We are starting to live in an age where where screens are starting to define both our reality as well as our validation in the form of likes. The promise of connection is drawing us closer into digital dependency, leaving us no space for actual wisdom to emerge naturally within us.
What humanity has gained in terms of convenience and instant access, it has actually lost in the saturation of the internet that is overwhelming their original thoughts, their minds becoming numb in the process.
Social media is like a siren that is luring us into curating our identities while we are peering into others' often idealized or exaggerated versions of their relationships and interactions. People on social media often showcase their bonds - whether this be friendships, romantic relationships, or how they are involved in the community - in ways that may seem to be more glamorous or to be more intense than they actually are in reality. Just like a siren, social media can be very tempting and alluring, but it can also be deceptive, as this can draw us into valuing curated representations over actual authentic experiences.
The algorithm approval meter has started to replace what was once inner purpose, and many soul songs have been numbed to march to the platform's profits beats.
By reclaiming the time you once spend mindlessly scrolling over the internet, you can create the space for you to be able to have reflections upon things, and for you to experience your relationships more. As certain reflections and relationships are deeply personal, and some authentic experiences cannot be fully created, understood, or shared through digital platforms or technology.
Having face to face encounters with people, will help you experience the nuanced empathy that is impossible to be expressed through digital means. Give yourself some time to experiene some inner silence, which will allow you to understand yourself better, allowing this to emerge from beneath the noise of perpetual diversion. Reclaim your agencey of your attention, so you can reassert what aspects of the age we are not living in you actually want to amplify and which aspects you actually want to leave behind.
Each minute that you can reclaim from the virtual spotlight will allow for you to experience creative play and purposeful thought. Recognize that social platforms are tools that don't define us as people, and reclaim your power in deciding what success and connection actually means beyond the digital experience and its metrics.
As you patiently persever, you will relearn what the real world is and this will help you to rebuild it wisely. Allow the coercive clocks that demand comformity to programmed clicks to fall away from your existence. The time that will be returned to you, you can then start using to lay new structures, not built on quantifiable approval but based upon the quality of awareness that you are experiencing in each and every moment.
The less you will be seeking out the shallowness of the virtual world, the deeper you will be able to dive into discovering who you are when you are becoming untouced by any interface. From that place of freedom, you will be able to write your own algorithms for fresh meaning-making in your life.
In summary
This image seeks to show the tension between the virtual and the real world, and seeks to illustrate the challenges of digital dependency as well as the hopeful reclaiming of meaningful connection and purpose.
The person standing at the threshold between two contrasting worlds represents the choice we all face in this digital age; to either immerse ourself in the virtual realm or to seek out the real world with real world connections. We are standing at the dawn of a virtual age where people will have to start making conscious decisions about how they are choosing to engage with the digital world.
The digital world has less color because it wants to show how artificial and detached this world actually is. This side is representing by the virtual world's allure of convenience, curated identities, and algorithmic control.
While the real world has vibrant natural colors and shows a scene with warm sunlight, lush greenery, and people engaging in face-to-face interactions, creative activities, as well as in moments of reflection. This side shows the richness that real-world experiences can have, as well as the richness of human connection, and being able to discover yourself through the real world.
The shattering clock in the natural world wants to symbolize the freedom a person could have in the real world away from coercive clocks and the relentless pace of the digital age. So we can start reclaiming our time to pursue meaningful things that tend to have to make way because of the demands that come with constantly having to be connected to the digital world and devices.
The person is trying to reach towards the real world symbolizes the conscious choice to step away from digital distractions so you can start moving towards having deeper and more meaningful experiences (refering to the part in the text "reclaim agency over attention" and to "relearn the world real and rebuild it wisely."
The stark contrast between the two worlds both in color, lighting, and mood wants to highlight the consequences that digital depency can have, and the rewards that can come from reconnecting with the real world, real-world connections, and real world self-awareness.
While the virtual world has its place as it is a tool, true meaning and fulfillment actually comes from being connected to the real world and our authentic selves. Yes, there are challenges to be faced in navigating this virtual age, but there's also hope being brought as to reclaiming one's time, attention, and purpose so one can have deeper more meaningful connections as well as a different kind of self-discovery.