Avoid the tech tunnel

After hours spent at a computer or using the phone, I often feel a sense of unquiet. Like I was supposed to be doing ten other things but can’t remember them and so I need to blindly open Twitter, Facebook, and email to find them.

That’s the tech tunnel.

Some time ago, I noticed that when I use a website or an app, my thinking is limited by it’s interface.

Facebook? Now all my brain can do is check notifications, like, or comment. YouTube? My brain is now limited to watching and scanning comments. And so it goes...

But meaningful thoughts, goals, dreams or actions aren’t hiding from us in interfaces on the Internet to be discover by browsing.

They are discovered most easily by reflection when there is no screen in front of us. Given space, our subconscious whispers to us what we need to do and why do it. Given space.

The tech tunnel causes us to think narrowly in pre-designed actions on pre-designed websites that are often optimized to make the most money off of us.

So don’t give them space. Avoid the tech tunnel.

Think outside the phone.