Written by readersubmissions.
Written and photographed by Sam Mackey.
This piece was written for the June Theme: The Digital Age.
I've always made a conscious effort to avoid becoming blinded by social media. I have alerts and notifications turned off for my apps, I put group chats on “do not disturb”, and I even downloaded the “Moments” app to track my digital activity. Although my usage was significantly less than other people’s in my life, I still found myself spending excess time on my phone.
I realized this was time I could have spent writing, or creating art, or having human interaction.
Before I studied abroad in Europe last semester, I made the decision to abstain from purchasing an international phone plan for my United States-based phone. This imposed major limitations on when and how I could use my phone. Here, I could only have texting and internet if I was in my dorm building.
When I no longer had access was when it became most apparent to me how concerningly dependent a large portion of people are.
Everywhere I went I couldn't help but notice how brainwashed people seem to be. In such stimulating environments, people would still be absorbed in their phones. As a photojournalist, I make an effort to capture candid images of people in the environments I am photographing in. I was upset to find that after taking the photos, many of these people were staring at their phones in them. The one that impacted me the most was an image I captured in Camden Town, London of a man handmaking mulled wine. Upon second look, I realized my picture did not actually demonstrate him focused on his craft. He was looking at his cell phone. Initially I deleted images like these, thinking that it ruined them. Then I realized that I was trying to ignore the harsh reality that was really happening around me. This was the honest truth. Even in places rich in beauty, interest, and activity, people’s minds are still elsewhere.
Unfortunately many people become defensive if you point this out to them and will continue to feed into the cycle of obsession. All we can do is start with ourselves, and hope others can live by our example.
I absolutely loved removing myself from the mindset of being able to access social media without limits, as I learned there was a time and place for that. Not only did this make me more present in the moment, but also more aware of myself. My extensive times spent on transportation would no longer consist of senseless scrolling through Twitter. Bus rides would consist of lively conversations with the people around me. Train trips were filled with awe as I admired the endless fields of yellow wildflowers as we rode through country lands. Flights were spent writing and recording my observations and feelings so I could later develop and reflect on these memories. Everything was simply better than before.
It depends on the person, I suppose. Some of us would cherish the fact that we were there with each other free of distractions, while others would ask for the wifi password the second we sat down at a restaurant.
I recognize that having the world at our fingertips can be great. Sometimes you need information immediately such as searching for directions or getting in contacting with a friend or family member. But seeing what the girl you went to highschool with is eating for lunch on her snapchat story can wait.
We’re both so fortunate and extremely vulnerable in having such an extensive digital community.
Our ability to access anyone or anything instantly has monumental benefits on a social, educational, and artistic level and aids in our tremendous progress as a functional society. However, we must utilize it properly. We have the choice and responsibility to use it as a tool to improve our lives rather than a platform for distraction.
Most of all, we must ensure that we are in control if it, and that it does not control us.
Post a Comment