We took a turn down to look at the more negative reactions affiliated with being a media and technologically-driven society. Paasonen (2020) says that [Media]…contribute to the influential trope of disenchantment” and that we as a society fall into the allure of nostalgia to escape the uncomfortable present post covid. While I believe this stirs many great points about exploiting our eagerness for ‘enchantment,’ it also makes me think about what is being done to stop it?
I remember vividly growing up with adults so consumed with their Facebook status and ability to stay current that kids screamed for attention, only to get that attention once they could ask for it through an Instagram post. A blog by Holistic Child Psychology (2019) makes a great point that kids learn from what they see. If their parents are saturated with the media (which they usually outwardly condemn), they teach their children to be “inauthentic.” To dislike something that they were raised with and can’t escape from. So what’s the solution for the troublesome, addicted next generation looking to rid themselves of this crutch? A digital detox.
During a Ted talk on the harms of instant gratification, at the 6.10 minute mark, the people in the room are asked to disconnect from their Media and use analog pen and paper to record their day. Davidson was met was a laugh. Preposterous. This wonderfully emphasizes that Media addiction is being taught by our superiors (parents, bosses, and institutions- like RMIT) and that the digital detox is, in essence, it’s own media exploitation that is a quick bandaid fix, a great marketing strategy to give ‘authenticity back’ without affecting bottom lines, assessment dates, targets being and general productivity.
If ‘authenticity’ and our mental health were the focus, why can’t we all give up this technological, lifestyle and live in a commune? Live without work, live without study, live without the need to consume enormous amounts of media for endorphins?
Because Media and Technology are Capitalism.
References
- Paasonen S (2020) Distracted Present, Golden Past? Mediating Presents, Media Theory, column 4, Number 2, Page 11-32 Media The Journal Website, Accessed 16 March 2023. https://journalcontent.mediatheoryjournal.org/index.php/mt/article/view/11
- Syvertsen T and Enli G (2019) Digital detox: Media Resistance and the Promise of Authenticity, Volume 26, Issue 5-6, Sage Journals Website, Accessed 17 March 2023. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/10.1177/1354856519847325
- Davidson J (2018) “How Instant Gratification is Harming Society and What to Do About It”TEDxCSUS, Youtube Website, accessed 17 March 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4StLXX1k_9I
- Beurkens N (2019) How Parents’ Tech Habbits Affect Their Kida Behavior, Holistic Child Psychology Website, Accessed 17 March 2023. https://www.drbeurkens.com/how-parents-tech-habits-affect-their-kids-behavior/