Swimming in the Shallow End
Why The Internet Ruins Us, and What You Can Do About It
We are drowning in information, content, and opinions.
We forget what we’re capable of knowing, what we should know, and how to integrate new information and identities into ourselves. We receive more news, ideas, and information in one day than many people did in Ancient Rome in an entire year.
And are we any better for it?
Maybe?
This is the paradox of the 21st century.
Our minds are not static. But when they’re being assaulted by quick-hit dopamine and an endless stream of new and exciting things that ultimately mean nothing, we become apathetic — or worse, a reflection of the corruption we see every day. We end up choosing to fill up on garbage at the all-you-can-eat buffet, rather than enjoying and savoring a nice mental meal. And we start to embody what we’re putting into our minds.
We become whores, fools, antagonists, and embodiments of rage that hang over us like a megalith stone throughout our day-to-day.
We’re all online. It’s up to each of us to choose to be part of a new minority. Those who let this world-changing tool of information and connection, turn us into better people.
The Thrill of Being Seen
Most of us establish an identity around the core platitudes of a group or cause. We hear something over and over again, and it locks it into our minds. We call ourselves a Stoic after listening to a podcast, or a Feminist after following a few accounts on Instagram. We attach ourselves to labels faster than we can learn what they actually say or mean. We’re standing in an information ocean that’s an inch deep and a million miles wide. And most of us are hungry to catch anything that swims at our feet.
This core human tendency has been magnified and accelerated by technology. We want to be a part of a community. To have an identity. And these communal spaces are disappearing outside our front door.
We aren’t meeting at the local Grange Hall each Saturday night. We find community online.
And because no one can hear our squeaky voices, see our odd mannerisms, or notice our receding hairlines, we start to give voice to a persona that had only ever existed in our minds.
Sometimes this allows us to come out of our shells or to share opinions, beliefs, and ideas that aren’t found in our immediate community.
But if we aren’t integrated — if we don’t know who we are or why we think what we do — we can easily become pulled and molded by the content and personalities we see online.
We think it’s normal to overshare our lives, to post pictures of us crying, to show as much of our skin as possible.
This is a mind virus. Though it may be normal, it’s not right, and it’s not a long-term strategy for living a life of respect and character.
What may have started as an innate desire to connect, learn, or be entertained, can easily become an exercise in our deepest narcissistic and manipulative tendencies.
The Four Questions
When people have a big idea (a new business, creative project, etc) oftentimes they run off and tell as many people as they can about it. They get the immediate satisfaction of being acknowledged. And 9/10 times, that golden idea never sees the light of day.
The dopamine rush that comes with immediate praise is much easier to receive than the satisfaction of launching a business after six months of hard daily work. It’s those that build and move in silence that actually reach their goals. They become focused on the hard work of the day and are willing to wait for the satisfaction of the end goal payoff.
This applies to how we use the internet and social media as well.
That rush of people liking a photo does the same thing to us. We’re hardwired to do as little as possible for the most amount of praise and recognition. And it becomes easier to fall into this negative feedback loop.
Are you posting for the attention of others, or are you posting out of a genuine desire to share new information or positive energy?
You can be someone who looks at their behavior in the mirror. There are few willing to face themselves like this. The internet is home now. We visit real life. So you have an obligation to yourself to be cautious and discerning. To not let this new reality swallow you.
There are a few questions I ask myself:
Are the people I’m following and engaging with genuinely adding new and interesting information to my life?
Am I someone that is — at the very least — a genuine person online? Do I carry a persona that is manufactured or fake?
How much time am I spending scrolling per day? (important you develop a mental habit of catching yourself when you fall into this)
Am I learning new things that I could apply to my daily life?
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
Friedrich Nietzsche