeable; the white noise of a restless brain without conduit to
the world at large. I catch it in bed at night, or on my walk to university, or
while reading. I feel the urge to be connected.
My relationship,
job, and school work all rely on access to the Internet. My phone is never off
anymore, and when it’s on silent, my head still buzzes.
Recently, I
finished reading Hamlet’s Blackberry
by William Powers. It’s a philosophical exploration of the role technology plays
in our lives and how we can balance its use with our sanity. Like many people, I
find myself sitting idly in the dirt on one end of the seesaw, feigning
cluelessness.
Of course I
recognize my state of affairs! Of course I hear my laptop’s fan whirring away while
I scatter around social media! But it’s easy enough to ignore.
It takes a
conscious decision to be conscious. Activities I enjoy, such as reading a book,
writing by hand, or cooking a new meal, have fallen wayside to a few more
minutes in a drone state, staring at a screen. It takes a concerted effort to
do what I love. How heinous a crime to my own health! What flagrant disregard
to rationality!
To anchor
myself to the physical world, I defined positive rituals that created gaps
between me and my screen. Wake up and do that simple exercise routine. Shower
and eat a full breakfast before even touching device X. Pull back to the three
dimensional world with a paperback novel. Print out your pictures. Take a brisk
walk outdoors. There must be balance!
No comments:
Post a Comment