Noise (technical): irregular fluctuations that accompany a transmitted electrical signal but are not part of it and tend to obscure it.
I spend too much time on the internet.
It bothers me because there are other things I could be doing. Reading a book or playing a story-length game instead of browsing endless articles. Working on my fantasy novel or a blog post instead of checking notifications and writing replies. Especially when I’m tired or depressed, it becomes so easy to sink into the mindless scrolling of feeds and Googling of curiosities. Just one more write-up, one more video, one more meme. Just one more time…
Welcome to the Age of the Smartphone, when everyone is constantly connected. When an endless repository of information is always at our fingertips. When our attention itself has become a commodity, a currency, and we have more ways to spend it than ever before. When it can feel like we’re drowning in data.
When we have to actively choose to disconnect.
Today I’m talking about noise.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: modern technology is incredible. Via the internet, we can find facts within seconds. We can maintain relationships with loved ones a thousand kilometres away. And we have unending sources of entertainment, whether it’s YouTube, video games or social media. This is where the trouble starts. The internet is a supernormal stimulus: something which elicits responses far stronger than the stimuli for which our senses evolved.
Our internal wiring evolved over millions of years to equip us with the tools we needed to survive. In the old days, food was scarce, and so we developed a taste for precious sugar, fats and salt. Life was short and bloody; a sex drive was essential for the survival of the species. Exploring new environments and the opportunities they presented could mean the difference between life and death. So we developed a keen appreciation for novelty.
Human ingenuity has led us far from those hunter-gatherer days. But our brains have yet to catch up.
While modern advances have improved our lives to a remarkable degree, they’ve also opened a Pandora’s box of social issues and addictions which turn our own instincts against us. Junk food fills us with far more calories than we need. Porn sites offer the illusion of sexual intimacy. And the constant streams of information, the pings and clicks and little red dots, have become an accepted background noise in our day to day lives.
I’m writing this because the noise is getting to me.
To quote Mark Manson, smartphones are the new cigarettes. We pull them out whenever we have a spare moment, oblivious to the way they’re slowly eroding our attention. It’s the internet in the palm of your hand. And it’s stealing my time. I’ve gone through multiple iterations of this by now. I used to be posting pictures on Instagram, which turned into posting opinions on Reddit. Then I started following the news via Google feeds. Lately I’ve been watching more YouTube videos. Heck, I’m even checking Habitica more often now that I get the notifications on my phone.
I used to think it was limited to one specific application, but now I see that it’s the internet itself. Part of this is me, I know. I’m covering up the empty spaces in my life with webs of entertainment, filling in the silence with comforting noise.
But then again, it’s not just me. Internet addiction is a recognized phenomenon. And just like cigarettes, it’s all too easy to get a hit. I’m lucky I never started smoking; didn’t see the point. It was a waste of money, a danger to my health. But I can see that I’m simply hooked on different vices. Though I’m not about to throw my phone away, I do need to control the way I use it.
These days I find myself craving peace of mind. When I’m not overthinking things or mindlessly consuming content, tiring myself out with useless bits of information. I need the clarity of focus, instead of the endless roar of static.
And that means choosing what to filter out.
We like to believe we can have it all. But that simply isn’t true. Even before the internet, we could never hear every story, learn every skill, take in the entirety of human knowledge within our lifetime. It’s just not possible. And that’s a scary thought, that our lives are so brief, their meaning so fragile. Who will remember us after we’re gone? Will anyone care? Will we have left anything behind for future generations?
I don’t know. I just know that for our own good, we need limits. We must choose what books to read, what games to play, what work to perform and art to express. We have to decide who (or whether) we’ll marry, where we’ll live and what we’re going to do with the rest of our lives. We have to spend our time on the things that matter and have the strength to cut out anything that doesn’t. In a world filled with endless connections, we have to choose to disconnect. The bonds that remain are the ones that truly matter.
In a world of infinite noise, sometimes the most beautiful sound is silence.
Our internal wiring evolved over millions of years to equip us with the tools we needed to survive. In the old days, food was scarce, and so we developed a taste for precious sugar, fats and salt. Life was short and bloody; a sex drive was essential for the survival of the species. Exploring new environments and the opportunities they presented could mean the difference between life and death. So we developed a keen appreciation for novelty.
Human ingenuity has led us far from those hunter-gatherer days. But our brains have yet to catch up.
While modern advances have improved our lives to a remarkable degree, they’ve also opened a Pandora’s box of social issues and addictions which turn our own instincts against us. Junk food fills us with far more calories than we need. Porn sites offer the illusion of sexual intimacy. And the constant streams of information, the pings and clicks and little red dots, have become an accepted background noise in our day to day lives.
I’m writing this because the noise is getting to me.
To quote Mark Manson, smartphones are the new cigarettes. We pull them out whenever we have a spare moment, oblivious to the way they’re slowly eroding our attention. It’s the internet in the palm of your hand. And it’s stealing my time. I’ve gone through multiple iterations of this by now. I used to be posting pictures on Instagram, which turned into posting opinions on Reddit. Then I started following the news via Google feeds. Lately I’ve been watching more YouTube videos. Heck, I’m even checking Habitica more often now that I get the notifications on my phone.
I used to think it was limited to one specific application, but now I see that it’s the internet itself. Part of this is me, I know. I’m covering up the empty spaces in my life with webs of entertainment, filling in the silence with comforting noise.
But then again, it’s not just me. Internet addiction is a recognized phenomenon. And just like cigarettes, it’s all too easy to get a hit. I’m lucky I never started smoking; didn’t see the point. It was a waste of money, a danger to my health. But I can see that I’m simply hooked on different vices. Though I’m not about to throw my phone away, I do need to control the way I use it.
These days I find myself craving peace of mind. When I’m not overthinking things or mindlessly consuming content, tiring myself out with useless bits of information. I need the clarity of focus, instead of the endless roar of static.
And that means choosing what to filter out.
We like to believe we can have it all. But that simply isn’t true. Even before the internet, we could never hear every story, learn every skill, take in the entirety of human knowledge within our lifetime. It’s just not possible. And that’s a scary thought, that our lives are so brief, their meaning so fragile. Who will remember us after we’re gone? Will anyone care? Will we have left anything behind for future generations?
I don’t know. I just know that for our own good, we need limits. We must choose what books to read, what games to play, what work to perform and art to express. We have to decide who (or whether) we’ll marry, where we’ll live and what we’re going to do with the rest of our lives. We have to spend our time on the things that matter and have the strength to cut out anything that doesn’t. In a world filled with endless connections, we have to choose to disconnect. The bonds that remain are the ones that truly matter.
In a world of infinite noise, sometimes the most beautiful sound is silence.
Silence. I need that. Me time - and lots of it. Great read. =)
ReplyDeleteEh, you still read my blog! Hahaha thanks 😉 I know right, we all need time to center ourselves and get away from all the busyness.
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