There come points of reflection in life, where for some reason or another, we are forced to take inventory of how we've spent the limited time we've been gifted - and face the unpleasant realities of just how much we've wasted on stupid, useless, self-destructive tail-chasing, intellectual masterbation, attention-seeking, and all kinds of ridiculous immature shit that when fully accounted for, adds up to nothing less than a practical betrayal of our own souls.
Here, at age 35, I look back and can't help but wonder, "where the fuck did the last 15 years of my life go? What do I have to show for it? Why is there a gnawing sense of discontent and unfulfillment that won't leave me alone? Why is my body waking me up in pain at 4am, what is the message my soul is trying to tell me?"
I once had this naive sense of invincibility, feeling like there was all the time in the world. So I took a casual approach to life. Yeah, I was ambitious and lived with an obsessive intensity at the same time. But for all the energy I put into various projects - most of the time, strictly with motivations and hopes of getting rich quick so then I could relax and pursue the things that truly mattered most - I can't help reflect and question, "what the fuck was I thinking having blown so much of my life away on completely meaningless SHIT?"
Of course, perhaps part of life entails hard lessons, and we all have to make mistakes from which to extract the wisdom that is both necessary to our soul journey and essential to be passed onto others such that they learn from our errors and might not repeat the same mistakes.
Nonetheless, reality checks can fucking hurt.
And one that's really come to my attention lately: just how much I allowed myself to be mindfucked and sabotaged by addiction to social media.
I've been aware of it for a while. And, I've been weaning off. Yet, none of that awareness or movement towards change can bring back lost time. It doesn't make up for the betrayals to my soul that have occurred over the decade of pouring my spirit into total bullshit.
At the time, it all seemed great.
I was connecting with people who seemed to share similar interests. I was learning all kinds of new interesting information. There was a sense of exploration and expansion that was envigorating.
But eventually, I realized that very few of those connections ran deep. The things I thought brought us together, perhaps didn't matter so much. Alot of the information I took in, amounted to little more than distraction. I scattered myself amongst so many groups and pages, surfing waves that led nowhere. And when all was said and done, there wasn't very much to show for it other than a decade of my limited lifespan vanished, the most important of goals my soul actually wanted unaccomplished, as I had flittered away my attention in the most unproductive directions, focus totally diverted from what really mattered.
I allowed myself to be influenced by a ceaseless flow of opinions, my mind diverted into paranoid conspiracies and counterproductive belief systems. I valued the wrong things.
And while there were some people I met along the way whom were instrumental to the course of life events offline, who've meant alot and were definitely there for a reason, there's practically nothing, scanning over the course of the Facebook profile I had so diligently invested in, that brings any sort of satisfaction. Yes, those few relationships were probably worth it, and no regrets because of them. Though what stands out more than anything, is deep shame and embarrassment that I had been so foolish to not see that I was in the grips of an addiction just as powerful as any life-destroying drug, and had been channeling my soul in directions that probably did far more damage than good.
All the little details and examples of how... probably no reason to get into them. Not here, not now.
Yet, it's the little details that do matter. And perhaps, it was all those little details that I had overlooked along the way, that didn't seem like all that big of a deal at the time, that weren't apparent for what they were contributing to larger patterns, that added up to the bigger problem.
Lots of little details swept under the rug. Until eventually, that pile was so fucking big, and all the shit under there had become infested with mold, bacteria, and lethal viruses that there was no defense against.
This all might sound a little dramatic. Though, it might also be a drastic fucking understatement.
The actual point of this writing wasn't to serve as an extended confession. Rather, it was to lead as an introduction into a video that speaks so powerfully to the ugly truths of what damage social media has done to our minds, souls, relationships, and fabric of society, that it probably ought to be watched by every man, woman, and child on this planet.
I rarely share videos here, as appreciate the value of all our time and attention, ensuring whatever is offered through this space shall be a worthy investment of yours.
And this video, I cannot recommend highly enough.
It speaks so directly to something we've all been affected so deeply and powerfully by, to issues that are so critical to address.
The masterful honesty within the mirror of these perspectives really provide a point of reference for seeing where we've gone so wrong with our use of this technology - both individually, ourselves, and collectively as a society and culture.
Without further ado, I invite you to make a 12-minute investment in yourself by watching this video with an open mind and heart, receptive to the feedback it provides and embracing the possibility for participating in the transformation of these matters that have been such a lethal epidemic in ways that have escaped our detection yet are essential to shift for all our well-being...
Well @rok-sivante, as you can see I've read your post top to bottom and also did watch the video start to end to tell you my most honest opinion about this issue.
First of all you have nothing to recriminate yourself mate. You've simply been the victim of mighty modern drug dealers. Both you and everyone else. Jíbaros is the name we give to them around here on my neck of the woods. They use the most furtive practices to behead your soul through the most addictive substances you can imagine. ¡Massaging Your Ego! They know their job pretty well.
Therefore, just to make this comment short I'm gonna complement your video with a second one which also have subtitles in many other languages to spread your message even further and clearer reaching to everyone. And finally after that, kind of a recommendation for you.
Thanks God you're still on time. Casually at barely 48 hrs to take a great purifying shower of spiritual sand. One that will invade with sacred dust even the most intimate and hidden crevices of your own being. Hurry up mate! pack your stuff and get ready to burn your ancient decrepit ships after seven days. };)
Greate video / addition to the thread. 👌
I’ve been thinking about doing Burning Man next year for the first time... :-)
Love the whole enchilada.
Thank you for your contribution!
Good fortune.
I had to watch the video over and over not because I didnt understand but because the truths contained in it is too live. Im pretty much like the last guy that spoke, for me, social media has been dead for a long time, my facebook, instagram with one or two posts in a year, ofcourse a lot of my friends complained, I thought I had a problem of being anti social media, I could not even exactly say why, it just didnt reflect me in the way I wanted, the connections were not deep, besides the way other people judged what they saw put me off. I remember my first social media account on Hi-5, it was quite meaningless, then facebook came, helping me reach old school friends from far and wide, I was caught up in connecting and reconnecting, it was all short lived, till everyone got busy again.
Then instagram came along, stealing attention span as illustrated in the video, quite flashy innovation, the very addictive notifications of amount of likes that followed a post, that meant acceptance, or recognition of some sort. My attitude actually made me an outcast of some sort towards my social circle, as I was expected to be enveloped like everyone else.
That is another thing when you dont conform, you become an outcast, or someone perceived as incapable, unenlightened or too broke to have nothing to offer, i'm speaking individually now, some of these actually got to me, and took its toll too.
Its like a case of if you conform, then all they said in the video is totally follows suit, but if you dont, then there is another battle of social construct that has to be faced.
It does not get better, these designs keep infiltrating our everyday lives, the damage keeps growing like a virus and it is evident that we are already been programmed, just look at kids whom from 7years are already caught up in this web, it is a norm, a deadly norm individually, socially and culturally. Attention engineering, oh dear!
Well...
You may have gone through those trials of judgement by your peers as a consequence of the non-conformity. But, you know what you emerged as? A leader.
For real: when I came across your account - along with Mide’s and Tomilo’s - it stood out. In a very good way.
It’s a pretty fascinating thing, how such a refusal to engage in the norms can generate such a response in your social group. Funny, even the reference of “unenlightened and have nothing to offer.” Yet, in continuing to live your truth, time comes around to the outcome of having more to offer, from a place of greater enlightenment.
Lol. 😇💖
Wow! The video actually said it all sir...just like one of the speaker said " social media tool are designed to be additive the actual design desired use..."
I also agreed with the speaker that said that this social media is like a cocaine that when taken leads to addiction thus makes the individual involved to develop hungry to have a habitual response of checking and going back to his or her social media just to know if any comment or "like" have been made to his or her social media post.
Its a pity social media that is supposed to be used for propagation of friendship is now used to savage, hurt,hate and bring down reputations of individuals just in a second.
Nowadays people come up to social media to fight and brag of what they are not just to attain a particular height in social life.
Its appalling that the essense of social media like facebook isnt fully utilized for business purposes...everyday number of people logging in are increasing.
Time they say, is of a good essence. Social media eats into our time and make us to be wasteful as regards our priority of duty in our work place.
However, I dont engage in anything that will keep my tummy empty thus making me to feel less hunger because of the excitement of "comments and likes"
I created a working schedule to make the spirit of facebook to be far fetched from me.
Nevertheless, I do advertise some of my products like some laboratory equipments thus helping me maximise my resources and time for enhencing the fast sell of my local products.
Social media is like a double edged sword...it can make us achieve a time maximization or limit us to jobless workers
Indeed, the yin & yang pervades everything.
Ultimately, social media is merely a tool - which can be wisely used or irresponsibly abused...
Obviously
Here is a similar interview that was quite brutal about the smartphone
we must realize that constant exhibition of personal life on social media gives diminishing returns over time. it is common sense to understand that our personal lives are just that, personal. By holding them in, we build character over time.
yes, articles get read because you expose yourself. But that is just voyeurism and it becomes a drug. a drug that is manufactured into heady cocktails by social media platforms.
some personal stories are worth to be published because they are engines of change. but that is far and few in between.
if one really desires to publish content, appreciate criticism over praise. don't be worried about the outcome of creating content. and your life is not content for someone else. Your life is your own to grow and develop.
🙌
I totally agree! Facebook is like a dangerous addictive drug - and its by design! They have eaten the internet are now censoring everything that doesn't fit within their very narrow Silicon Valley left liberal viewpoint and need to be stopped.
If you want to help stop them Join the Class Action against the illegal Crypto Ad Ban! https://www.jpbliberty.com/class-member-signup
Lots of strong images passing very important messages... I love this post bro you full of wisdom @rok-sivante ........I was once like this too, I had similar experience with the writings in the post.
The way of your writing is just incredible. This is a deep writing and the way you connect the readers with the story is worth learning.
I am 25 and I was totally fucked up until recently. The minimum wages, Fucking addictive lifestyle, The wrong choices and the negative influence and on the top of that Loneliness. Loneliness is very interesting as it deepens as we grow up. I never was this lonely and there were many factors which were affecting my mindset. I can't express how filthy and I can still feel the smell.
I called my mentor and told the story. I wrote over 150 words to describe what I was feeling and you know what his answer was too concise and perfect.
Meditation, physical exercise and service. He said," There is a very important tool in your body and it can figure out anything. It has made many millionaires. Your problem is nothing just make sure your mind and body work in a sync."
I followed a routine and I am feeling, doing and behaving in a way better now. The tool is body and mind.
Thank you so much for sharing and I appreciate your act of sharing the story because most of them live behind the mask.
your welcome.
sometimes, mistakes and failures are just part of the process. live, learn, upgrade, and recalibrate for new strategies guided by greater wisdom...
Nicely quoted. :-)
Well said! The inherent dangers of social media are many, people learn how not to interact one on one and social skills go down the tube. Addiction is a whole other issue leading to a change in the brains ability to discern need from want thus creating a cycle of compulsion. I briefly had a Fukbook and twitter account years ago, never really got into it and deactivated both, seemed like putting my personal stuff out there might be dangerous.😉
Admittedly I haven't watched the video yet, but I feel you. Years ago, when I had a smartphone, I realized how dangerous it was having Facebook in my pocket. So when that phone died, I downgraded to a not-smart phone, and I lived that way for years. I recently got a smartphone again, but I do not have Facebook or Messenger on it. I refuse. I still spend some time there, but most days, not nearly as much, and I whittled the friends list down to people I actually interact with regularly, and revisit that weeding process periodically (without announcing it for ego stroking first). Some friends I care about, that's really the only way to keep in touch. So ...it's not as bad of a time suck as it used to be, but I haven't #deletefacebook'd because of that fact.
....and here's my annual reminder to not renew my World of Warcraft account.
Lol. :-)
@rok-sivante, After going through from your words and this video, i want to say one thing that, we are battling in two worlds and those are Natural World and Designed World. So, we are pushing ourselves into Loneliness to make few people rich.
Before hype of the Technology we were not that much addicted towards the Attention Economy because i know how life 20 years before was, where everyone were like family members no matter they are outsider or what.
In my opinion there were developed two types of Technology and those are Beneficial Technology which is developed as an solution towards particular problem. And other phase of Technology is Designed Technology inturn which are developed to control the masses.
Attention Economy is pushing many into the phase of Depression for sure because social media platforms are nothing but an place of Comparison of different lives, and this comparison either push people into depression and negative phase of thoughts or either it will push people to become someone else which they never want to be.
And yes, good point is Dopamine aspect and people try to always find some aspects for sharing on the social network platforms and and if we observe then most of the stuff always shared with extra enhancement and not with the true originality.
So, Attention Economy make people an Reactors Of Notifications and that's why we are becoming Notification Seeker. And one more good point which i liked in the video is, before giving our most of time towards one aspect, we have to analyse what is the need of that particular aspect and how that's helping us, and this analysis can help us prior to falling in the TRAP.
Wishing you an great day and stay blessed. 🙂
Yesterday we had a nightout with my friends and we all enjoyed the moment thoroughly. The entire night we were not active or not using any of the social sites and spend wntorely within ourself. Trust me we all 6 enjoyed and cheriah the moment for next few weekz.....these fucking social networking have completelly took many important moment of our life ...the reel moments shared on facebook can be real if we would have spend our time together with personal socialising with each other
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It depends on your usage...And this your opinion on social media, it's not the view of all. Personally, social media can never thwart my efforts
True.
Sure!
And simultaneously (not holding back full honesty)...
May someone come around and gloat when you are experiencing great difficulties and distress about how their view differs from yours and how easily they are able to handle the same matters.
You want the spotlight on how resislient you are in spite of something others stumble with and to receive a trophy for stating the obvious, here ya go... 🏆
Congratu-fucking-lations. 👏
Take it easy Boss! I think I was not gloating on the issue, rather encouraging your creative work👏👏Let's share the trophy👍
You seem to have missed the sarcasm.
And don't tell me to take it fucking easy.
As innocent a comment you might have intended it as, there are subtleties in the context you missed. You pissed me off, and I have every fucking right to be.
I get where you were coming from, and upfront acknowledged the truth in your first statement. But you overlooked the sensitivity of the matter and potential inappropriateness of the comment's subtext in context.
Maybe when you finally drop your defensiveness and absorb the feedback, you'll get the lesson. There's a sensory upgrade waiting for you on the other side of its integration...
Lol😂😂Sensory upgrade indeed👏👏
If it feels that good, maybe you can swing by an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting sometime to throw in your two cents about how ‘some people can enjoy a casual drink without becoming self-destructive,’ and how strong your willpower is that you’re one of them. Surely, they’ll greatly appreciate that, too.
Noted Boss!
True to the Nigerian network spirt - the video won't open
But then, I can't really say I feel you, as I've never really been all that big on social media. But I did get sucked on those meaningless conspiracy theories for a while though (about a month). Spent countless hours watching Youtube videos and reading conspiracies from Twitter users, adding things that werw never related. Glad it didn't suck me in
I have read one great article about the destructive effects of social media on steemstem and am glad more people are speaking out before we either grow old to wasted lives or are completely zombified in accepting false narratives
shite. as in the internet speed there is too slow for video...?
Yeah, extremely slow. Internet speed depends on your location and your mobile server. The one I use is extremely slow (but the cheapest)
Even the faster ones are no better though, the Whole broadband system is shitty
I've been off FB for a few years now -- i felt all the time that was being wasted on their, so I pulled the plug. I never got into twitter (though, it's hard to avoid something so noisy -- and it continually amazes me how much the news talks about who tweeted about what).
I have similar conflicting feeling about the social platforms empowered by Steem (though, i think dtube and steepshot are great ways of finding and sharomg photos and videos) -- I have a hard time using steem in a similar fashion to FB.
Looking forward to giving the video a watch. I think though that the world IS changing in some respect due to social media, but I think it's important to take a step back from the information overload we've been bombarded with so far and reevaluate our relationship to these platforms.
Posted using Partiko Android
I don't see the problems in these websites but it is our weakness that nobody told us about what should we watch. It's our fault and schools never taught us so we are learning our lessons the hard way.
Life is full of puzzles for many struggles in life, and happiness, wealth is the thing that many people compete for. Today I declare, can wealth make us happy? of course yes. Many people continue to pursue money and pleasure after, the person has it all, they still experience shortcomings but what it is, there is no end to human desire to have all the facilities in his life. Amazing post @rok-sivante
Not sure what exactly this has to do with the post in question, but in case, perhaps.
Or like they say, “money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy a lot of things that make you happy.” :-)
That's very true, money can't buy happiness but money can buy half of happiness :)
Before I wanted to ask for your permission, I have translated your post in Indonesian, the reason I am very motivated by your posts, a lot of knowledge that I can get from your posts, you are very smart, and you open my eyes to have good insight.
Cool.
If doing future translations, you might want to consider using this technique for having the English and Indonesian versions side-by-side... :-)
Yes, thank you, my friend. Allow me to translate your latest posts, in my country, namely Indonesian. The reason I want to continue translating your posts in Indonesian, a lot of knowledge can be learned from your posts, your posts are very useful for everyone. I want all Indonesians to know, the valuable sciences from you, especially myself and others. I make sure I'm here very interested in your knowledge sir. And I say thousands of words of thanks for you, sir :-)
👍🙏
yeah..
we hate to admit that half of our life has taken by technology. we have a lot of advantages because of it. but we have to secrifice much too.
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I am on FB maybe once a week now. I used to be on it every day and it took me 2 years to get my feed where there was little to no drama. I feel like Steem is different than other platforms. I’m a huge fan of cryptocurrencies and community, so this is the perfect place for me.
Posted using Partiko iOS
I am very happy that all the things you are describing and have illustrated with your images seem to have passed me by. I also cannot understand theese kinds of behaviour and addictions to nearly totally imaginary things. Things and people that have no influence whatsoever else if I give it to them by my own actions. Why do they not become bored with this ?
I hate you Facebook and I love you @ steemit my life change thanks for sharing this post
Dear Mr Rok Sivante
,
This is greeting from Tom with GAChain technology, the world-first public blockchain which owns sovereign hierarchical management ecosystem, realizing decentralization and centralization management in transaction.
Our team will launch the exciting decentralized application in the near future and we sincerely invite you to share the great news and product with us.
As you are the well-known blockchain writer and influencer in Steem， it would be our pleasure to collaborate with you to work on PR of GAChain. To be specific, we would like to invite you to commend our product at request of us, you will be fairly paid by the work in return. Please let us know your expected payment for the work. Of course we can discuss more details about our cooperation if you have the intention.
My email is [email protected]. If you can provide your email , I can send you the GAChain's whitepaper and introduction PPT, you may get a general overview from the attachment and by contacting us for more. Also you can check my medium channel "GAChain" as well.
We are sincerely hoping to hear positive response from you soon.
Best Regards,
Tom
Flagged for SPAM.
There are far more appropriate ways than conducting your business than copy-and-pasting impersonal self-promotion on people’s personal blogs.
The fact you haven’t got that spam is completely inappropriate is a dead-giveaway of your unprofessionalism and a significant red flag for your project.