December
13, 2021
Greetings
from this side of the glow,
I
used to watch more TV than my parents thought sensible, usually sitting too
close to the screen. This, it was
predicted, would ruin my eyes, and the content of the programming would ruin my
brain. My Dad, with no science to sustain
the claim, said “You are going to turn INTO a TV.”
Maybe
this is just like that, but I don’t think so.
There is a
malaise that has eased its way into some of our lives, one that is subtle, and,
ironically, nearly irresistible. I wasn’t
sure if I should write about it since I lack expertise in the area, but it’s
never stopped me before. So.
Many people’s
lives have been narrowed by Covid. We
travel less, see other people less, attend fewer concerts, some churches gather
dust. More of us are working isolated,
connected to what was often our most significant human contact, only by phone
or email.
In tandem with
this change is the importance of the screens in our life. Zoom meetings. Our
phones. Whatever we watch on
Netflix. The tablet that organizes our
life, brings us our social contacts, entertains us while we wait for the
dentist. Our news of the world doesn’t come to us on our front porch, it buzzes
on our wrist.
It's possible
some of us speak to Alexa and Siri or our navigation system more than we do our
relatives. The phones are smart, the
watches are smart, the refrigerator and doorbell are smart. Our devices may be communicating with each
other more than we connect with our friends.
Virtual
reality is closer to common than it is unique. It won’t be too many Christmases
before we can all be together around the tree without ever leaving our
respective homes. If that excites you as
a consumer more than worries you as person, you are demonstrating my reason for
concern.
Before any of
you roll your eyes and yawn ‘Ok Boomer’ at me, I will admit this all sounds
like the same worries my parents had when they saw me sitting too close to the
TV, basting my barely formed cerebral cortex with the genius of Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy. But it’s different. Much different.
This week a
friend of mine was praising the new life she can have while working from home,
how Zoom has given her more enjoyable days.
In the same week I listened to a teacher worry about the health of her
students, not because of the risk of a virus, but the danger of being alone,
connected only by pixels.
People are
already isolated by circumstances, in almost perfect convergence with the technology
that makes it easy to be isolated, even encourages it. For many people, it is a threat to their
mental well-being.
My friends
that I have spoken to about this have had varied responses. Some people think that the impact is mild,
that there has always been something like this as technology has grown, and we
will adapt to it. Some say that the
genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no turning back.
But what is
startling is how quickly technology permeates our lives. I almost said ‘invades’, but the truth is that
we invite it in, giggling over the new experiences, the shiny gadgets. It could be that nothing significant will
come of any of this. But the changes
happen so much faster now, I don’t know that a society can react when it needs
to.
I’m not
completely certain of what this perfect storm can lead to, but I sense it is
dark. Young people are spending five to
nine hours of screen time a day, most of which merely entertaining or
distracting. Some rely on the virtual relationships
for the meaningful friendships that humans desire. I can’t help but believe we are meant for
better than this.
Some people
have figured this out, have dropped out of social media, or they purposely
limit their daily screen time. Parents
are noticing, and there is a movement to push back against the pressure on
their children to relate through devices.
For others, it seems such a challenge to unplug, and so maybe there are
compromises as we figure it out.
My first
suggestion in this effort is to read.
Books. It is a different experience
than listening to audio or looking at a page on a blog. The next is to explore other people, and if
it’s possible, do it in person. This is
a commitment, but I promise you it is far more satisfying than even the most
amusing meme.
Most important,
seek nature. Go immerse yourself in it, and go untethered. Be patient, because while the forests are not
inert, they do not exist simply for our entertainment. Take your time, find a place that is quiet
and beautiful and then allow it to take you.
C.S. Lewis
said: “The only imperative that nature utters is: “Look. Listen.
Attend.” I feel like this is the
antidote to the Siren of the screens.
I
am only touching the surface of this issue, I know. I also realize it is naïve to simply point at
the problem and suggest a walk in the woods.
But doing nothing doesn’t feel right either. So we can begin where we are, with what we
have.
Hope
this finds you signing off,
David
Copyright
© 2021 David Smith
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