The very first thing I do upon waking up is check the weather ap. Then, I scroll through WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok before finally opening the NS app to see if my train to Leiden is delayed. On the train, I check all the aforementioned apps again to be sure I didn’t miss anything in the 10 minutes it took me to get to the train station. I arrive at my first and only lecture of the day, but I quickly lose track of the professor’s story, so I find myself scrolling through my socials once more, just to stay in the loop. I then start watching a YouTube video on the topic that the lecture is about, all while still seated in the lecture room. Afterwards, on the train ride home, I scroll through my socials again. My shift at work starts soon, and I won’t have another chance to check them for a while.
Recently, my job gave me the title “Head of Digital Affairs.” Given that I work at a restaurant, this is essentially a fancy way of saying I’m the only line cook who knows how to operate the printer. I don’t mind, though. My LinkedIn network is none the wiser, and when I move on from this job, they will hear all about the complex technological challenges I’ve tackled.
None of my colleagues in the kitchen are on LinkedIn. Their digital worlds seem remarkably small compared to mine. They barely use social media (or printers, for that matter). The chef once gave me a whole hour to put his recipes in alphabetical order, and I had to explain to him that most text editors have a button that does exactly that. I can’t imagine not knowing about these conveniences, but I suspect that not having to deal with them might be a more peaceful way to live. My colleagues have never had to struggle with online Latex editors for example, and I can’t help but think that’s probably for the best. It reminds me of a trend on TikTok where people show a video of their pet and caption it with something like “He has never had to deal with Microsoft Excel”. Sadly, none of my colleagues are on TikTok either, so they wouldn’t understand this reference.
My job makes me question the digital world that I have created for myself. Am I overdoing it? Is my digital presence excessive? Probably. I could choose to look out the window instead of checking my weather app first thing in the morning. Or I could actually pay attention to the professors I’m spending thousands of euros a year to hear. Yet, it does not bother me enough to actively cut back on my digital habits. Instead, after every shift, before I go to sleep, I check WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and scroll through TikTok one last time. It takes me a while to fall asleep afterward, but I tell myself it’s not my fault—TikTok user @Dreamwellbewell assured me that the blue light from devices affecting our sleep is a myth.
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