In the last 100 years, we have had many technological advances in almost every field. Humanity is naturally evolved to pursue the concept of growth and we excel at building upon the foundations of the past. Yet, perhaps the largest leap we have undertaken is within the communications field. Now, more then ever, we have access to nearly everything at the push of a button. In fact, we no longer need the button.
Our ability to interpret and respond to incoming data is increasing as a species simply because of the sheer number of ways we can engage with the world and eachother. Social Media, LinkedIn, email, advertisements, phone calls, text messages, mail, newspapers, magazines, blogs, books, movies, photography, Virtual Reality, video games...and we haven't even stood in front of anyone yet. Although, we have the world at our fingertips, we seem to have forgotten who else lives in it.
In the separation and layers of media constantly bombarding our senses...we find that the person walking on the street in front of us is more of an enigma then our Instagram followers (seriously, who are some of you?). It's not that the information is missing or that we can't talk to people like we once did. It's that we have changed the way we gather information...or rather, the lack thereof. The problem lies in the sheer overwhelming data overload we face on a daily basis. We suddenly have the keys to the city and nearly everything is accessible, or at least we think it is. But, the truth is that it's become harder and harder to sift through the bullshit, and we slowly but surly no longer care. The world may lie at the ends of our hungry little digits, but we are the ones on our knees.
Every second we are being told something. Some is shouted, some is whispered, some is felt, some is heard, some is seen, and some is even smelled. Our senses are accosted with information bordering on overload; and it all derives from the same principle - Something is trying to influence us. Nature has always had variables that force us to adapt and rethink the way we do things in order to survive. As time has passed, we have gotten better at ensuring our survival; which led to humanities version of Darwinism - HOW to survive as the fittest. Suddenly communication is at a peak and we find ourselves the targets of everyone else's agendas. In one hour of media content (pick one, it won't matter) you will find yourself being told what to eat, wear, use, worship, want, feel, fuck, envy, hate, love, lose, buy,...be. The truth is, when you're so busy filtering out the crap, it's easy to forget how to think.
Now, in our search for answers, we have neglected our own conclusions. In our quest to better reach people, we have lost the capacity to understand them. In a world with the technology to unite humanity, we ended up destroying the individuals that comprised it. We chose to focus on mass producing empty words, and now people no longer listen. We fought to sensationalize images, and now people no longer believe them. We aimed to build a better person, and now we can't stomach being ourselves. We sought to communicate with everyone, and somehow lost sight of what we were trying to say. In our thirst for the how, did we forget to survive? What happened to all the people?
Welcome to the new world at your Divine Fingers. Our almighty Communications are the new communion.
So let us raise up our great temples to Twitter, praise the idols of Instagram, and appeal to the followers on Facebook.
Mankind has devised wondrous and grand dreams...and they can all be yours for one low price.
You.
So drop your eyes. Raise your phones. Close your minds and commune.
Come want with us...
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