Sensory Overload
I feel bombarded by television, radio, cell phones, and yes ... the internet. There is so much information at my fingertips, but most of it seems pretty worthless. Do I need to know that there was another bombing in Iraq, or that (surprise, surprise) the government of Iran wants to wipe Israel off the face of the earth?
I know the answer is "yes." But the information tends to make me feel an unsavory helplessness. I guess I could write my congressman and my senators, but I honestly don't think that would help much. I'm really not even sure what I would say.
What is there to say? Could I say anything they haven't heard before?
These days, I tend to think that "no news is good news". Instead of reading about what other people are doing, I try to get out of the house and do something myself. I drink my coffee, take long walks, read essays or thoughtful fiction. These activities are far less glamorous or interesting than anything we'd read or hear about on the news. But I feel a little less helpless when I take a walk, write a letter, or cook a good meal.
My walk through the woods seems much more relevant to me than a bombing in a town on the other side of the world. Especially since I cannot help the bombing victims with their severed limbs and shattered lives.
Some days all I can do is use the limbs I have, and try my best to keep my own life together.
I know the answer is "yes." But the information tends to make me feel an unsavory helplessness. I guess I could write my congressman and my senators, but I honestly don't think that would help much. I'm really not even sure what I would say.
What is there to say? Could I say anything they haven't heard before?
These days, I tend to think that "no news is good news". Instead of reading about what other people are doing, I try to get out of the house and do something myself. I drink my coffee, take long walks, read essays or thoughtful fiction. These activities are far less glamorous or interesting than anything we'd read or hear about on the news. But I feel a little less helpless when I take a walk, write a letter, or cook a good meal.
My walk through the woods seems much more relevant to me than a bombing in a town on the other side of the world. Especially since I cannot help the bombing victims with their severed limbs and shattered lives.
Some days all I can do is use the limbs I have, and try my best to keep my own life together.
posted by Wordsmyth at
9:46 PM
4 Comments:
you have to care, but you have to pick which sphere you will commit your caring and energies to. our worlds are too big and complex for us, now. we need to make them smaller or go stark raving mad. well, i do.
we have to make our world smaller, so we can care. mother theresa: i can do no great things, only small thing with great love.
i'm greatly comforted by her words.
Neil Postman in "Technopoly" postulates (without reference to the Internet) that in our time, we are all information toxic, meaning we are drowning in information (false and true, useful, misleading, whatever) and that more and more of our time will be spent desperately trying to filter out and keep all of the information away from us (information like email spam, junk mail, the news etc.)
Is putting stuff on the Internet just adding to the problem or information pollution?
well when you write it's not pollution--it's a friendship--it's uplifting...keep it up.
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