Week 4: The Great Fall into a Brave New World

Weekly Digital Detox Reflections

A cool picture I took of an abandoned building.

Hello and welcome to this week’s Digital Detox Reflections! Seeing as we are now a month into these reflections, I will no longer explain my routine unless something changes. If you are interested in my current digital detox habits, check out any of my posts on the subject so far and if you feel so inclined, subscribe to The Endeavor for future updates.

Progress Report

How is my screen time jumping up 37% progress? Well, in terms of my use of digital technology, it’s not. But wait, I can explain! Through a series of fortunate events, I was gifted with more time to write. I have two children under two, so finding time to sit and write on my laptop just does not happen. I currently write almost exclusively during my 30-minute lunch breaks which means I “write” on my phone. This allows me to write and still get off work at a decent time so I can go home, put the phone down, and be present with my family. So when things work out and I am given more time to write, I jump at the opportunity. So yes, I was on my phone more. If you have made progress in terms of limiting your use of digital technology, please share your success with us here! I love hearing from others about how they are refining their digital habits.

Where my thoughts have been

Something crazy happened this week. I've been listing to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley on audiobook. It just so happens that I finished the book right before I arrived home on Monday. As you know from last week’s post, every Tuesday, I commute and work in complete silence. That means that from Monday afternoon, until Wednesday morning, in was left to contemplate Brave New World with almost no distractions, other than the kiddos of course. If you’ve read Brave New World, you’ll understand, that’s quite a bleak story to sit with and think through in silence. But that’s the situation in which I found myself. It is impossible to read (or listen to) this great book and not ask: are we actually living in a society like this?

My answer is, probably like many others’, not yet. On the one hand I have to admit that I do not think we are as far gone as the “civilization” imagined by Huxley. On the other, I must admit this dystopian future is not as distant from current reality as one might hope. “Traditional” families, which are close and communal with extended family are rare these days. Promiscuity is seemingly encouraged, if not celebrated by most people under 40. The legalization and promotion of multiple consciousness altering drugs is discussed in the news/ media every week. And to question consumer capitalism in front of thoughtless consumers is essential the same as questioning why fish must stay in water. When scientists perfect growing humans in artificial wombs, how then will be able to say we are not living in Brave New World? Only those who recognize what is happening and resist will be able to make such a claim. If we are not there now, where are we? I think we are mostly likely in the period of transition. We’re falling and if we pay attention, we can Watch The Great Fall. What do I mean?

In February of this year my brother, Derek, sent me a link to Watch The Great Fall, an essay by Paul Kingsnorth posted to his incredible Substack, The Abbey of Misrule. I am not exaggerating when I tell you, I was so captivated by this essay that I read bits and pieces of it, or the entire things, every day for the next two weeks. The essay proposes that our culture is crumbling, and offers three ways to face the fall. We can embrace “progress” and just accept the way things are going and embrace it. We can become nostalgic to the point of living in the past in an unhealthy way, not acknowledging the reality of change. Or we can accept that things are falling apart, and cling to what is good, true and beautiful as we attempt to survive in the ruins. One thing I loved about this essay was that it did not leave it up to debate whether or not the culture is collapsing. The collapse is obvious. Another thing I loved was that it made me admit to being a nostalgic. I'm 32 years old, and from a part of the US where progress has always been slow, though I’m not sure that’s true anymore. I remember home-phones or landlines and when cell phones were something only rich people had. I remember beepers, VHS tapes, dial up internet and when the idea of having a computer in your house was novel. I also remember watching all of these things fade away as high speed internet and smartphones took over. Then social media crept in and here we are all these years later, with some of us questioning just how “good” all this “progress”has been while most Americans 25 or younger have no idea how to live disconnected from digital tech, and see no reason for even thinking about doing so. My favorite part of Kingsnorth’s essay was where he said

Nothing is coming back.

We are not going where we thought we were.

Beyond Progress and Nostalgia is the third stance: I will meet you there. We can watch the fall together.

I was floored upon reading this. If nothing is coming back and we are not going where we thought we were, then where are we going? Unfortunately, unless we get out act together, I see us falling into a Brave New World. This is unsettling. But fear thou not, for I do not believe that is where the story ends.

If we do venture into that dismal version of civilization, it will only last so long. I know this to be true because despite modernity’s best efforts to convince us otherwise, people, human beings, made in the image of God, cannot live without beauty, truth and love. We cannot live without God. While I do believe it is possible and maybe likely that we will continue to fall into something horrible, I also believe in the words of Christ, who assured us that he is always with us ( Matthew 28:20). And I believe we will be with Him in a New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-2) where we will live in eternity with our Creator.

Scripture of the Week: Matthew 28:20

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Word of the Week

Gratuitous- Uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted

Why gratuitous? It’s just good word.

Song of the Week

“All I Have to Do is Dream” from the Netflix series “Lost Ollie”by Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra, Scot Stafford

I seriously encourage you to listen to that song. It’s beautiful.

I also encourage you to consider doing a digital detox of your own! If you decide to do so, let me know how it goes! If you have any questions about how to get started, feel free to ask.

See you all next week! God Bless!