The Unconscious Digital Mind
The past decade of advancements in technology have immeasurably improved the quality of life on our planet. We have instant access to nearly every literary work every created, an endless stream of music, an entire library of video entertainment, and unfathomable digital distractions. In this world of alway-on access to entertainment and information, just how aware are we of our use, consumption, and addiction to these tools for learning, information storage, and mental escapism? More important, what happens next if we do not become aware of our new dependence on these technologies?
We are not suggesting people invest in remote mountain cabins and chose a life of off-gridding, but rather challenging ourselves to become more mindful of our digital interactions–either with ourselves or with those around us. E.M. Forester, in 1908, penned a short science fiction story of a future where the human population lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth.
The story describes a world in which most of the human population has lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual now lives in isolation below ground in a standard room, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Travel is permitted, but is unpopular and rarely necessary. Communication is made via a kind of instant messaging/video conferencing machine with which people conduct their only activity: the sharing of ideas and what passes for knowledge.
The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think–is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. – Pico Ayer
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the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.“their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition”
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2.a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.