Shakespeare once wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” And though he used that sentence to introduce a perceptive discourse on the roles we play in life, our current screen-filled landscape has given those famous words new meaning. For not only are we, indeed, players on a figurative stage, but these days our lives are constantly projected on a very literal one: That screen in all of our pockets.
Today’s screens and their internet connection are, frankly, pretty incredible. They give us spur-of-the-moment access to information and allow us to communicate with people anywhere in the world. However, those same wonderful creations have slowly and incrementally taken over everything in our lives. (Please reread that last sentence with a foreboding Boris Karloff growl.)
Screens and their online components compel us to stay constantly connected. They feed us to the bursting point with bite-sized videos and dopamine hits. They algorithmically drive us to all the things that we must buy or watch. And perhaps worst of all, those internet-connected screens have transformed our behaviors and turned our average day-to-day into an ongoing public performance.
Think about it.
Most social media users don’t just hop on their platform of choice and send greetings to old school chums anymore; they feel compelled to record and project every aspect of their lives to the entire online world. We, the masses, share Instagram posts about what we eat, where we go, what we wear. We share TikTok videos about our loves, our hates, our fears. And we keep spilling out more and more—not just because that screen in our mitt lets us vent, but because, well, we can get paid for it if enough people pay attention to what we say.
With that onrush of screen dominance, the line between our personal identity and our online public persona is blurring. Those identities are blending into one. And in turn, people feel pressured to, in a sense, stage their life scenes in some sort of performative showcase. And even if you’re one of the few who refrain from publicly broadcasting your life to the world, you’re still being curated and shaped by your screens.
Technologies of one form or another are constantly watching and displaying things about us. Siri and Alexa are always listening for our call. (Or anything else we might say.) They know where we are and what we like. Venmo makes our monetary transactions as easy as pie, while also making those financials public by default. Even our productivity apps use streaks, rewards and leaderboards to motivate us in one direction or another. They create feedback loops that encourage us to conform to an “optimized” digital life.
We are constantly being shaped and prodded by one algorithm or another. And what’s the result? We’re miserable.
Now you might say: Hey, Plugged In guy, that’s the nature of fallen man. We’re miserable outside of the forgiveness and grace of God! And that’s true. But screens aren’t helping. In fact, study after study and article after article declare that all of our absorption by screens and projection on screens has only exacerbated our anxiety disorders and depression. Rather than connecting us, they make us lonely. Rather than enlightening us, they drown us in useless dribble. Our attention spans are shortening. Our society is growling.
Not only that, but we’ve gotten to the point where it’s almost impossible to say NO to the screens in our lives. We here at Plugged In, for instance, warn about excessive screen and social media use, but … we can’t stop using them ourselves, else we’d never be seen by the very readers we hope to serve. Go on a screen fast? You bet! But we’ll still be here online.
Now, I’m not saying all this as a means to scream, The sky is falling! Nope. I’m trying to be more of a stubbed toe.
We can sometimes get so used to walking around in the dark that it’s only when we stub our toe on a night-shrouded bedpost that we finally consider turning on a light (while hopping around on one foot and wincing through a masterclass of silent suffering). So, what I’m doing is suggesting that we all shine a light on the effects that our digital, screen-filled existence is having on our lives.
From there, we can start thinking about how to dial things back. Maybe avoid sharing personal details on public platforms. Hey, we might even begin to assume that anything we post will not be private. Perhaps we should delete those old accounts and reduce our digital footprints. Here’s a crazy idea: What if we all unplug routinely? You know, just give it a break and see how we feel.
With all the many roles you have to play in life, shutting down the klieg lights and stepping off screen on occasion might actually be a healthy choice.
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