Dear Readers, As many of you know, I’m not the biggest fan of social media, smartphones, or rampant technological progress in general. I feel like these mediums, while beneficial in certain limited capacities, end up taking much more than they give most of the time; in terms of attention, time, energy, community, human connection, etc. To borrow a concept from Heidegger, the ‘way of being’ that these mediums ultimately engender and incentivize seem to be increasingly contrary to things like localism, neighborliness, physicality, nature, social fabric, and the practices, rhythms, and patterns of life which make us most human. Additionally, any deep or authentic attempts in the spaces of writing, contemplation, or practices of piety, I feel personally, are often diminished, quite severely, by the storm of never-ending distractions that the internet, social media, and screen culture in general seem to facilitate. The perniciousness of Big Data surveillance, nudging efforts, and invasion of privacy is also a feature of these mediums that doesn’t sit well with me either. My mind and attention just seem ‘stretched too thin’ these days by all of these things. If one is ever able to say or apprehend that which is Good or True or Beautiful, then one requires some degree of
As a "digital immigrant" who often longs for pre-social media times, I applaud your decision to scale back on these things. I hope you find it edifying and refreshing.
Will continue to look forward to your writings as they are made available.
As a "digital immigrant" who often longs for pre-social media times, I applaud your decision to scale back on these things. I hope you find it edifying and refreshing.
Will continue to look forward to your writings as they are made available.