It seems like the smart phone, supported by social media, has taken over me, and most of the world around.
I get shocked, in the brief moments of detachment from this supplementary smartness, how it has invaded every part of my routine. The easy access to information it gives me creates a desperation to know what is going on - curiosity is supposed to be a good thing - except that it is useless information that we are overdosed with. Rarely are we updated about new technology advances and interesting philosophical opinions of wise people. What we rather get to see are the latest controversial news stories and selfies of friends and celebrities. This noise by far outweighs the little useful wisdom we may argue that it provides.
The overt access to easy information has also eliminated many pleasant pursuits of the good old days. Ranging from collecting clippings of our favourite celebrities to writing thoughtful letters to people we care about, these pursuits connected us with our inner identity, which is beautifully unique in each of us. Being well-read does not matter - if we need to know something, we look it up specifically - but we forget that only by gathering wider knowledge, even that which seems irrelevant, can we identify the trends and derive lessons. Today, we are fast evolving into a single kind of useless zombies, with no real value to contribute, driven by the new breed of celebrities and media manipulators who tap into our desperation to be updated.
Finally, I hate the way the smart apps have invaded my privacy. Instant email alerts imply that I am liable to respond to every communication quickly. WhatsApp pressurizes it even less subtly. I do not appreciate Google finding out where I tend to go on weekends. And if I wish to purchase something, I will look for options, rather than be alerted four times a day by e-commerce apps.
It is not going to be easy controlling my addiction to smart phones, taming it to tell me only what I want to know, restricting its role to a "mobile" phone that gives only my loved ones immediate access to me. It seems losing 10 kg of weight might be an easier pursuit - and yes, a zillion apps will help me in that too. But I will try nonetheless to succeed in this resolution. So let me find a few good apps that help with resolutions! :)
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