Londono 1

Ana M. Londono

Professor Michael Odom

English 101 – 1801

December 6, 2018

Edited October 27, 2020

Many Screens, Little sense

It is common nowadays to attend a party and witness how much human

communication has changed. We see an association of silent, curved postured young men

and women stuck within seven to eight inches of distance from their glaring displays. The

constant “pings and dings” generates enough stimuli to satisfy their brains, as they pick

up the phone again and again –eyes wide open- searching for information that they

potentially missed. The days of small talk, chitchat -or any spoken word at all- are gone.

But do not be fooled, I am also registered in “the silent texting convention” from time to

time, especially when one runs out of topics to talk about in parties and public gatherings.

These smartphone-driven social situations are generating a cloud of social awkwardness

and anxiety that is shaping human interactions forever. But what should concern our

notification-viral inundated minds is the cost of using these technologies and how, little

by little we are being stripped of the only thing we thought we had left: Our privacy.

It was not always this way, smartphones and social media did not just appear one

day. When computers first appeared, we did not seem so hooked back then, partly

because to use a computer you had to have computer skills. It used to take a long time to

turn the screen and devices on and off and there was a certain degree of separation
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between human and machine. So different from the instant gratification of unlocking

your phone in three seconds! This immediate access to information seems to be key for

keeping us so engaged and hypnotized.

In “The Slot Machine in your Pocket” Tristan Harris describes this gratification as

the “Intermittent variable rewards” in other words, the direct association that our brain

makes between stimuli-reward occurs and exactly whenever we hear our phones

notifying us of that cat video that everyone likes. Harris proves with his words how this

system can even be compared with the same gratification gained while gambling; I can

say from my experience that we are surely getting into those extremes. I would not have

believed you if you had told me in 1999 that I would be at the age of 25 checking my

phone for social and world update at least 150 per day on average (Harris). My seven

year old self would not have ever imagined teens lost in these glass-looking devices. My

seven years old self would surely tell you that technology would be doing better things

than that!

So what happened to human interaction? Well, social media happened; Facebook

happened. The biggest social media platform started as a site to find dates at Harvard.

Back in 2004 it was a cool place to connect with acquaintances and friends that recently

transformed into the powerhouse of media conspiracies, the key factor for presidential

elections and I believe a threat to society in general. These sites became indeed so

powerful that we failed to see their disguise and their true economic purpose: They are

marketing companies who profit from personal data from their users. The concern for

our privacy and the way we socialize in the world is addressed by Adrian Chen in his

article “Don’t be a stranger”. Chen reflects about the conflicts between human
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interactions in the world of blasting social media. Chen mentions and quotes another

article called “Is Facebook making us lonely?” to which he responds that the problem

with this site originates on the site’s conception. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is

no longer the cool nerdy guy from Harvard willing to make a change in the world, he is

in fact the programmer and the business man and people like him, owners of big tech

corporations are there to ensure a profit at the expense of our private lives, our attention

and our health; all of this in an effort to keep us hooked and dumb.

Mark wants us all to be part of “The Social Graph” (Chen) a “map of all online

recording of human interactions” which makes me wonder how connecting with others

ended up being this blind trade? We are reminded of other’s stories at the expense of our

attention; we are updated on the world at the expense of our privacy and no disclaimer

was ever read and nothing was ever questioned.

We are being cheated just in the same way that indigenous natives were, tricked

by the Spaniards. These last ones gave them mirrors in exchange for their precious gold.

These were cheap mirrors, but they did not see that, they just saw themselves, for the first

time. They were hooked on their own image, astonished by the resemblance; while giving

away their gold and their freedom.

We are so obsessed with others and ourselves, because the online world is eager

to see you, the new you, every time, everywhere. We are reminded that we are important

possibly more than anyone else; other people are to become our followers but you have to

search for acceptance and attention. Narcissism has been enhanced by our phones and

accepted by society. Just like Ross Douthat said in “The Online Looking Glass” social

media has turned into a “Virtual Gallery of Faces” a gallery that contrasts drastically with
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the real world where we are constantly looking down, eyes wide open, bored, excited,

happy and sad.

Our eyes seem to be everywhere but blinded as well, just like these natives were.

The only difference is: we can still opt out of the mirror contract. We can still hear about

the world with the world knowing about us; and maybe we can still look at each other

face to face, be human and break the enchantment with our screens.

Work Cited

Harris, Tristan. “The Slot Machine in your Pocket” Spiegel Online, 27 July 2016.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/smartphone-addiction-is-part-of-the-

design-a-1104237.html Accessed 4 December 2018

Chen, Adrian. “Don’t be a stranger” The New Inquiry, 13 February 2013.

https://thenewinquiry.com/dont-be-a-stranger/ Accessed 4 December 2018.

Douthat, Ross. “The Online Looking Glass” The New York Times, 12 June 2011.

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/opinion/13douthat.html Accessed

4 December 2018