Excellent essay, Karen. I was at the gym yesterday and saw a very outwardly attractive woman working out. There were mirrors everywhere. She was taking pictures and short videos of herself between workout sets. She did this the entire time she was there. She might have been an "influencer," I don't know. This is just one example though. …
Excellent essay, Karen. I was at the gym yesterday and saw a very outwardly attractive woman working out. There were mirrors everywhere. She was taking pictures and short videos of herself between workout sets. She did this the entire time she was there. She might have been an "influencer," I don't know. This is just one example though. Everywhere I go, people are glued to their phone. Every day I drive, I see someone on their phone while they're driving. They hold it up to the steering wheel and look up, look down, look up. It's really quite terrifying as they tend to cross the center line quite regularly. They think they have perfected the art of "texting and driving." For many, we are already living in an artificial world. Individually, we can choose not to participate, though the pressure is immense. The longer we participate in the "digital world," the more we lose touch with the "real world" and ultimately ourselves, as you put so beautifully in your essay. These billionaires salivate at this thought. I see a future for Gen Z where they're glued to their VR headsets participating in the Metaverse, while these same billionaires are enjoying their 400-ft yachts, drinking champagne and consuming the finest steaks, all the while laughing how they hoodwinked the populace.
I go hiking and try to stay away from the beaten track as much as possible, but still pass people on occasion and many are on their phones as they hike in beautiful nature or are listening to podcast, pods in their ears, afraid they might miss some important bit of information. It's very sad.
It's obscene to think so many people idolize the very jailors who are imprisoning them, and happily so. The contrast you make between the billionaires enjoying their very real lives while the minions fade away into virtual worlds is perfect.
Excellent essay, Karen. I was at the gym yesterday and saw a very outwardly attractive woman working out. There were mirrors everywhere. She was taking pictures and short videos of herself between workout sets. She did this the entire time she was there. She might have been an "influencer," I don't know. This is just one example though. Everywhere I go, people are glued to their phone. Every day I drive, I see someone on their phone while they're driving. They hold it up to the steering wheel and look up, look down, look up. It's really quite terrifying as they tend to cross the center line quite regularly. They think they have perfected the art of "texting and driving." For many, we are already living in an artificial world. Individually, we can choose not to participate, though the pressure is immense. The longer we participate in the "digital world," the more we lose touch with the "real world" and ultimately ourselves, as you put so beautifully in your essay. These billionaires salivate at this thought. I see a future for Gen Z where they're glued to their VR headsets participating in the Metaverse, while these same billionaires are enjoying their 400-ft yachts, drinking champagne and consuming the finest steaks, all the while laughing how they hoodwinked the populace.
I go hiking and try to stay away from the beaten track as much as possible, but still pass people on occasion and many are on their phones as they hike in beautiful nature or are listening to podcast, pods in their ears, afraid they might miss some important bit of information. It's very sad.
It's obscene to think so many people idolize the very jailors who are imprisoning them, and happily so. The contrast you make between the billionaires enjoying their very real lives while the minions fade away into virtual worlds is perfect.
Well said, Karen. You have a beautiful way with words. Thank you for your courage and ability to so succinctly convey the truth.