I can’t remember the last time I went a full day without looking at a screen. I wonder if you can. That worries me.
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When thinking about the future, my first thoughts always go the future of technology and how we will interact with technology in the next 10, 20, 50 years.
If we look to the past and think about what the last 20 years have been about, it’s really boiled down to screens. Screens on our walls, screens in our pockets, even screens on our refrigerators. And I think the one dystopian future I’ve always seen in movies is definitely one direction the future can take us, where we get the prices of screens even lower and they take over every inch of real estate on every building, and every human is wearing AR glasses/contacts full to the brim with information, ads, and everything else imaginable. A world where companies aren’t garnering the attention of human beings through creative stunts and elaborate schemes, but simply by purchasing a portion of people’s field-of-view. And most importantly, a world where we are obsessed with everything except what’s right in front of us.
That future scares me. My biggest fear today is not being present, and I’m always fighting a constant battle with my phone and games and TV to be more present in my day-to-day life. But right now it feels like an uphill battle, as the biggest companies are creating more addictive algorithms and more personalized content to keep you hooked, all while devices get more and more integrated into our daily lives. Tiktok shows you things to do in that new country you’re visiting, and that new recipe you’re going to try, and that clip from your favorite creator, so why would you ever stop scrolling? It’s everything we want to see, just one swipe away. Why are we not able to spend 1 hour alone with our thoughts? No wonder Gen-Z has a loneliness epidemic! Can’t we all just GET OFF OUR PHONES?!
This has got to stop.
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I’m totally for making the world a better place, and I can see firsthand the positive impacts technology has had on my life. I’m able to talk to my grandparents in India, trade stocks and invest my money how I want to, and capture every important moment in a picture for my kids and their kids to see. But we’ve taken it a little too far.
I’m invested in building a screenless future, one where we recognize the importance of what’s in front of us and truly appreciate the beautiful things and people we’ve been given in this world. One where we seek out the people who matter to us the most, rather than rotting alone. One where we have to talk to that person next to us, because there is no phone to pull out and browse. One where we appreciate the raw beauty of life.
My advice on how to get to that future? Maybe next time you go on a walk, leave that phone at home.