If this little soul sucking application isn’t concerning to you, then it should be.
I don’t mean to sound like a decrepit boomer or anything but the thought of mindlessly consuming video after video, letting the whole world tick by you while you remain stationary, eyes sucking into a tube with a screen on the other end, is my idea of a hell. Our attention overloaded brains can’t help but remain glued, like a snake with lock jaw, to these incessant dumps of pointless media. Yes I know its “entertainment” and we get them from other sources anyway, but when a software is specifically designed in a way to keep you coming back and not being able to turn away until you’ve reached an unhealthy fill, to me is the same as advertisements trying to sell me things i’m not interested in.
Like I’ve got my eyelids forced open like in A Clockwork Orange and i’m being spoon fed mass media/propaganda which in itself is another form of being sold something I wasn’t seeking. At least if you put something on Netflix or you search something on Youtube, you’re seeking out something specific and you get what you ask for, then it ends so you can continue on with your day. The problem with an automated playing feed is it’s hard for people to just put the phone down and will end up sitting there, consuming, over and over until you’ve realised how much time you’ve wasted.
As I’ve grown older, things like money and possessions have started to lose value in my eyes. You learn that money comes and goes, and there is always more money to be made if you are willing to put in the time working for it. Possessions are meaningless when you consider your escape plan for a fire evacuation. “Everything can be replaced” essentially and the things that matter most are living.
Time however, is probably the most valuable thing we have on this Earth. Sure knowledge and power seems important but what’s the point of either of those without the time to put it to use. Next to that is probably relationships. The connections you make with others. This is something that requires not only your time and energy but time and energy of the other person with whom you are trading with.
It used to be youth but even that now has been totally deflated. The health conscious kick over the last couple decades has really shown us that vitality doesn’t end when you’re middle aged. So if you think you’re too old, too weak, or missed your shot, chances are you probably haven’t. You could wake up tomorrow and make a plan to change your life and change yourself. You may not be as successful as if you started when you had less responsibilities and more time, but that doesn’t mean you won’t reach a level of satisfactory growth either. Maybe you can still get that thing you were wishing for all those years ago to some level, as well as the life you’ve already had up to now.
Your time is so precious. Don’t be one of those people that wake up one day when they’re old and think “I should’ve done more. I should’ve tried when I had the chance”, just get up and start. Make goals and even more goals to help fulfil those goals. If you miss someone, reach out to them. If you appreciate someone, let them know.
One life we’re given here and the one gift every one is entitled to no matter where you’re born or who your parents are is time. Don’t waste it.