Have we thrown reflection and critical thinking out the window and replaced it with digital staring? How many of us get out of bed to turn off the alarm and suddenly find ourselves in the metaverse to catch up on everything that happened while we slept. The notifications tell us we've missed a lot, and naturally, we want to catch up.
The time that used to be spent stretching and thinking about how the day might unfold and what we wanted has become a race to reach the finish line, whether it's work or school, on time. Most of us experience being in a hurry in the morning, and I believe much of that is due to spending more time uncritically scrolling on our devices. We are constantly late for our meetings, even though the hour still has sixty minutes, each of which has sixty seconds, as it always has.
Bathroom breaks, the commute to work and school, elevator rides, pauses in conversations, the gaps between tasks, and general downtime we once had for reflection have become a continuation of the morning's relay race. Conversations with colleagues, fellow students, and friends revolve around what the algorithm presents to us throughout the day, and once we're home, we spend time catching up on everything we've told ourselves we need to know.
Being bored is a phenomenon we grew up with in the 90s. The time between two activities or conversations, where we were forced to observe our surroundings or let our thoughts wander. Today, few have time for that; boredom today is when the algorithm and notifications don't quickly present shocking, exciting, funny, or sexy topics for us to focus our consciousness on.
We live in the age of information; most information is available almost everywhere. But what kind of information is this? In an era where almost everyone is a self-proclaimed journalist without source criticism, coaches without education, and "experts" in this and that, what is this information really?
Where we used to let creativity flow, we now have ChatGPT and other AI. If you get stuck and are forced to try things out, you can instead find a TikTok video that explains, or YouTube if you want a longer explanation with a wider screen. The time we spent digging deep into our brains has been replaced by "Googling" or checking our camera roll.
Part of me wants to go back to my math teacher who insisted on making us do mental arithmetic; we could have used that time for so many other things.
We are supposed to save time; everything must happen quickly, and when we are physically in a place, we spend time digitizing our presence and catching up on others' digital presence. As if that's not enough, we also have to keep up with others' reactions to what we just shared, often while sitting with others or consuming something else on a computer or TV screen.
Once we finally lay our heads on the pillow, when time for reflection would normally take place, we throw ourselves into the longest leg of the race, and here evening quickly turns into night. Several hours you could have spent reflecting and getting enough sleep are left in the metaverse before you wake up, ready to resume the relay race.
So, when do we actually take the time for critical thinking and self-reflection, not just comparison and retelling?
Some claim it happens while driving, but I believe radio, autopilot, and these self-driving cars would argue the opposite. It can be difficult to pinpoint a specific time, but it's clear that we are well on our way to becoming a society where we no longer think for ourselves, and what will we become then?