Friend of Democracy,
We are overwhelmed by entertainment and information. At least many of us are. I am. Often.
Technology has caused it. Digital Technology. On average, people spend 4 hours and 37 minutes glued to their smartphone screens daily (this is 70 days a year).
But it is not only the overall amount.
What is worse is the possibility of constant use. Of constant distraction. We have our mobile devices at our fingertips. Always have. And we use these devices far more often than we think (on average, 58 times daily).
We do so because we have become addicted. Smartphones have become slot machines (it was not until recently, in 2013, that the American Psychiatric Association included behavioural addiction as a diagnosable problem).
It seems tech companies have done great with their reward systems of likes, reach, and algorithmically delivered content. Great for the companies' shareholders.
Digital addiction is a problem for several reasons, not least for democracy.
Constant distraction causes us to lose the ability to be with ourselves. „We need solitude to thrive as human beings, and in recent years, without even realising it, we've been systematically reducing this crucial ingredient from our lives,“ the US-American author and computer science professor Cal Newport has written in Digital Minimalism (I am currently reading this book).
Newport‘s advice:
Find ways to be more at peace with yourself. Leave your phone at home. Take long walks. Write letters to yourself. Listen. Think. Develop your own ideas and thoughts. Be enough for yourself. You and your thoughts.
I fully agree with Newport. I am convinced that being more with ourselves will lead to wise thoughts and actions. And wise thoughts and actions are in dire need these days (probably always have been).
But there is more.
Spending more time alone makes us better members of society.
Sounds contradictory. Being alone is good for society?
It is.
People who are alone look forward to company afterwards. „Calmly experiencing separation builds our appreciation for interpersonal connections when they occur,“ Newport writes.
And people who are comfortable being alone don't just enjoy company. They are self-sufficient. Because they know that even if they disagree with people, they can continue to exist. Exist on their own. Those people aren't easily influenced.
We need that, too, these days.
See you in Democracy,
Johannes Eber
This is a great and important article. Thank you!!!