lgageharleya
“Lots of us have read this book called ‘Into the Wild,’” said Lola Shub, a senior at Essex Street Academy, referring to Jon Krakauer’s 1996 nonfiction book about the nomad Chris McCandless, who died while trying to live off the land in the Alaskan wilderness. “We’ve all got this theory that we’re not just meant to be confined to buildings and work. And that guy was experiencing life. Real life. Social media and phones are not real life.”
“When I got my flip phone, things instantly changed,” Lola continued. “I started using my brain. It made me observe myself as a person. I’ve been trying to write a book, too. It’s like 12 pages now.”
Love this.
In his book Technopoly, Neil Postman argues that a new technology doesn’t change just one aspect of our lives, but every aspect. Cell phones created an all-encompassing change in the way we think. Especially compelling to me was the realization that my phone changed what I think about.
Why is the news story in my feed was important to know about? Who said it was? Why do they want me to think about it?
The elites seek to control the content of your thoughts. Taking back control of what you think about is hugely important. Seek the good, the beautiful, and the true in your thought life.
Excellent book. 1992 and so prescient. He speaks about the over organisation of things and the exclusion of certain modes of learning. A fascinating book. I get something different from it every time I read it.
It’s on the free list in Audible now!
I love to read about self-reflective young people – it gives me hope in a time I’m close to feeling hopeless..
Yes. Human beings will always find their own way.
I love this. I am 42 years old and I don’t have any SM at all, but I still beat myself up daily because I’m always scrolling through the news websites. I have tried to take the internet off my phone to discourage me and disable the ability to download any apps, but then my husband got mad at me. He was like, “I need you to look up stuff and your internet is off!” I used to be a BIG reader, but now my reading habit has dwindled a lot. I see a lot of damage that just the presence of the phone has caused. Smart phones have been both a blessing and a curse. I’m eternally grateful for Google Maps, because it helps tremendously and I love the podcasts and audiobooks, etc. that are available. But the damage it’s done to our young people far outweighs any benefit it has.
You could do a Sunbeam phone. Sunbeam was started by Mennonites. They wanted to be able to use certain aspects of a smartphone without having others. There’s no internet browser, but there is maps and audio. A great example of choosing the technologies you want in your life.
Wasn’t Chris McCandless the one who was living out of a bus or something out there?
Good to see positive news here as well!
Its all about self control. Its just like food, I ate up everything on the net. But I got fed up with it after 10 years. In a way I got “fat” so I cut down on the trivial. I hated irrelevant notifications on social media so I didn’t Install them anymore. Used only messenging apps for communication with family and friends. Only read news, some free books, home design etc I’m much happier now.