“The secret of a full life is to live and relate to others as if they might not be there tomorrow, as if you might not be there tomorrow. It eliminates the vice of procrastination, the sin of postponement, failed communications, failed communions. This thought has made me more and more attentive to all encounters. meetings, introductions, which might contain the seed of depth that might be carelessly overlooked. This feeling has become a rarity, and rarer every day now that we have reached a hastier and more superficial rhythm, now that we believe we are in touch with a greater amount of people…a dangerous time when mechanical voices, radios, telephones, take the place of human intimacies, and the concept of being in touch with millions brings a greater and greater poverty in intimacy and human vision.”
― Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 4: 1944-1947
Like many others, I belong to the last generation which grew up without cable TV, GPS, computers, the internet, social media, and AI. We were frequently bored, but we were creative. We learned how to sit with an uncomfortable emotion until it passed. Disputes could not be resolved by consulting Wikipedia or our smart phones. People remained wrong for hours, even days. Letters were hand-written and were treasured for years. We used maps. We got lost, but built self-esteem when we finally found our way. Now our thoughts are collected in a hypothetical “cloud”. We are left with no tangible memory of who we were. When Apple’s iCloud mail service crashed last January there was panic, warnings of an internet apocalypse. If this were to happen our technologically entrenched world would fracture. But would that be so bad? We had a glimpse of this during the covid years. We got used to living in the moment because there was nowhere else to go.
Lately I feel as if we’re reaching a tipping point where the world we experience on our devices is becoming more real than the one we actually live in. There is no question that digital technology has made our lives easier, yet it has spawned a toxic divisiveness throughout a world pushing us into a mindless militarism cloaked in the trappings of patriotism. Every day disinformation flows through cyberspace to justify assaults on social justice: food insecurity, poverty, reproductive rights, racism, equity, universal healthcare, climate change, immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights. Wealth controls the mainstream media, which bends over backward to serve its own interests. We’ve become inured to violence, whether against other nations, immigrants, or the natural world. Too many are being forced out of their homes, denied urgent medical care, and forced to endure hunger, while the extremely rich enjoy tax breaks and corporate subsidies. For millions of people throughout the world these issues mirror the deep spiritual and moral bankruptcy of our culture whereby people are bullied to act against their own interests. Sadly, more social services are being pulled away from those who need them most.
One of the central teachings of Buddhism is the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in our lives. Most Buddhists do not see technology as inherently good or bad, but acknowledge its dangers. We have the option to limit our use of digital technology, to learn to see it as a helpful tool rather than an obsessive diversion. This requires both discipline and balance. It means deciding to turn off our cell phones when sharing meals with friends or family. It might mean checking email, text messages, or social media less often, and limiting the hours of screen-time while spending more time in face-to-face conversations with our loved ones and other important people in our lives.
The energy of our current moment has created an extraordinary opportunity to clearly see how our current systems have been designed to control us and limit our opportunities, steering us into making decisions based on a lack of information and limiting beliefs. We can decide to not go down the rabbit hole of social media disinformation and to not let algorithms choose what we should be seeing or reading, whom to hate and whom to worship.
Some of the most revolutionary new laws against the harms of social media are being created in France. This year the French government rushed through new regulations to combat influencers who don’t clearly state when they have been paid to promote something, with strict regulations and hefty penalties if they don’t comply. In addition France banned smartphones in lower schools, in middle schools pupils must turn off their phones, and the government has voted through a bill that would require under-15s to have parental permission to use social media.
We’re all struggling to live, love, and survive against increasing odds. I feel truly blessed that I can still get lost in the middle of a nowhere in southwestern France.
*After much consideration, I have decided to limit my social media footprint and deactivate my Facebook account because the personal has become political for me. For business purposes I will keep my Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/frenchcountryadventures/so I can share and receive photos, and my WhatsApp account so I can connect with foreign clients, family and friends world-wide. I do not have email on my phone, but you can always reach me via email on my computer suearan32@gmail.com And I always like to receive postcards and letters, so if you’re so inclined you can write to me at Sue Aran, Aux Arbeils, 32800 Ayzieu, France
**Much of what I wrote about today has been echoed in a recent column by the distinguished law professor, Joyce Vance. In an interview with law professor and cyber expert Danielle Citron, they discussed what’s called the “Liar’s Dividend”—the ability to render reality into whatever suits powerful figures on the grounds that everything is fake.” And in her own words, Joyce Vance said, “Our online lives are increasingly a part of our “real lives,” and protecting our rights in cyberspace matters. We live, after all, in a moment when, after Trump’s election, women were attacked online with posts saying, ‘Your body, my choice.'”.
***Photos Credit: Colby Chester for the first photo on this post.
