How technology has degraded the way we communicate

No-one wants to hear this.
No-one wants to put their smartphones or tablets down long enough to give their distracted brains a respite. But, if you do, then you might want to wonder why we gave up so easily and became so enslaved by technology. Why are we so hopelessly dependent on communicating in such a sterile, soulless way? Are we so overwhelmed by our own smugness, our own cleverness that we have forgotten what makes us real and human?

I don't understand why the majority of people have embraced smartphone and tablet technology to the extent where they have become hopelessly preoccupied with the technological means of communication at the expense of everything else. Is this symptomatic of a culture that has become dumber by letting machines do their thinking for them while convincing themselves that they're clever because the technology they're using appears sophisticated?

These are all valid questions and I have been caught up in this way of thinking myself. It's ok. I'm clever. I work in technology. I am validated!

Only I know that validation comes from within, it is not defined by external states or circumstances. I don't need to convince myself of this anymore. I know it to be true.

Something I have been very concerned about is the way in which the internet appears to have changed my memory and ability to recall things. Pre-internet we relied on books to furnish us with knowledge or passed knowledge amongst our peers and family from traditional media sources and word of mouth. It has been argued that since the internet has become such a pervasive and accepted part of our everyday life, there is less of a need to recall specific pieces of information as it can be readily pulled from the vast reservoir of information that is the world wide web. The result of this is that our brains can become lazy as we convince ourselves that we don't need to recall certain facts anymore. I guess this is the area I am most concerned about as could it also have a knock on effect and mean that we don't recall important things that influence our daily lives as well?

Taking this a step further, will technology make us more lazy in our general communication as well? Already there are signs that this is happening as quality friend and family time spent chatting is replaced by x number of people sat around a table in silence staring at an LED slab. To me this is a pretty disturbing trend and yet, more disturbing, is how socially acceptable it seems to have become. Why aren't more people challenging it? Well, maybe they are starting to in cultural and artistic circles as the following example illustrates:

http://www.artthesystem.com/2013/12/after-i-saw-this-i-put-down-my-phone.html

In the meantime, I believe it would be a lot healthier if we challenged the rampant advancements in communication technology in terms of its effects on how we communicate because, if we don't, then I'm concerned as to where we might end up.

One day at a time - recovery from heroin addiction

I'm 35 days clean from heroin at the time of writing this blog post which feels like a mini miracle. It's a miracle I'm profoundly grateful for. I have had challenges in those 35 days and they include addictive patterns of thinking that have led me to speculate as to whether I could use replacement drugs to keep myself level. I haven't succumbed to these thoughts, however, and what keeps me from doing so is that I have asked for help from a higher power each time I've had those thoughts and every single time I have received an answer.

It's taken me a little while to realise that the "answer" I get isn't always a thought but more often than not it is a feeling - a sense of love and belonging. A sense that I am worth more and my life is not simply about giving in to self destructive impulses. The last time I had such an impulse and didn't give in to it, I sat down in the car and felt profoundly well and at peace. I can only attribute this to feeling the support and love of my higher power for making that decision.

There is always another choice when you feel the urge to take drugs. Even in the worst throes of addiction, someone can make that decision to do things differently. Opening yourself and surrendering is the first step. As adults, we do not like to admit that we cannot cope with an aspect of life as it can appear as a sign of weakness. But it's actually a sign of strength to ask for help. I've learned that in recovery.

If you are in the grip of addiction or recovering from addiction - keep hope and if you haven't done so already, open yourself up to help and support. There is a lot available and some of it is free.

Peace x