I have the same fears.. been visualizing a future where all the people in an airport are wearing VR gear.
I wonder.. Is canceling subscriptions the solution? It’s something.. I feel we need to remind and reground people in what it means to be human - part of nature, feeling and learning from our emotions, connecting with others, etc. We can do this with our own kids and families… it would be huge to have this type of messaging coming from leaders and public figures. Where is that??
A beautiful piece, my dear!! And yes, that is an abomination, and I think that the hard push for masks really has to do with normalizing smart face wearables, it's about creating a new massive habit to have something on your face all the time, they go at it from different ends.
In answer to your query: My own battles with this stuff, subscriptions & tech, I'll sum up this way:
- No TV since 2010 or thereabouts (gave away my TV). And, very seriously, I count this as an important accomplishment in my life.
- Highly annoyed for various reasons, I canceled my NYT, Harper's, Atlantic and New Yorker and other subs 2020 or before
- Consistently minimal smart phone use-- never take it on walks, never take it to the dinner table, except if I'm alone, and never in bedroom. Usually on airplane mode.
- No Whatsapp. NEVER. EVER. This is a tough one. Everyone who wants to communicate with me is annoyed at me for this, and I know miss out on a lot as a result. But I just. won't. It's owned by Google. And I'm already overwhelmed by email. If people really care about me, they can call or email or actually come to the door. I have a doorbell. I also receive snail mail.
- Gave up FB, Twitter, Linked In years ago (and as "Transcriber B" I steer wide clear of participating on social media. I have transcribed some sm posts, however.)
- I make a point of reading an actual (paper) book every day, even if only for a few minutes on some days. Other days I read much more.
- I used to subscribe to Adobe InDesign but now I rely on freelancers for that. I don't use it often enough to justify the cost of the subscription and the hassle of coping with the software updates.
- Am considerating a move to open source software for wordprocessing, to get away from Microsoft.
* * *
Finally, the saving thing I find is simply getting outside walking.
* * *
I spend more time than I would like on my laptop. But I wouldn't want to miss your Substack! And basically, I aim to channel whatever I can do on the smartphone onto the laptop.
Great post on what many parents see but don’t do anything about and that is children addicted to the internet whether it be gaming or just internet roaming. It’s a cheap babysitter for sure but in my experience children are angry and more violent after a long session of gaming which has become increasingly violent.
I can see my own addiction to my iPhone reading and commenting on alternative media news or opinion sites including Substack. I read your comment about never using it in the bedroom and thought that great advice.
It’s important to have non-internet activities for our children. Sports especially team sports are important to not only maintaining health but also learning camaraderie. I read to my children since very little and progressing until 8-10 years of age which instilled a love of books. I know music is another alternative. Family trips and other outings in my case to the woods are another sound alternative. I’ve tried all of these and more but my two boys (second batch) are still addicted to the internet and it’s a big battle to keep them off. It’s frustrated me to no ends. I have to hide the WiFi at bedtime to stop them from using it. I don’t know if humanity can stop the world from all becoming people similar to the poor girl in the picture.
We stopped watching tv and I’ve given away TVs in the past or thrown out. I’ve always been distracted and feel like Ive wasted to much time on tv in the past. I’ve missed a lot of the Covid hysteria because I don’t watch tv.
First, thank you for linking to my UnPsyOppable post! And yes, I'm right there with you on the merging of tech with humans in subtle ways. The only subscription I have is Amazon Prime because it gets me free shipping and free Firestick which allows me to watch old movies on the TV and listen to YouTube there too. Haven't watched network TV my entire life. It just never did anything for me. Laugh tracks and completely precictable scripts, UGH. Fantastic post!
What happens when their tummies start to grumble for food or mouths for water, or they need to, er...relieve themselves? And how will those glasses replace the smell of jasmine or the song of the mockingbird? Reality will still be inevitable as there truly is no full-on escape.
Interesting you (and a few commentators) should mention “subscription”. Subscription is a hobby horse of mine, and I keep meaning to write my own piece on the galloping rush to a “subscription society”, but I might as well give a little taster here:
Subscription society is part and parcel of the infamous “you shall own nothing and be happy” social engineering project. Everything you literally own now, from the clothes you wear to the car you drive (if you have a car) to the house you live in (if you own rather than rent) is to become subject to the subscription model. Subscriptions to entertainment media is one small part of that. The more you get used to that model and its faux convenience that blinds you to the downsides, the more readily you will accept subscription in other parts of life. You might say entertainment media on subscription is the gateway drug to the fully property-free, pay-as-you-go life.
What happens to the films, for example, that you have purchased (not just hired) on Prime should you decide to cancel your account? Back in the day when you purchased actual physical DVDs, and dare I say even videotapes, they were yours in perpetuity. But films stored in a cloud with Prime? Legit question as my SO is considering cancelling…
Another example of the creeping inroads of subscriptions: in the UK you pay a monthly rental charge for utilities, like old fashioned landline phone or gas or electric meter, before you even get charged for any usage. You are subscribing to the privilege and then getting charged for actual units on top of that. Also, electric vehicle makers I believe in effect lease the batteries, so your Tesla is never actually owned outright.
A Rentier Society is another word for feudalism (and less anachronistic to the Middle Ages). We are in full sprint towards a modern rentier system where a few techno globalists own everything and the peons pay for the usage.
All you need is the Neuralink chip in the cocks of 1000s of young men so you can feel like can come like you did 40 years ago and the 'vision' is complete!
OMG, this is soooooo creepy! I was at the Apple store today because my ancient cell phone finally gave up the ghost and I got a "new" one (model from a couple years ago). In the store a young woman was trying out a Vision Pro device, with that weird headset covering her eyes and her hands moving strangely through the air. Hard to believe anyone would actually fall for this. Beware!!!
I have the same fears.. been visualizing a future where all the people in an airport are wearing VR gear.
I wonder.. Is canceling subscriptions the solution? It’s something.. I feel we need to remind and reground people in what it means to be human - part of nature, feeling and learning from our emotions, connecting with others, etc. We can do this with our own kids and families… it would be huge to have this type of messaging coming from leaders and public figures. Where is that??
A beautiful piece, my dear!! And yes, that is an abomination, and I think that the hard push for masks really has to do with normalizing smart face wearables, it's about creating a new massive habit to have something on your face all the time, they go at it from different ends.
Thanks for this. The Time Machine music is intriguing, thanks for sharing that.
If you haven't seen it already I think you might find James Tunney's books of interest, especially PLANTATION OF THE AUTOMATONS.
https://www.jamestunney.com/books?pgid=lafn0qlu-4937163a-4f3e-4674-b2a8-a92571439005
Caveat: It's huuuuuuuuugely huge.
Tunney gave Jeffrey Mishlove a very interesting interview (among many others, also very interesting) at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1aVidizZqg
(about 50 minutes)
* * *
In answer to your query: My own battles with this stuff, subscriptions & tech, I'll sum up this way:
- No TV since 2010 or thereabouts (gave away my TV). And, very seriously, I count this as an important accomplishment in my life.
- Highly annoyed for various reasons, I canceled my NYT, Harper's, Atlantic and New Yorker and other subs 2020 or before
- Consistently minimal smart phone use-- never take it on walks, never take it to the dinner table, except if I'm alone, and never in bedroom. Usually on airplane mode.
- No Whatsapp. NEVER. EVER. This is a tough one. Everyone who wants to communicate with me is annoyed at me for this, and I know miss out on a lot as a result. But I just. won't. It's owned by Google. And I'm already overwhelmed by email. If people really care about me, they can call or email or actually come to the door. I have a doorbell. I also receive snail mail.
- Gave up FB, Twitter, Linked In years ago (and as "Transcriber B" I steer wide clear of participating on social media. I have transcribed some sm posts, however.)
- I make a point of reading an actual (paper) book every day, even if only for a few minutes on some days. Other days I read much more.
- I used to subscribe to Adobe InDesign but now I rely on freelancers for that. I don't use it often enough to justify the cost of the subscription and the hassle of coping with the software updates.
- Am considerating a move to open source software for wordprocessing, to get away from Microsoft.
* * *
Finally, the saving thing I find is simply getting outside walking.
* * *
I spend more time than I would like on my laptop. But I wouldn't want to miss your Substack! And basically, I aim to channel whatever I can do on the smartphone onto the laptop.
Great post on what many parents see but don’t do anything about and that is children addicted to the internet whether it be gaming or just internet roaming. It’s a cheap babysitter for sure but in my experience children are angry and more violent after a long session of gaming which has become increasingly violent.
I can see my own addiction to my iPhone reading and commenting on alternative media news or opinion sites including Substack. I read your comment about never using it in the bedroom and thought that great advice.
It’s important to have non-internet activities for our children. Sports especially team sports are important to not only maintaining health but also learning camaraderie. I read to my children since very little and progressing until 8-10 years of age which instilled a love of books. I know music is another alternative. Family trips and other outings in my case to the woods are another sound alternative. I’ve tried all of these and more but my two boys (second batch) are still addicted to the internet and it’s a big battle to keep them off. It’s frustrated me to no ends. I have to hide the WiFi at bedtime to stop them from using it. I don’t know if humanity can stop the world from all becoming people similar to the poor girl in the picture.
We stopped watching tv and I’ve given away TVs in the past or thrown out. I’ve always been distracted and feel like Ive wasted to much time on tv in the past. I’ve missed a lot of the Covid hysteria because I don’t watch tv.
First, thank you for linking to my UnPsyOppable post! And yes, I'm right there with you on the merging of tech with humans in subtle ways. The only subscription I have is Amazon Prime because it gets me free shipping and free Firestick which allows me to watch old movies on the TV and listen to YouTube there too. Haven't watched network TV my entire life. It just never did anything for me. Laugh tracks and completely precictable scripts, UGH. Fantastic post!
What happens when their tummies start to grumble for food or mouths for water, or they need to, er...relieve themselves? And how will those glasses replace the smell of jasmine or the song of the mockingbird? Reality will still be inevitable as there truly is no full-on escape.
Interesting you (and a few commentators) should mention “subscription”. Subscription is a hobby horse of mine, and I keep meaning to write my own piece on the galloping rush to a “subscription society”, but I might as well give a little taster here:
Subscription society is part and parcel of the infamous “you shall own nothing and be happy” social engineering project. Everything you literally own now, from the clothes you wear to the car you drive (if you have a car) to the house you live in (if you own rather than rent) is to become subject to the subscription model. Subscriptions to entertainment media is one small part of that. The more you get used to that model and its faux convenience that blinds you to the downsides, the more readily you will accept subscription in other parts of life. You might say entertainment media on subscription is the gateway drug to the fully property-free, pay-as-you-go life.
What happens to the films, for example, that you have purchased (not just hired) on Prime should you decide to cancel your account? Back in the day when you purchased actual physical DVDs, and dare I say even videotapes, they were yours in perpetuity. But films stored in a cloud with Prime? Legit question as my SO is considering cancelling…
Another example of the creeping inroads of subscriptions: in the UK you pay a monthly rental charge for utilities, like old fashioned landline phone or gas or electric meter, before you even get charged for any usage. You are subscribing to the privilege and then getting charged for actual units on top of that. Also, electric vehicle makers I believe in effect lease the batteries, so your Tesla is never actually owned outright.
A Rentier Society is another word for feudalism (and less anachronistic to the Middle Ages). We are in full sprint towards a modern rentier system where a few techno globalists own everything and the peons pay for the usage.
All you need is the Neuralink chip in the cocks of 1000s of young men so you can feel like can come like you did 40 years ago and the 'vision' is complete!
Many programs will convert your CD to flack a losslless format that is high fidelity. I have hundreds of albums on my phone
OMG, this is soooooo creepy! I was at the Apple store today because my ancient cell phone finally gave up the ghost and I got a "new" one (model from a couple years ago). In the store a young woman was trying out a Vision Pro device, with that weird headset covering her eyes and her hands moving strangely through the air. Hard to believe anyone would actually fall for this. Beware!!!
Don’t forget about FM radio. It’s still going strong, it’s free, and there are some interesting stations around the bay area!
And SFPL offers Kanopy as a streaming service, which you’re already paying for through the library budget.
The enchanted world of lies
A psychic hole where spirit dies
Minds crushed by VR drugs
Delivered by big techie thugs
Who laugh as their victims cry