You may have noticed that we live in a post-apocalyptic age. At least fictionally.
Many movies and television and novels have set their plots after an Armageddon-like event, whether it’s a nuclear holocaust or an alien invasion. N smart phones, no entertainment devices, no digital tools, no social media.
This is obviously not wishful thinking, but a confluence of such aftermath themes points toward our unease with where we are. What does this say when plots are driven not by the latest technology, but by the lack of it? Whether it’s television’s “Revolution” or the novel and book “The Road,” or the smart new young-adult novel, “The 5th Wave,” about an alien invasion bent on obliterating humankind, people are making do without.
It says that we’ve perhaps become far too attached to our stuff. In an interesting post, New York Times technology writer Nick Bilton wrote about high-tech gurus who turn off and tune out, as it were, by buying phones that only make calls, or avoiding social media. Bilton cited former Twitter executive Robin Sloan, who had found new technologies getting in the way of his productivity. As he quotes Sloan, “I needed my idle minutes to contribute to the story I was doing, not checking my e-mail or checking tweets.” (Read the whole story here:) And he’s not alone, even in Silicon Valley.
For anyone who’s creative, shutting off is a way to recharge. And even though you’re reading this post through electronic means, and we advocate using social media to help build your audience through a platform, there’s too much at stake when you become dependent on technology: human interaction.
We want to interact with people digitally, certainly, through virtual conversations with our readers. But we shouldn’t lose site of the face behind the avatar, or the living, breathing person.
You might find yourself more productive if you give yourself an hour or two during the day when you’re not reachable via one of your devices, and you can concentrate on the work you’re doing to spread your message via your writing.
I know it’s difficult – I have a hard time doing it myself. But I know that when I’m weaned off my digital dependence, I feel a lot better.
