Digital Don'ts
The Freedom to NOT Participate
Of all the freedoms endowed to us by our Creator, none — not freedom of religion, not freedom of speech, and not freedom of the press — is more fundamental than the freedom to simply walk away.
The 21st-century institutionalization of the common man is all but complete. All of it in the Huxwellian confluence of state-sponsored default addiction and the institutional tyrannies of runaway digital scale. Of all our God-given freedoms, none has been institutionally savaged more than the freedom to NOT participate.
I was going to title this article, Digital Do’s and Don’ts. But in the age of Huxwell, in what I call the Great Age of Addiction, the Digital Do’s seem more than a little like putting the digital cart before the analog horse. Besides, there ain’t that many Digital Do’s.
Always better, I think, to begin with what not to do in any event — the way eight of the Ten Commandments and all but one amendment in the Bill of Rights instruct us. No mistake that two of the greatest documents in history preach moderation over excess for individuals and institutions alike as the best way to preserve the quality of life for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
So the shorter list of Digital Do’s will have to wait a few days. For now, here’s the slightly longer short list of Digital Don’ts…
Don’t allow smartphones in the bedroom, dining room, or family room. You’ll thank me later.
Don’t use your smartphone to do things — like email, banking, financial transactions, travel plans, online search, and online shopping — you can do either in person or on other digital devices like computers, laptops, and/or tablets.
Don’t turn on your smartphone for the first 1-2 hours of the day for anything not explicitly family or work-related. If necessary, schedule tasks and appointments before you turn in the night before.
Don’t turn on any other digital device for the first 1-2 hours of the day for anything not explicitly family or work-related (except, perhaps, to check the weather).
Don’t keep your phone conveniently within arm’s reach while at home. Force yourself to get up off your ass to answer it.
Don’t answer or consult your smartphone while out with friends and family (except for family emergencies). In fact, leave it behind (unless you need it for some reason to return home).
Don’t use your smartphone to prove your point in a conversation with a family member or good friend you love. Much better to be happy than right.
Don’t use your smartphone while you eat. Use a fork and knife like everyone else.
Don’t try to juggle more than one screen at a time for any reason. Multitasking is a myth invented to help sell smartphones.
Don’t give any kid under 18 — especially yours — a smartphone.
Don’t try to discuss anything meaningful with someone you care about until you turn off all the screens first. They deserve your undivided attention. If not, turn up the volume.
Don’t let any kid sit unsupervised under your roof with digital devices of any kind.
Don’t think you’re too smart to become a digital addict. Chances are almost 100% that you’re not too smart and already are an addict.
I understand that the above list of Digital Don’ts likely doesn’t comport with a lot of current lifestyles in the Great Age of Addiction, maybe yours included. But the only way to turn our attention to those things like faith, family, community, and nation — the things that promote and protect the quality of our spiritual, social, emotional, and physical lives — is to turn away from distraction and shut down the digital noise first, per the very first of our three Calls to Action. Exactly what the Digital Don’ts do.
I’d love to hear about your experience with any of the above Digital Don’ts, or with any others you think I might have omitted. Leave your comments below…
[Want to invite Jeff Einstein to speak at your next event? Or want to license the Quality of Life Toolkit for your parents group, school, congregation, public agency, corporation or association? Contact us at moreinfo@qolrm.com.]