16 December, 2009

When Logan Get's Real



What would happen if I disconnected from the "digital world" for a while?
I am very seriously considering it. I'm seriously considering severing all connections to the digital world...other than email and basic internet service.

You dare cry foul? Well eff you.
You ask how I might sever myself from the "digital world" whilst still maintaining internet and basic email? Come on, be serious here. Email has been around since the 1970's and has been a part of daily life for many of us for almost 20 years.
Same with the internet.
I mean I remember logging on to Prodigy, akin to AOL, back on my dad's old Apple Performa 475 using what was probably a 14.4kbit/s modem. I was probably 9.

So no, email is no longer part of the "digital world" because in my life, it's just been around way too long. I've sent THOUSANDS more emails in my lifetime than I ever have, or could ever hope to send of the paper kind. And without the internet, email doesn't work. So it's lumped in too.
So to recap...
Eff you.

No the nebula of the "digital world" is something more today. It is social. It is viral. It is twitter trends, facebook statuses and blog posts. E-commerce (which is old people speak for online shopping) now stands on level ground with brick-and-mortar Black Friday sales. The age of the newspaper is dying with our aging grandfathers. The Kindle and Nook are filling niches we never knew needed nurturing. Rather than pay $18.95 for book to read, we now pay $300 for a device that lets us buy and view a book digitally that we still pay $18.95 for.
What the hell?

We spend money to save money and aspire to things that we used to be able to afford before the economy took a nose dive. Will I ever be able to afford a house? Will I ever be able to afford even the 30% down payment on the house that I use to not be able to afford? Did my earning potential just duck below another glass ceiling?

So do I really have time to be worrying about Twitter Trends? Does anyone really care about my facebook status? Is linking my twitter feed with my facebook status updates to kill two birds with one stone really as desperately pathetic as it sounds?
If I fail to blog, will anyone miss anything because I didn't write it down and record it for the whole world to see?

Is it possible that my world could actually feel more fulfilling if I tried cramming less into it?
Would I have more time?
Would I feel more alone?
What am I really getting out of this?

So, to sever the tie, or to not sever the tie...that is the question.

Everything I know about advertising, networking, connections, socializing, relationships and inter-connectivity begs me not to do it.
Everything I know about...well, everything else, says it might just be getting in the way.

9 comments:

Jen said...

I think it would be good try it. You have an awesome new baby, it's Christmas, and you need to finish your school/job hunt stuff. Those things are MUCH bigger than trending topics and snarky comments on people's pictures. No one would blame you and you might return with even better material and motivation.

Two Little Mittons said...

Dude you sound so depressed, cheer up!

Leslierush said...

You should do whatever you need to do. I do enjoy your blogs and status updates though, just for the record. Good luck deciding!

goodwillgirl said...

Do it for one day.

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The Syntropic Interpreter said...

I can so relate to you on this, and think that everyone should consider getting back to the REAL of connecting with people apart from what the Internet has evolved into over its lifespan.

Check out this piece I wrote:

About Facebook

And good luck in your quest. I'll be cheering for you.

Georgie said...

Sever the tie. I reckon you should try to give up email as well, even if only for a few days, just to try it out.

And cheer up! :)

smilecostarica said...

Just like 10-4 good buddy, everyone had and used a cb radio in their car, twits et. al. are on the out. Talking about dumbing down content and lower the bar -

"I'm sitting in the patio."

Unfortunately, a little known problem with extensive exposure to crt's is that you have been changed on a neural level.

If you grok think "snow crash".

Your mind now expects certain patterns that you have been receiving in all of your creative endeavors.

It would be like quitting smoking.

It's not that you might like to try it. It's like you can't.

You are in the matrix.

Life is good,

d

WadeHeart said...

I know your two-month fast is already over, though I don't know why you returned to your blog. Perhaps you don't know yourself. And no, a semi-relevant anniversary date is not a good reason.
However, in processing such thoughts, a goal is essential. Otherwise you find yourself lost in the same dark wood you were trying to escape from in the first place. If you're going to sever your connections, make sure you're doing it for a clear purpose. If you're going to blog and stay connected, know why you're doing it. Otherwise neither path will lead towards Nirvana.