I've definitely reflected on how the phone/map has caused me to become generally less oriented. I lived in LA for 25 years and started my time there using one of the road atlases (the local there was called the Thomas Guide). You definitely learned where things were. You had to. I moved to a new city 7 years ago, post smartphone. Not only do I not know the streets, but I don't even know most of the neighborhoods and suburbs around this city. And that's after 7 year. About the only thing I can find without the phone is the grocery store, the airport and work, haha.
Another thing we've forgotten is phone numbers. When I was a kid, you'd memorize at least 100 or so. Now, I couldn't even tell you my kids' phone numbers. The only ones I still remember are some of the pre-smartphone numbers, even the one at our house growing up. Strange how those things become imprinted.
But, I do no social media. A comments section like this is as close as I get. Well, this and Discord, haha.
I'm reading this in late March of 2023, the day, incidentally that Donald Trump was indicated for some as-yet to be revealed crime against humanity, like paying a stripper to keep her mouth and her legs shut. We have entered the undiscovered country, and here be dragons. Anyone under 45 is particularly susceptible to the dangers of the world described in this piece. Those of us who still refer to, or even prefer, the old ways of knowing have been inoculated against these dangers and dragons, but inevitably we will die out. Hopefully those who have come after us won't hasten the process. Thanks for a thoughtful piece.
I'm struck by the notion that the phone has allowed us to not learn some things. And we can now research all sorts of things developing understanding along the way. I can agree that aligning oneself with the local culture integrates humans into a social structure. I'm not so keen on thinking the phone suffices to establish my place in the universe of the unknowable - faith in something outside of self. While the phone may entice alignment with other's thoughts, the spiritual aspects of dealing with the unknowable seem foreign without personal interaction with others - body language, expressions, etc. But, then again, I don't reject the notion of a higher power as so many today scorn that notion and accept some other intangible belief. That too seems difficult without joining with other humans outside of the 'metaverse'. Then again I'm quite old and have little in common with those who can watch videos and tic-toks endlessly; I find that tedious.
Google maps told me to turn left (without a light or turn lane) from a busy highway into a residential area where I would have followed several low-speed streets for over a mile. I could see a traffic light 50 yards ahead, with a left turn lane directly into my destination. We no longer even attend to the evidence of our eyes, but blindly follow the instructions of an eyeless digital robot which doesn’t see common-sense solutions.
I am fascinated by this concept and believe it's a useful framework for understanding what's happening. I suspect there's a connection here with Jung's idea of archetypes, and complexes-- particularly the way they can hijack consciousness. I'm especially haunted by his theory that WWII was a consequence of the German people becoming collectively possessed by the "Wotan" archetype.
This concept feels like the makings for a wonderfully terrifying setting for a good cyberpunk-horror novel. One we read hopping it never comes true. "Best start believing in cyberpunk dystopias, You're in one."
I've definitely reflected on how the phone/map has caused me to become generally less oriented. I lived in LA for 25 years and started my time there using one of the road atlases (the local there was called the Thomas Guide). You definitely learned where things were. You had to. I moved to a new city 7 years ago, post smartphone. Not only do I not know the streets, but I don't even know most of the neighborhoods and suburbs around this city. And that's after 7 year. About the only thing I can find without the phone is the grocery store, the airport and work, haha.
Another thing we've forgotten is phone numbers. When I was a kid, you'd memorize at least 100 or so. Now, I couldn't even tell you my kids' phone numbers. The only ones I still remember are some of the pre-smartphone numbers, even the one at our house growing up. Strange how those things become imprinted.
But, I do no social media. A comments section like this is as close as I get. Well, this and Discord, haha.
I'm reading this in late March of 2023, the day, incidentally that Donald Trump was indicated for some as-yet to be revealed crime against humanity, like paying a stripper to keep her mouth and her legs shut. We have entered the undiscovered country, and here be dragons. Anyone under 45 is particularly susceptible to the dangers of the world described in this piece. Those of us who still refer to, or even prefer, the old ways of knowing have been inoculated against these dangers and dragons, but inevitably we will die out. Hopefully those who have come after us won't hasten the process. Thanks for a thoughtful piece.
Reading this in mid-August 2023 and I concur this piece is thoughtful; for me it’s like social media has become a spiritual warzone in cyberspace…
Wonderful article. I appreciate you sharing your insight.
I'm struck by the notion that the phone has allowed us to not learn some things. And we can now research all sorts of things developing understanding along the way. I can agree that aligning oneself with the local culture integrates humans into a social structure. I'm not so keen on thinking the phone suffices to establish my place in the universe of the unknowable - faith in something outside of self. While the phone may entice alignment with other's thoughts, the spiritual aspects of dealing with the unknowable seem foreign without personal interaction with others - body language, expressions, etc. But, then again, I don't reject the notion of a higher power as so many today scorn that notion and accept some other intangible belief. That too seems difficult without joining with other humans outside of the 'metaverse'. Then again I'm quite old and have little in common with those who can watch videos and tic-toks endlessly; I find that tedious.
More to ponder.
Google maps told me to turn left (without a light or turn lane) from a busy highway into a residential area where I would have followed several low-speed streets for over a mile. I could see a traffic light 50 yards ahead, with a left turn lane directly into my destination. We no longer even attend to the evidence of our eyes, but blindly follow the instructions of an eyeless digital robot which doesn’t see common-sense solutions.
How did this comment get into my email inbox a year and a half after I wrote it?
I am fascinated by this concept and believe it's a useful framework for understanding what's happening. I suspect there's a connection here with Jung's idea of archetypes, and complexes-- particularly the way they can hijack consciousness. I'm especially haunted by his theory that WWII was a consequence of the German people becoming collectively possessed by the "Wotan" archetype.
You might be interested in this book, if you weren't already familiar with it: https://jackbalkin.yale.edu/cultural-software-theory-ideology-0 . You can download a free version on that website.
This concept feels like the makings for a wonderfully terrifying setting for a good cyberpunk-horror novel. One we read hopping it never comes true. "Best start believing in cyberpunk dystopias, You're in one."