No, I do not have a phone or email. Does that make me a bad person?
"What's your phone number?"
"I do not have a phone."
"What's your email address?"
"I do not use email."
"How are we supposed to contact you?"
"You do not need to. I will contact you."
(Mean stare at me)
...
It was not so long ago that this was a totally acceptable answer. Every day, more and more, I am being treated like something alien because I do not have a phone or give people my email address. But I am STILL A HUMAN BEING. Perhaps I am more of a Human because of this.
For example, the Pharmacy asked for my phone number. I asked them why they needed it. They said it was so that they could contact me when my medications were ready. I explained that I have a voicemail number, which only exists in cyberspace, and that if they left a message there I would have to go somewhere that had a computer in order to check it, thus it was inconvenient for me to check my messages. I know when my prescriptions are ready because my doctor tells me in person, then I go to the pharmacy, and if they are not ready, then I simply wait. The Pharmacist looked at me with obvious hostility. I have been getting this reaction more and more frequently.
I have no trouble living a life 100% in person. None at all. But it seems that those around me, totally addicted to technology, who believe a computer screen more than the words of a human, are having trouble accepting that people like me exist. What is currently posing as "convenience" is actually just more bullshit people have to do, for tasks that used to be (and still can be) quit simple. No phone or email needed. Even worse is this phenomena of people "taking a computer's word" over a human's. People seem oblivious to the fact that all data about people on computers were inputed by humans and human data entry is always fallable.
How many times do I hear:
"Sorry Sir, but the computer says..."
and I respond
"Yes, but I am the human being the computer is mistaken about, so you can take my word for it."
and they respond
"Sorry Sir, but the computer says ... so that is what we have to go by."
How can they be serious??? Everyone who has ever used a computer knows that they make tons of mistakes, not even counting hacking and such. Yet when it comes to computer vs. humans; Computers are already winning, by a landslide. Hello Skynet, welcome to what used to be my planet.
The rate at which I am becoming an anachronism is accelerating along with Moore's Law and I must admit that while I am saddened for the world, I take more joy and pride in my modern Luddite-ism every day.
I am a human being. 100%. I do not need a cell phone, a computer, or a vibrator, to justify or enhance my existence. When I reflect on how much time I used to spend on the phone and on the computer and specifically what I spent my time doing on them: I do not see that they made my quality of life any better. In fact it looks like they kept me in a perpetual state of immaturity and prolonged relationships that long ago should have been terminated instead of continuing to waste my time for years. And us humans, well, Time is all we have. And none of us know how much.
As far as my experience informs me; Technology Addiction is just that. An Addiction. I'm fairly certain that it directly leads to ADD, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsions, Sexual Deviancy, and other mental health conditions. And just as with any other Addiction, any given Addict feels better surrounded by other Addicts to justify their own use. When faced with someone who is Sober from their Addiction they are faced with Reality for a brief moment and no Addict wants to admit that they are wasting their lives in the pursuit of something time-wasting, confusing, emotionally stunting, and stupid.
I happen to know a lot about Addiction, so this is no idle judgement. I have been physically addicted to all the big drugs and have had to kick them cold turkey multiple times. But the time I had to kick technology cold turkey was quite shocking and eye-opening. Later I did the math, which is pretty simple to understand. Most people who spend an hour on the internet have their Attention on maybe 500 different things, always moving from one to the other, with them in Pseudo-control. This is anything but the normal state of our Nervous System activity in nature.
Spend 18 hours a day on a computer for a year, then go to solitary confinement without even a book to keep your attention on. As I am certain Kevin Mitnick can attest, there is a very, very real physical and psychic withdrawal that is extraordinarily painful. This is what convinced me that technology was an addiction: Withdrawal I would say is every bit as painful as any drug addiction out there.
The more the world insists I need a phone, the more sure I am that I do not need one. I read the Bible a lot and none of those old timers had phones. I read old Greek and Egyptian writings; also no phones. Electronic Connectivity of the Entire Globe is a relatively recent phenomena and the negative side-effects have not been fully evaluated yet.
However, living just as I am. Without any electronics (besides a digital watch and an FM radio which I use less and less as I sing more and play instruments); I feel healthier every day. I did get a laptop recently and I immediately used it to binge-watch all sorts of crap all day, leaving chores like exercise and cleaning and feeding myself to the curb. Enjoyable? Sure. Makes me a better person and improves the Quality of my life... not as such. I actually stopped doing many important things so that I could spend more time with my drug/computer.
So what now? Now I am trying to get my Nervous System used to a baseline that is more natural, more Human. It is not always easy, seeing as how I was raised as a Technology Addict: First the Radio, then the Television, then the Phone, then Computers, then Cell Phone Computers. In truth I have been a Technology Addict for most of my life and I cannot expect to retrain my nervous system of 50 years of abuse in only a few. I utilize a lot of Prayer and Meditation and reading of course. I am writing more (on paper, with pen), and composing more music. I often miss being a Cyber Cowboy, but the more I see my world fall into this Trap the more I feel I need to stay human: Somebody does.
Currently only China has been insightful enough to declare Technology an official Addiction and I applaud their actions. But at they same time they encourage their citizens to use this "addiction" so that they can give them "Social Ratings." Ug.
At least ol Ben Franklin seemed to understand:
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Think that is overly dramatic? Do you seriously doubt that you are giving up essential Liberty when you carry a PPC "Cell Phone" (Personal Pocket Computer)? Think tracking of your location at all times and monitoring of your communications is a "fair trade" for always being able to call someone? Not if you really think about it. But then, most addicts never do think about the trade they are making. So enthralled by their experience that weighing the cost never seems to come up.
Good luck Mother Earth! As far as I can tell you are already a Cyborg.
THIS IS A SOLUTION ALL T.I.'s NEED: https://www.gofundme.com/f/private-parts-faraday-shielding-for-the-public
"I do not have a phone."
"What's your email address?"
"I do not use email."
"How are we supposed to contact you?"
"You do not need to. I will contact you."
(Mean stare at me)
...
It was not so long ago that this was a totally acceptable answer. Every day, more and more, I am being treated like something alien because I do not have a phone or give people my email address. But I am STILL A HUMAN BEING. Perhaps I am more of a Human because of this.
For example, the Pharmacy asked for my phone number. I asked them why they needed it. They said it was so that they could contact me when my medications were ready. I explained that I have a voicemail number, which only exists in cyberspace, and that if they left a message there I would have to go somewhere that had a computer in order to check it, thus it was inconvenient for me to check my messages. I know when my prescriptions are ready because my doctor tells me in person, then I go to the pharmacy, and if they are not ready, then I simply wait. The Pharmacist looked at me with obvious hostility. I have been getting this reaction more and more frequently.
I have no trouble living a life 100% in person. None at all. But it seems that those around me, totally addicted to technology, who believe a computer screen more than the words of a human, are having trouble accepting that people like me exist. What is currently posing as "convenience" is actually just more bullshit people have to do, for tasks that used to be (and still can be) quit simple. No phone or email needed. Even worse is this phenomena of people "taking a computer's word" over a human's. People seem oblivious to the fact that all data about people on computers were inputed by humans and human data entry is always fallable.
How many times do I hear:
"Sorry Sir, but the computer says..."
and I respond
"Yes, but I am the human being the computer is mistaken about, so you can take my word for it."
and they respond
"Sorry Sir, but the computer says ... so that is what we have to go by."
How can they be serious??? Everyone who has ever used a computer knows that they make tons of mistakes, not even counting hacking and such. Yet when it comes to computer vs. humans; Computers are already winning, by a landslide. Hello Skynet, welcome to what used to be my planet.
The rate at which I am becoming an anachronism is accelerating along with Moore's Law and I must admit that while I am saddened for the world, I take more joy and pride in my modern Luddite-ism every day.
I am a human being. 100%. I do not need a cell phone, a computer, or a vibrator, to justify or enhance my existence. When I reflect on how much time I used to spend on the phone and on the computer and specifically what I spent my time doing on them: I do not see that they made my quality of life any better. In fact it looks like they kept me in a perpetual state of immaturity and prolonged relationships that long ago should have been terminated instead of continuing to waste my time for years. And us humans, well, Time is all we have. And none of us know how much.
As far as my experience informs me; Technology Addiction is just that. An Addiction. I'm fairly certain that it directly leads to ADD, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsions, Sexual Deviancy, and other mental health conditions. And just as with any other Addiction, any given Addict feels better surrounded by other Addicts to justify their own use. When faced with someone who is Sober from their Addiction they are faced with Reality for a brief moment and no Addict wants to admit that they are wasting their lives in the pursuit of something time-wasting, confusing, emotionally stunting, and stupid.
I happen to know a lot about Addiction, so this is no idle judgement. I have been physically addicted to all the big drugs and have had to kick them cold turkey multiple times. But the time I had to kick technology cold turkey was quite shocking and eye-opening. Later I did the math, which is pretty simple to understand. Most people who spend an hour on the internet have their Attention on maybe 500 different things, always moving from one to the other, with them in Pseudo-control. This is anything but the normal state of our Nervous System activity in nature.
Spend 18 hours a day on a computer for a year, then go to solitary confinement without even a book to keep your attention on. As I am certain Kevin Mitnick can attest, there is a very, very real physical and psychic withdrawal that is extraordinarily painful. This is what convinced me that technology was an addiction: Withdrawal I would say is every bit as painful as any drug addiction out there.
The more the world insists I need a phone, the more sure I am that I do not need one. I read the Bible a lot and none of those old timers had phones. I read old Greek and Egyptian writings; also no phones. Electronic Connectivity of the Entire Globe is a relatively recent phenomena and the negative side-effects have not been fully evaluated yet.
However, living just as I am. Without any electronics (besides a digital watch and an FM radio which I use less and less as I sing more and play instruments); I feel healthier every day. I did get a laptop recently and I immediately used it to binge-watch all sorts of crap all day, leaving chores like exercise and cleaning and feeding myself to the curb. Enjoyable? Sure. Makes me a better person and improves the Quality of my life... not as such. I actually stopped doing many important things so that I could spend more time with my drug/computer.
So what now? Now I am trying to get my Nervous System used to a baseline that is more natural, more Human. It is not always easy, seeing as how I was raised as a Technology Addict: First the Radio, then the Television, then the Phone, then Computers, then Cell Phone Computers. In truth I have been a Technology Addict for most of my life and I cannot expect to retrain my nervous system of 50 years of abuse in only a few. I utilize a lot of Prayer and Meditation and reading of course. I am writing more (on paper, with pen), and composing more music. I often miss being a Cyber Cowboy, but the more I see my world fall into this Trap the more I feel I need to stay human: Somebody does.
Currently only China has been insightful enough to declare Technology an official Addiction and I applaud their actions. But at they same time they encourage their citizens to use this "addiction" so that they can give them "Social Ratings." Ug.
At least ol Ben Franklin seemed to understand:
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Think that is overly dramatic? Do you seriously doubt that you are giving up essential Liberty when you carry a PPC "Cell Phone" (Personal Pocket Computer)? Think tracking of your location at all times and monitoring of your communications is a "fair trade" for always being able to call someone? Not if you really think about it. But then, most addicts never do think about the trade they are making. So enthralled by their experience that weighing the cost never seems to come up.
Good luck Mother Earth! As far as I can tell you are already a Cyborg.
THIS IS A SOLUTION ALL T.I.'s NEED: https://www.gofundme.com/f/private-parts-faraday-shielding-for-the-public
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Aye, I dare ya!