Old Man Yells at Cloud
I’m old. So old that I grew up reading physical books made of paper and glue. I would read for as long as I could, mark my place and set it down. I knew I could pick it back up in 5 minutes, 5 days, or next month and carry on from where I left off. I was in charge of what I read, and when I read it. I played video games, and if I hit pause to scratch my nose, go to the bathroom, or take out the trash, I knew that my paused game would sit patiently waiting for my return, as long as power was supplied. When I got email, I could leave my computer at any time and return to my outgoing message in mid composition. Books, video games, even old-timey computer software would let me dictate the timing of events. These conduits of information, entertainment, and communication where subject to my whim. I was in control.
Now I source information, entertainment, and communication from social media applications on my amazing do anything, go anywhere phone. It’s a wonder of modern technology. I love its power and flexibility. However I am not in control all of the time. email still behaves, but only a few other old-timers like me use it. I use Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook because that is where the people I want to communicate with are found. But I fucking hate it. In the middle of reading or watching something of particular interest, life will intrude. I’ll need to set aside my phone and deal with work or family demands. I’ll set down what I was interested in and go about more pressing chores. When I return though, it will be gone. The post I was reading or the video I was watching, will be lost in a chaotic mess of things that a social media corporate overlord has determined will be most profitable for me to “consume”. Just as a farmer decides what refuse should populate the slop he feeds his hogs and doesn’t consider their preference, neither does Reddit consider mine.
I want to pick my book back up and continue where I left off. I know how to go find what I had been reading on Reddit or watching on Facebook, but I resent the time it takes me to regain my place. I would be angry with a prankster who removed my bookmarks. I’m enraged that my agenda doesn’t merit consideration. I am now doubly thwarted from returning to my enjoyable activity and often I’ll be successfully distracted and become the reluctant victim of the manipulative application. I don’t have the discipline to just give up my bad habit, but I don’t think this is right. I’ve vented my spleen and I feel better.
Now you kids get off my lawn.
This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License
This post was originally published in Geminispace, an alternative to the modern web. You can learn more about it at Gemini Quickstart. You can read about my decision to use Gemini protocol in Paul’s Introduction to Geminispace. If you are already using a Gemini browser you can view my blog content at gemini://sdf.org/paulmccombs/ .