Forget the Internet

Forget the internet.

Forget how much you rely upon it.

Forget that it is currently feeding you this content.

Forget that it has reduced everything to content.

Forget that it has trained you to consume that content.

Forget that it is consuming you.

Forget that you cannot drive to a new location without it.

Forget that using the restroom has almost become unbearable without it.

Forget that you never have to sit in silence and let your mind wander.

Forget that you never have time to get lost in wonder.

Forget that you ingest both good and bad content with only a split second between each.

Forget that the whiplash effect has put good and bad in a blender.

Forget that you can’t edit your own writing or even spell many words correctly without it.

Forget that it fills every empty space in your day.

Forget its ephemeral nature.

Forget that it tracks everything you do.

Forget about the excessive advertising targeted directly at you because of that tracking.

Forget that when you use it, you are a product.

Forget that you carefully curate how you present yourself online.

Forget that your real self and your digital self may not always align.

Forget that it shrinks your attention span.

Forget that it just reminded you that it’s shrinking your attention span.

Forget that not many years ago, people did not live like this.

Forget that you don’t know your family’s phone numbers without it.

Forget that you once remembered birthdays, appointments, and historical facts without relying on it.

Forget that it outmatches your willpower daily in several ways.

Forget that it has even made watching television less communal.

Forget that it is difficult to hold a conversation without talking about something you saw online.

Forget that it’s challenging to have a sustained interaction with someone without wanting to check your phone.

Forget that many people are experiencing anxiety, depression, and loneliness because of the way they use it.

Forget that we train our children to depend on it when we hand them devices to keep them quiet.

Forget everything here is vying for your limited attention, even what you are reading now.

Forget that much of what the internet feeds you is untrue because you are smart enough not to be taken in by any of it.

Forget that the social media algorithms have you stuck in an echo chamber. 

Forget about the negative effects of information overload. 

Forget that you now mostly skim instead of read. 

Forget that if a video is not engaging in the first five seconds, you’ll skip to the next one. 

Forget that it’s training you constantly to seek instant gratification. 

Forget that it rewards superficiality. 

Forget that it weakens local community bonds.

Forget that liking, commenting, and sharing are not the same as true friendship.

Forget that hours disappear in scrolling, leaving you wondering where your evening went.

Forget that I haven’t even mentioned some of its darkest elements.

Forget all of this because you can’t live without it.

Forget all of this because you can make a list just as long of its benefits.

Forget all of this because it’s easier that way.

Forget all of this, then continue tapping your screen.

-D. Eaton