When describing our relationship with the digital, the reason we naturally use the preposition “in” is that a deep connection has already been established, and what facilitates this connection is the medium and technology are everywhere-just like the “fish and water metaphor.”
Why are my emotions influenced by digital technology?
I arrived in the Netherlands about 20 days ago, starting the first solo living experience of my life. The unfamiliarity I feel toward everything in this new place has made my social activities and sources of information more reliant on the internet. The several-hour time difference means I have to start fully isolating myself after 6 p.m. (since by then it’s already the middle of the night back in my hometown, and social media becomes very quiet). I notice that my mood becomes very unstable at these times; restlessness and anxiety prevent me from focusing on the present moment, and I seem to have lost the ability to be alone with myself.My ups and downs are all tied up with digital tech and the internet. It’s not that I’m worried about being “addicted” to the phone or internet—what surprises me is how quietly it’s shaping my life. The connection between me and these digital tools runs deeper than I ever thought possible. In fact, I feel more connected to my digital self than to my own body sometimes. And honestly, I think it’s time for a change.
“If we’re not able to be alone, we’re going to be more lonely. And if we don’t teach our children to be alone, they’re only going to know how to be lonely.”
From:Turkle, Sherry. 2014. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. New York: Basic Books.
My experiment:A day out of the digital
I started an experiment on a Saturday: a nearly 12-hour “digital detox,”inspired by Peng Lan’s article. Since I don’t own a physical alarm clock, I had to sleep with the curtains open so the sunlight could wake me up. Unfortunately, the next day was cloudy, so I overslept. But it didn’t affect my trip to the market; in fact, I left the house even earlier than on a usual Saturday, because I lost the chance to lie in bed scrolling after my alarm went off or to watch a variety show while doing my makeup.At the market, I paid with coins-the last time I did that was probably seven or eight years ago. The upside was that I shopped more consciously, because I could literally feel my wallet getting lighter, which felt more real than seeing numbers decrease in my phone account. On the downside, I couldn’t shop at AH because I only have a digital bonus card.
Back home, I sat by the window to eat and suddenly noticed that the plate I use all the time has a long crack on the bottom. I only noticed it now because I usually have a tablet playing a drama while I eat and wash dishes. After finishing my meal with full attention, I decided to go out for a walk to digest. But I couldn’t go far, because Google Maps was off-limits that day. I didn’t have a paper map and I’m not even sure I could use one skillfully. So I just wandered around my neighborhood, and at the corner by the trash bins, I met an affectionate little cat. Later I realized it had been living there all along, I just never noticed before because Google Maps’ recommended routes never took me past her/his home.Late at night, I finally picked up my phone again. Apart from a few messages I couldn’t reply to in time, my normal life wasn’t affected at all. I spent a very emotionally stable day.
Reflection and conclusion
Through “a day out of the digital”, I could clearly see just how much of my life is “in the digital.” My schedule, my spending, my movements — all indirectly shape the people I meet, the things I do, and the moods I feel. And all of it is directly determined by digital technology and the internet. I’ve grown used to this pattern over the years: buying things I might never use just because an app promotes them,measuring the success of my recent life by the interactions I get on social media,following recommended routes step-by-step without ever wondering “what’s across the street.” At one point, I even took it for granted that this is what “normal” modern life looks like, unconsciously handing over full control of my life to the system.
But at the same time, many questions remain: Is a digital detox merely a one-sided withdrawal, failing to address the root problem? Does this way of thinking lean toward technological determinism? In the process, are we only focusing on the internet and digital technology, while ignoring the platforms and the mechanisms that run them?
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