Infringes of information technology
We are all quite well versed in the benefits of information technology in our lives. Isn't it? So I will directly jump into how we hide from ourselves using information technology.
Planning to write about this topic drew me to one of the most famous practices I have heard:
"When you get up in the morning, we should see our palms first."
This had been our ritual for ages. Do you all remember this?
I can hear a faint no.
Around fifteen years ago, when I had a dumb phone, my usual ritual was to get up, pray, meditate, reflect on the day, get energized, and begin the day. This practice has helped me a lot to keep myself calm and composed, and at the same time, it has always helped me to connect to myself. Without fail, I used to do this every day, but now my day begins with WhatsApp, Google, and Youtube. Even after checking messages, I do sit for prayer and meditation; my eyes are always on the phone, and just one popup and my heart beating, 'What's the message?' breaking my meditation. I remember I used to sit for an hour connecting with myself and trying to understand various aspects of my life; now I only connect with my phone to be known by everybody. My point is that I have shifted from that calmness to this unorganized sector of my life. I have to admit here that when I plan to sit for self-talk or meditation, I have to keep my phone in airplane mode.
I have seen the benefits of meditation, and I am still doing it. Why?
The answer is simple:
a) Social conformity
I love to be recognized and admired by my friends. So, conformity plays an incaptivating role here. What if I did not message my friends? They would not connect with me. I would be left alone. Conformity is the act of changing my behavior so that I fit in with or go along with the people around me. Seeing my social media handle every now and then is not a necessity, but I do this because if I do not reply to them quickly, they might not even remember me. I use it for hiding because, for me, their opinion has become more important than my own. I trade my personal conversation time for my active state on social media. This means that for me, social approval and acceptance go beyond knowing myself. I am no longer developing my skills to improve myself; rather, I have become a people-pleaser.
These chambers are those places where a person interacts with information or opinions that match their own views. Our technology helps us with this very well. I still remember that I subscribed to many news posts. Hence, my Google shows those things frequently on my mobile, and I happen to dwell only on those informations. This creates confirmation bias, which is not good. We seek this hiding place most frequently. We do not like others opinions, so we will not face what is true and right but rather choose to be with people who support me.
Eg.,
A while ago, I knew a person who was to take a flight from Chennai to Andaman. So, one night she has to stay in Chennai. She knew no one there. She asked her friend. The friend said to just say Tambram. The taxi driver asked where in Tambaram, and she had no answer. No one guided her, and she was roaming till mid-night to find a place she could stay for the night. This happened because she pointed out one of her seniors's mistakes, so everyone got against her and decided not to help her whatever happened. We love to stick with the group even when it is doing wrong.
Here, I would also like to take the opportunity to share one family incident. I had been lucky enough to see a family like this. When I went to their house, everybody was involved in this game of cards. Such family times have been forgotten in this era of digitalization. I also remember my mother saying, "Whole day you are all away for work. When you all come back home, do chat with me too." Leave your devices for a while and take time to share good moments with each other. We have a pool of information; what matters is which one is authentic, and how do we handle that information wisely?
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