We live in the age of instant fame. From chugging cinnamon to Mortal Combat Upper cuts it’s easy now more than ever to turn five minutes of fame into a book deal or reality show. Technology capitalizes on the desires of Hollywood. What did lady Gaga call it? The fame monster. The more people who know your name the better.
Technology and fame make for an interesting combination and that mix is an alluring one to, well, most of us. There is no standard for what can make you notorious these days. All you need is a gimmick and a webcam. A sensational story. A quirky way of curating images. I admit with a slight twinge of embarrassment that I still have somewhere in the photo depths of Facebook some pictures I posted of myself lying like a board on top of a courthouse sign (only a little embarrassment because in my mind that plank was boss). I too had gotten caught up in the YouTube fad.
However, in a matter of months that fad was gone and something else had taken its place. There are times when searching out a video or clicking on a blog becomes irresistible and there’s that feeling that if you’re not up to date on the latest online sensation then you are missing something. We are so busy keeping up with the technological Joneses that we forget about enjoying our now moments. The moments where we open ourselves up to the possibility that hey it’s a new day anything can happen. The moments when we were are separated from the technological world and live peacefully.
There is such a thing as too much — as in enough already with the various duck lip poses or side shots taken in the bathroom. One sure way of recognizing when you’ve reached that point is the feeling that you might just have to slap somebody if you see another pink-weaved fool pop up on your computer screen. Life as I’ve learned so far is about balance. We enjoy our sleep because we are not always asleep. We appreciate joy because at some point in our lives we have experienced pain. Just as we laugh harder when it’s been a while since we’ve laughed.
We need the quiet times. the ‘me’ times where no one else’s agenda can intrude on our own unless we let it. Whenever you’ve reached that point where you feel like technology has taken over your life (you, know when you are Facebook stalking everyone else and comparing their lives to yours) remember to take a break. Disconnect. Unplug. Slow down. We possess this amazing ability to push the off button or simply click “shut down”. Life should be more than what we experience through texts and tweets. Who doesn’t want a life of substance? You can only realize this space if you exit from cyberspace.
Technology is great, but being socially wrangled into the world of social media 24/7 robs you of living. It’s okay to be virtually connected, but don’t count on the internet to serve as your ultimate lifeline. If you are always obsessed with what is going on in the virtual space, when do you have time to get out of your bedroom and actually live your life? When do you actually have the time to apply the tips that you read from your favorite online magazine or study for the test to get you into the grad school you researched online? Take a sec and disconnect.
Whatever it is that you do that gives your life dimension go out and do it! Society will continue to move at the speed of light as long as the rewards of fame are so addictive. Start living in real-time. Unplug, turn off, shut down and enjoy your now moment.
