Unplugging, Turning Down, Signing Off

It is quite possible that I am the weirdest media person ever. I think most of it is totally unnecessary, a waste of time at best, damaging to our hearts and minds at worst.

Don't get me wrong. I am a fan of my Mac, I enjoy reconnecting with people over Facebook, watching The Office and typing my thoughts here. But I'm growing annoyed with technology and media in general.

Today I began deleting my Myspace account (involves changing my e-mail account, so it's taking longer than normal). I also checked out Twitter and made the definitive decision to decline. I mean, do I REALLY need to know everything everyone is thinking and doing right now? No, no I don't. Because it's important to my roomie now, I have cable. But I'm turning the TV off far more than on these days, and Jen and I have already decided against adding cable when we move. I downgraded my smart phone to a simple, every day cell phone. Not that I wouldn't love an iphone, but seriously, not important. AIM? A thing of the past. Skype? Even though my best friend is in Spain for 4 months, I can't seem to bring myself to the point of actually signing up.

With the way I've been frustrated and seem to be shunning technology and downgrading at a rapid pace, it's making me seriously consider why I got into this field to begin with. I mean, I don't think I'm clinging to a romanticized version of the "good ole days," I just don't see the need to entertain myself constantly. Or to be privy to the intimate details of everyone's lives at any given moment. Let's be honest, we have an epidemic of acceptable voyerism and an insatiable appetite for entertainment in our culture, and increasingly our world. I find less and less satisfaction there.

What I love about media, what drew me to it in the very beginning, is the ability it offers to tell a story, to provide a voice to someone who might otherwise not have one. I love the ability to show others how I see the world, not just because I want them to like me, but because I want them to understand and appreciate the truth I've discovered. I want them to become passionate about what I am passionate about, and in love with the One I am in love with. For me it's not about the novelty, the accessibility, or the desire to be seen in a particular light. It's about communication, real, honest, heart-connection communication.

Why make it easier to be shallow, superficial and contrived? I'd rather sit down with you over coffee for hours and dig into the mess of our lives together then wade out on the other side stronger, truer, not merely perfectly worded. It's harder to do life in person. It's harder to hide, it's harder to handle. But the difficulty makes it so beautiful. The vulnerability of face to face makes us stronger and I'm less afraid of that than I used to be. Maybe I just don't need to market myself to the world anymore. Maybe I don't need to be told how to think about the events of our world. Call me antiquated, but simpler and slower is not all that bad. I'm kinda loving it.