I still remember the panic that set in when we got the "Disconnect" notice from our internet provider. Thoughts of, "What will I watch?", "How can I keep putting videos up?", "What if someone needs to get a hold of me?". Well it's been about two months now, I believe, and I'm OK. I haven't put any holes in the walls from banging my head against them out of sheer boredom. I'm not enduring sleepless nights, and cold sweats for fear that I'll never get my "fix".
What I have realized, is that I'm better off.
Sure, it's inconvenient. Especially when you're an introvert who prefers to keep things over email rather than an actual phone conversation. I think the biggest impact for me, is that I can't freely search for music the way I used to. That one point still bothers me a lot actually, but I will make do.
This internet vacation, has taught me a few things.
1. How stupid and mindless and repetitive most TV shows are.
2. How much more I can accomplish when I'm not sitting on Pinterest for hours.
3. Facebook really does not matter, and no, no one cares about what you ate for dinner.
4. Between "selfies", snapchat, vine...instagram...gah, we're all a bunch of self-centered a$$holes!
5. The more time I have to sit and look at clothing sites, the more money I will want to spend on clothes, shoes, etc.
6. That this is all a vicious cycle. A society full of people with their faces glued to their TV's, computers, smartphones, rather than observing the beautiful colors of a trees leaves in Fall, or engaging in meaningful conversation with your children who will one day not want to bother engaging in anything with you.
7. We're just a bunch of consumers, and all the advertising companies are just interested in our dollars.
My husband and I never had cable throughout our whole marriage. That is one way I was happy we were cut off from the world. When I visit anyone's house, and they put TV on, I would say 60% of what I see are commercials. Then if you're lucky, you get about 5 min. of the actual show, then it's back to a commercial.
The amount of sex appeal used in marketing is appalling. Even Burger King is trying to "sex-up" their burgers....what?? (Just watch the Heidi Klum burger Ad)
I don't like to play the paranoid card, but I feel like I was being made into a mindless pawn, and that, that was the exact intention. I found myself watching shows that tried to make an adulterous relationship look "innocent", and that it was "true love". All because I loved the fashion in it! Cheating is a whole different topic for a whole different day, but something that I in no way support. Ever.
I hope people wise up to this. I hope that we see the messages that are innocently snuck into our homes, and are polluting our minds. I really hope that we put down our damn phones, and give our loved ones the attention they deserve before it's too late. I also hope (and I'm certainly not innocent of this) that we stop buying so much unnecessary junk when there are people all over the world who are starving to death.
This all makes me feel ashamed, and I hope to one day contribute vastly in order to make the changes that this world needs.
Here, have some music, and Merry Christmas.
Oh, and see what I mean about those Ads?
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