Wouldn’t it be nice to go back in time to when there was a lot less technology? I am probably the last person expected to make that statement because I love technology and find it a blessing much more than a curse. I see a certain romance in life a half a century ago: when you could walk into a lounge, have a drink, and enjoy the music and company without having access to a device granting you immediate access to phone calls, news, endless selfies, emails, work, etc… Your world is only as big as the room before you. I would probably drive myself insane if I had to live like that permanently, but I do crave being able to unplug from the world for a short while completely. Probably the closest thing I got to traveling back to a time like this was when I was in Cuba. The only way (at least as of a few years ago) to connect to the internet was by purchasing internet cards with codes that gave you access for a limited time and at specific locations.

I managed to stay away from social media during lent for about 99% of the time. Even though my lenten challenge wasn’t perfect, I did so well that I didn’t rush back into social media. I lost my craving for it, and I think it’s for the better. The more I read about how companies use data to influence your behavior, the more I’m turned off from sharing things on platforms such as facebook. They’ve done a few experiments with people to see if they can influence their moods and votes. There may have been much more experiments that have not been made public. I want to educate myself and make up my own mind without the influence of algorithms. I like being able to freely right on here without focusing on “likes” or comments.

There are considerable benefits to technology, but in this modern world where everything is competing to grab your attention, it is vital to keep in mind that time is a non-renewable resource. None of us know just how much of this precious resource we have left, so we mustn’t let algorithms influence how we spend our time.