Unplugging the Brain
I use my computer a lot, and I'm increasingly having moments where I step outside into the sunshine and realise that I've spent the last few hours with my brain plugged into my PC, not really 'being alive.' It seems to me that in the virtual or computer orientated world, we engage in our humanity in a very intellectual way; the world of ideals, ideas and technical prowess. In doing so however, we deny the animalistic side of being a human, which I think is equally, if not more important. Increasingly fleeting are those moments where we are just content to 'be' (in the Zen sense,) ie. not analalysing, debating, achieving, striving, communicating. I found I am happiest not when 'achieving' something on the computer, but instead when going for a walk by the river as the light starts to fail. I think there is a hidden danger in fulfilling too much of our need for community online; we could become too caught up in our cerebrial abilities and lose what it means to be part of nature. However, I myself am very much caught up in it... with so many interesting ways to use new technologies, its very hard not to be.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
posted by bodhiflip @ 11:51 am
2 comments
2 Comments:
aah...the shame of confessing to being a cyber-nerd.
I do enjoy 'downtime' (for want of a better expression) away from the computer, but personally, I spend a large amount of time at the computer for both work and pleasure.
During work hours I run several websites, which means I'm plugged into the computer all day. At night, I might do some checking of those sites as well as of course the obligatory Uni connection... Then there's my own time (email, downloads, online chats with friends).
In reflection, I think it's possibly got a lot to do with the fact that I have two really young (and very energetic kids), and so family pretty much takes up every other moment of my life. So when they the kids go to bed, I like the solitude that the computer affords - I can communicate with others, but from a profoundly 'personal' space. And the level of interaction is my choice - so if I want to just catch up on goss or news online, then I can do that too...
But very interesting topic bodhiflip...
Thanks for the input guys. I must confess that I also enjoy the solitary time (as Sammyjo says), and have the shameful fact that my most meditative state is organising my ever more extensive library of mp3's. I think a small part of my problem is that the CRT monitor I use really bores into my brain after a while. Also TV's are generally pretty hard on the eyes, though I try to stay away from those as much as possible, despite the fact that I'm a 3rd year Film & Television student. So perhaps as technolgy improves and becomes cheaper it will better integrate with our lives. As Mike says, we do have a whole lot of things to plug into these days, and a lot of these we are able to do concurrently. The newer the generation people belong to, the better at this people seem to be. Part of our enevitable progression towards becoming cybernetic perhaps?
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