Engaged or tethered?

About 30 minutes ago I opened the text editor on my computer to start writing, decided to open Instagram on my phone instead, and now — scarcely aware of where the time went — I am back here writing.

I can’t help but reflect on this state of entrancement I often find myself in multiple times a day and consider Neil Postman’s description of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New world where, “people come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.”

While waiting for coffee yesterday, everyone in line seemed to be in a similarly captive state: four people scrolling on their phones, one blasting music from her headphones, and another documenting their queuing experience on video.

Is this voluntary engagement, or are we unwittingly tethered to something more powerful than we realize? Because there is a difference.

Is it our sense that we are giving our time to our digital feeds or that they are taking our time from us?

Maybe the act of picking up our digital devices isn’t so harmless, casual, or risk-free as it seems.

On the one end, the utility of being able to reach anyone from a device in your pocket is undeniable. On the other, it seems prudent to want to avoid staring at it directly for too long lest we become helplessly captivated by it.