DETOXIFICATION, or detox, isn't just about food. In today's digital age, we need more detox from our cyber lives. We’ve become so reliant on technology that the world grinds to a halt without it.
For the newer generations, the idea of life without electricity or network signals is close to unbearable. Generation X, like myself, is at the crossroads of the analog and digital eras. We‘ve experienced the dial-up internet days and the birth of cellular phones firsthand.
Back in the analog days, getting a signal on your cellular phone depended on sheer luck and location. In the province, I often found myself on the beach or tiptoeing on a sidewalk cement bench to get one or two bars of signal. Those days are long gone, but they still linger in my digital memory.
I’m writing this because, in recent years, it has become common for network signals to be jammed or shut down (not ‘shot down’ as one person in uniform said) during major events to prevent untoward incidents. These moments of forced disconnection make us realize how dependent we’ve become on technology.
The office is eerily silent, except for the voices of Meryl or Rodel and the music from DJ John in the background—no mobile phones ringing, no clients calling, no agents following up, and no brokers referring accounts. You feel unproductive without your mobile phone, tethered to the constant flow of information and communication.
Ordering food has become an Amazing Race challenge without network data to access delivery apps. Walking around the neighborhood to buy food requires cash, but you can’t withdraw because most ATMs rely on network connectivity. You desperately dig up your coins, hoping they can buy you lunch. The best option? The “lista system” with your neighborhood lunch provider.
This dependency on technology makes you long for your hometown, where everything is free or based on face-value transactions. You won't go hungry as long as you can walk.
Why have we become this way? Technology itself isn't bad. It's when we become too dependent and fail to prepare a backup system, like withdrawing cash in advance or making arrangements to visit clients, developers, or dealers. Or better yet, completing reports and other deliverables that don’t require internet access. If it were a weekend, it would be a perfect day to read a book and unwind.
It is essential to learn to balance our digital and analog lives. Let’s embrace technology and maintain the skills and habits that are not reliant on it. This balance will prepare us for those unfortunate events and allow us to unplug and find peace amidst the chaos of the digital age.
Take a step back and rediscover the joys of a network detox. Enjoy the sounds of silence, reconnect with the real world, and remember that life goes on, even when the Wi-Fi doesn't.
