New Month New Changes
This blog will start with a little bit of meandering until I get to my point. If you want that, skip down to the section called This month.
New Years Resolutions
I did not make any this year. I know I am still young, but I don't see most succeeding in them. Instead, I made a semester bucket list (basically goals) based on certain achievements. Now, we are in February and as such, I think it is a great time to look back and see where I am coming from, and what I have to do, and what problems I have to overcome. Each time I look back on myself, there are a couple of things that get in my way. The main one being my relationship with technology.
TECHNOLOGY
We create our own prisons, and I have made mine out of technology. Or, more aptly, Susan and Mark created my prison, and I locked myself in. I find this to be a tragedy, as I think technology is super cool. I love messing around with micro controllers and Linux, but when it comes to phones and the internet it is deigned to take time and give nothing back. It saddens me to see people only see the technology made by the companies that don't trust their users.
Games
I love games, and they are a core way I still interact with my family. But, I have spent way too much time on Deadlock, and I should probably do something about that. Not today though.
Personalized Feeds
This is where my problem with tech is mainly contained in. I think this is a huge problem today. These feeds are designed to keep attention, so the things shown on them get harder and harder to top. The people consuming them get more and more set in their ways of thinking (I don't believe there is anything inherently wrong in being set in your ways, but this path does not require thinking and is unhelpful.) Last semester, I found myself going down that way. This semester has been a lot better so far, but I still need something more. I see things I don't want to. People hurting others, people hurting themselves, and more. The best I see is people doing stupid, but that doesn't help me progress or make better relations with those around me.
They also take up a lot of time. I find myself on Instagram for hours or YouTube for hours. It's not good. I don't get anything out especially from Instagram. It's a waste.
This Month
This is the most important part of this blog. This month I am going to stay away form personalized feeds. This means mostly Instagram. I will have unhook* on my YouTube so I don't get a home feed and only get my subscriptions. When I did this in December for 2 weeks, I felt way better. My mind was clearer, I was going to bed earlier, but I was not wasting any less time. I went onto a Spanish English discord, and talked to some strangers. That was way better than Instagram, but still a waste of time.
I loved the feeling of a clear mind. It was lovely.
Join me this month in getting rid of personalized feeds or some other vice.
I have a family member who likes to talk about the AA and their 12 steps to recovery. If you struggle with a technology addiction or any addiction, the steps form AA can help you. There are also many organizations designed to help for different addictions. If you find you have an addiction, please go get help from somebody who knows what they are doing. The first 2 steps from the AA are (roughly) to admit to be powerless over the addiction, and then come to believe there is a greater power that can restore you. I believe this to be Jesus Christ. Get to know him and what he has done for you, and then He can help you overcome your addictions.
If you decide to join me, I would love to hear about your experience without having a personalized feed in your life. You can email me at neighborezekiel@gmail.com. Please don't let technology rule over you, become the ruler over it.
Footnotes
Unhook is my favorite thing to change how yt is on desktop. There is one exception that I am making for myself. I am trying to learn Spanish, and yt is the easiest way for me to make flashcards. I will be having a personalized feed for that, and that is it.
Edit: I need a better name. I am thinking personalized algorithmic feeds (PAF) but I don't like the way it sounds. more details in my next blog.