Backlit

Now a days it seems all to difficult to escape the constant presence of the connectivity and seemly endless amounts of time dedicated to our batteries. What are you talking about? I am talking about how we are increasingly becoming enslaved to the batteries that run our lives. Phones. iPads. Computers. TV. Movies. Internet. Internet of Things. All of these things have utility but at what point do these things become our masters? Some things are most certainly economies of scale, but I do not think that our batteries are one of those things.

Exempted I am not, but I have taken notice of the increasing time that I have spent on these items. This has lead me to take some steps to become the one in control. I am not simply satisfied to live my life through a backlit screen and have deleted some of those apps that seem to turn a quick glance into 10 or so minutes. Twitter is no longer found on my iPhone and Facebook was never a staple in my collection of apps. My main argument with all of these social media apps is that these apps condition us not to be happy with what we already have. We are constantly striving to get more likes, followers, and comments. All to often the younger generation are determining their self worth based on the attention they garner on these social media outlets.

Other negative consequences that result from our persistent bombardment of advertising and need for attention that these apps drive; is the need to have everything right away. Our society can be summarized as the microwave society because patience is out the door and waiting is seen as weakness. What happened to the old adage, “good things come to those who wait.” I still believe that good things result from delaying gratification and being tough enough to wait for myself to achieve my goals.

Don’t be an agent who is acted upon, instead be an agent who acts. Take some time away and power off from time to time. The best things in life occur in the three-dimensional and not behind a retina display, despite what Apple would have you think. Take the challenge to disconnect from your batteries and recharge yourself with something of worth. We all have 24 hours each day the choice is completely yours. Maybe you are satisfied living through the illusion of likes and followers; however, I am not.