Toxic Detoxing

I tried the detox. It was my goal to spend a whole day without my phone and computer. However, I work remotely and a student asked to reschedule his class on the very day I planned on being away. So, I was not able to forego my computer, but I avoided the phone as much as possible. 

It was harder than I thought it would. First, my friends just literally ignored that I did not want to be bothered. Moreover, my sister, who was told to text if necessary, understood her concerns about the new Constantine movie to be of the utmost pressing importance. So, a lot of people kept texting. It was especially difficult and distracting because I have the texting app on my computer as well. 

I also found it hard to stay away from the phone. It was almost impossible. For example, I set out to relax with Netflix. But it asked me for a validation code that was sent to...the...phone.... Then, I ordered pizza. I needed the confirmation from the app (code from the driver) that was sent to...the phone.... then I had to move money from one account to the other to cover a bill. I can only do that through the..phone...

Even when isolated from social media, the phone is an intrinsic part of our lives now. The idea of the social naive rings true indeed. This new perspective makes me think that the transition from direct and physical socialization to Web 2.0 is nothing more than a natural occurrence at this point. However, the banalization is still true. I set out to relax and learn something by watching a documentary. The technology was distracting and hindering even as I sought to focus. It seems that we have a new master now. A false idol that pulls us into a life entangled with technology that makes life easier but less meaningful.