>For the last few years I've been becoming increasingly frustrated with technology in general but especially the internet and smartphones. I'm in my late 30's, so I'm old enough to have been here before the internet or cellphones were rare and infrequently used by the majority of people. But, I am young enough to be the first generation that really grew up with technology becoming more and more pervasive and a commonplace part of mine and my peer's lives.

I got my Super Nintendo on my 7th birthday and went on to have (and many times was an early adopter) every game console until the PS3. In college I modded consoles and built my own computers as I finally had the disposable income to do so. I switched my major from poli-sci to computer science and spent an inordinate amount of time playing WoW and Counter-Strike: Source online.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've been hooked-in for a long while, even before everyone and their mom had a little computer hanging out in their backpocket.

So, when smartphones came along I was gob-smacked. Here's this little device that's basically a mini computer in my pocket. I was enthralled.

Flash-forward to now...

...and I've probably downloaded tens of thousands of apps and files. Spent countless (I don't even want to think how many) hours meticulously culling files and applying stylistic accents to better caputer my unique personality on a damn phone.

...hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours looking at a stupid glowing dopamine machine when I could have been engaged with those around me, lost memories that I can never have and that I never took the care to make.

I began to realize all this a couple of years ago since that I have streadily reined

in my screen time a lot.

Now the pixelated straw icon has finally broke the camel emoji's back. I just decided to refuse to comply to the demands on my attention by this tiny digital dictator hanging out in my pocket.

You know, when I was a teen I didn't have a damn phone. My parents couldn't afford or even need a computer and my one (metered by having to go to school and by my parents) digital distaction that I had were my game consoles.

But the demand on my attention was only but an intermittent issue at best.

So, with no phone or any sort of distraction to stop me, I carried a journal and pen and wrote everywhere I went. All the way up until my late 20s/early 30s, however once I got the smartphone my writing and ability to focus on being able to write, diminished to the point of non-existence over time.

The last few years I've laregly not written anything by hand. Not to mention the laptop. The smartphone and internet demanded my undivided attention so it could quickly divide it amongst a steady stream of steamy shit. Enough was finally enough and I've now been leaving my smartphone at home. If someone needs me they can leave me a message like in the dinosaur days.

I'm tired of constantly having my right to not be addressed violated by a device that gives me diminishing satisfaction as time passes.

And you know what?

It's been

! ! !

I write these posts out in my notebook while I walk the pier downtown. I type them out later which allows me to edit or change a thought, it gives me some space to really evaluate what I write before I hit ENTER and send it out to the

e t h e r

I'm no luddite either. I'm learning python, I still check lemmy and my news feeds occasionally, but I do it on MY time.

This is why I love the Geminispace so much:

it respects my right to not be addressed

and gives me the internet a much needed sanctuary from the increasing corporatization of the internet.

:D