Does progress make us normal people?
Progress sounds impressive, but not every new gadget makes life better. This piece asks a simple question: are a laptop, a smartphone and being constantly online really a normal life, or just a habit that is hard to let go of?
Progress isn’t always a better life
Isn’t it true that novelty and change are often automatically mistaken for progress? We talk about how many cars there are per person, how fast the internet is or how good the mobile coverage is. These are convenient measures. But they don’t always show whether a person lives more calmly, more wisely or more healthily.
For me, that line has become increasingly blurred when it comes to digital gadgets. On the one hand, a laptop, a phone and the internet are useful tools. On the other hand, there is a feeling that without them you are no longer quite a full-fledged person. If you don’t have an iPad, a laptop, an iPod, an MP3 player, a smartphone and a Facebook account, the world looks at you a little strangely.
Honestly, it no longer seems quite healthy to me. Especially when even primary school kids are holding expensive touchscreen phones. Some can’t be without that little screen for even five minutes. They play games, listen to music, sit on Facebook during lessons and react to every beep.
And then the same child stands in a ski class with two hands in their pockets and says: “I don’t have skis.” It’s not only a question of money. It’s a question of what we consider necessary.
What is progress doing to our attention?
Digital gadgets promise speed, connection and convenience. And they do deliver that. But they also take something in return: peace, deep focus and the ability to tolerate boredom. When there is always something to tap, comment on, post or check, when does time to actually think appear?
A simple truth: attention is limited. If it is fragmented all day long, there is less room for knowledge, reading, training, work and meaningful conversation. In a young person, it also shapes character. The habit of reacting immediately spills over into other areas. Patience shrinks. Deep focus becomes tedious.
What bothers me most is that the modern person sometimes becomes like a patient hooked up to machines. The laptop is like a ventilator. The phone is like an IV drip. When the connection drops, panic sets in. It’s as if someone pulled the plug out of the wall and the person immediately became seriously ill.
I’m not saying technology is pointless. It isn’t. A phone can save time, help you get work done and keep people connected. But do we need it as much as it seems we do now? I’m no longer so sure about that.
How do you actually spot digital addiction?
The first sign is simple: you no longer know how to be unreachable. If the phone stays at home, you feel uncomfortable. If a message isn’t answered right away, a little anxiety starts up in your head. If you can’t stand the quiet in the evening, you reach for a screen again.
My moment of clarity came back in March 2011, when I went to Tallinn to join the ADAMS program. The invitation said to bring a laptop. Even then I wondered: is a laptop really so ordinary that everyone is expected to have one on the spot?
I didn’t have one. I went anyway. And lo and behold, everyone had brought a laptop and had it open in front of them. I was the only one without a laptop. It wasn’t a big problem, since someone had spares and one was found for me too. But the thought stayed with me: is this what’s normal now?
It’s the same story with the mobile phone. 15 years ago you could live a perfectly full life without one. Now we often behave as if we couldn’t get through a single day without it. In reality, we can. It’s just uncomfortable, because the habit is strong.
Progress needs limits, not panic
In that spirit, I tried a small detox period: from 23 January to 24 February I tried to be unreachable by phone. Let’s see what comes of it, I thought. The start was surprisingly good. Calm. I didn’t feel all that inhuman.
Such a break doesn’t have to be the same length for everyone. For some, an evening without the phone is enough. For others, a weekend. Some can start by keeping screens off the table during meals. The principle is the same: technology should serve the person, not the other way around.
If every free moment is filled with a screen, there is no room left for thoughts, boredom or real conversation. These three things seem trivial at first glance, but they actually hold a person together. Without them, life becomes noisy and shallow.
Every era has had its own sign of “normality.” In the Dark Ages, a sword at the belt was elementary. In the Wild West, a revolver made a man a man. But that didn’t mean the situation was healthy. The same can happen with phones and laptops.
If today’s normal means a person has to be connected all the time, reachable all the time and reacting all the time, then, honestly, I don’t even want to be normal.
FAQ
Are digital gadgets always bad?
No. A phone, a computer and the internet are good tools if you use them consciously. The problem starts when the tool begins to control your time, attention and mood.
How can you tell you’re spending too much time on screens?
If you feel restless without your phone, find it hard to concentrate and every pause automatically leads you to a screen, it’s worth setting limits. Start with a small change, not a big promise.
Can progress and a calmer life go together?
They certainly can. Progress doesn’t have to mean more devices and more notifications. Sometimes the most modern skill is simply the ability to be unreachable for a while.
Author: Janar Rückenberg
Source:Turg.Fitness.ee
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