As I left my apartment for work this morning, I thought I kept feeling the familiar buzzing sensation against my left quadriceps (yes, I’m a lefty), as if my phone were going off in my pocket, although it wasn’t. All the while and simultaneously, I found myself wondering: why don’t people pay more attention to their surroundings anymore? The answer of course was obvious, as my phone, or really my quadriceps, was steering me to the answer before it was even asked.
Years ago, when the Blackberry was still popular, I read an article in which it discussed people who tend to feel like their phone is going off in their pocket even when it is not, or perhaps not even in their pocket at all. To me this is nothing short of addiction, and I would be remiss to classify it as anything but. This is because we’re too hardwired into our electronic devices and now the social media aspects of them as well.
Because of this addiction, we seem to pay far less attention to the world that’s around us and our surrounding reality. I see people staring at their phones while driving on a daily basis, for example. People are more concerned with their status updates on Twitter or Facebook, which maybe 10 of their hundreds of real-life friends will even see or read. And on Twitter, they may be projecting their useless comments and tidbits of information out to hundreds, if not thousands of complete strangers. But, for what purpose? Why do we feel so compelled to make our voices heard, even if we have no point to make or if we know the point will merely fall on deaf ears?
I believe in this day and age, unfortunately, everyone just wants to make a point but nobody knows what the point is or why they’re making it. It’s some new, indomitable desire to have our voices heard, even if it only appears that someone is actually listening. We now live in a society dominated by self gratification and simulated intellectual masturbation where people feel it’s more important to say what they want rather than to listen to what is said or observe what goes on around them.
I think a prime example of this would be drone warfare. Up until the other day it was as if no one knew what the hell was going on with drones, but suddenly it entered our mainstream media and now everyone’s talking about it as if they’re experts on the matter. Where were these people yesterday or last week? Likely posting updates and Tweeting about the previous hot topic in “current events,” whether it was regarding the NDAA (many of you likely don’t even know what this is yet, but more on this subject will be forthcoming in later posts) or the much more important offer made to Gronkowski to be featured in a porn. Perhaps they were just reminding us all what they had for dinner or when they’re going to the gym or what kind of agenda they have set for this week, I know I was on the edge of my seat waiting for these updates most of all! I know, that last bit probably sounded rather hackneyed at this point, deal with it.
The advent of smart phones and social media was supposed to somehow make the world smaller and bring us all closer together. (That’s hackneyed and cliché too, in case you are keeping tabs.) But in reality it appears to be driving us further and further apart as we all strive to make our own voices heard more and more, louder and louder.
So what should we take from all of this? My advice: disconnect from the matrix, at least sometimes, and get back getting to knowing your inner self, your friends and your family. Rather than go on Facebook to see what your friends are up to, give them a call, or if they live nearby, make some plans to see them. Give your mom a call; you’re crazy if you don’t think she’s not wondering what you’re up to right now, and now, and now. Try yoga or meditation, cook with a loved one, paint a picture, or go bat-shit crazy and maybe even read a book. Turn off the damn TV and stop allowing mainstream media to make decisions for you and instead make them for yourself.
As the saying goes, I think, you are the master of your own destiny. So choose your destiny, choose your path, and for fuck-sake, don’t let it be chosen for you. If you see injustice in the world do something about it, don’t just bitch about it online. Progression and change can only occur if we want them to and make a conscious effort to make them happen. So please, I implore, encourage and admonish you: get off your soapbox, your podium, or whatever you want to refer to it as and go do something. Take a page from my book for example, as I am going to post this blog on my computer and sit and wait to see how well it is received…
