Digital Intentionality

This past Sunday morning I went for a stroll through the Lowcountry forest on the edge of the May River. Above the sky was gray, a thunderstorm was imminent, it would reach us in the afternoon, so we wanted to get out of the house for some fresh air ahead of the rain. We walked along the trail, passing the occasional joggers and dog walkers, slowly making our way into the undergrowth, watching our daughter chase butterflies and point out mushrooms. Since relocating to the South she has become adept at spotting and identifying birds. On this walk, we came across several cardinals, some crows, and a few black vultures. The Cardinals are our current favorite, a pair visit our backyard several times per day, along with a gang of Sparrows, House Finches, Carolina Wrens, Bluebirds, and the occasional Blue Jay and Southern Woodpecker. It was nice being out, bathed in the green glow of the coastal forest, away from the digital labyrinth that has consumed my life for so long.

After much deliberation, I’ve concluded that I needed to re-evaluate my relationship with digital technology. The everlasting dopamine slot machine of social media has parasitically drained me of energy and focus with little or no return. Too often I’ve caught myself refreshing or engaging in some idiotic conversation, sometimes for hours, when I rather be reading, writing, or being fully present with my family. While I do get some benefit from being connected, finding new books, new authors to follow, discovering new art, and taking part in conversation, it has become apparent that the benefits are minute and greatly outweighed by the anxiety-inducing dopamine rush of pure uninhibited nonsense, pure digital corn syrup, that makes up the majority of internet content. It’s all so tiresome and stupid.

Most of all, I don’t care. I don’t care about politics, the culture war, petty drama, and self-aggrandizing insta-celeb idiocy. I have no interest in it. The world and culture cannot be changed by posting and refreshing your feed. One changes the world by creating art, actual, physical, and substantial. The world changes by you being present and involved. By being deliberate and intentional. Not by wasting your time as a posting on some Silicone Valley techno-perverts product.

So I’ve decided to step back and disentangle myself. I’m re-evaluating my relationship with digital online technology and re-assessing the personal and spiritual value of the tools I will use in the future. My focus will be intentionality and depth. I will maintain this newsletter as the sole nexus of my digital existence and will limit myself to one or two long-form communications per week. My other social media accounts will be used to forward and share new Substacks with minimal interaction.