I Used to Be a Human Being Summary
3 min read ⌚
An endless bombardment of news and gossip and images has rendered us manic information addicts. It broke me. It might break you, too.
About Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Sullivan is the former editor of The New Republic and is currently a political commentator.
“I Used to Be a Human Being Summary”
Andrew Sullivan started blogging before blogs were popular.
He made it his job to write and share posts in real time, as information was coming in.
However, this dedication to the blogosphere had an adverse effect on his health.
When his situation worsened so much, that the doctors warned him, Sullivan admitted to himself that he could no longer control his habits connected to the internet.
Now, Sullivan is not the only one out there.
More than half of the world’s cellphone users say that they cannot imagine their days without their smartphones.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? How can an object become an irreplaceable part of human experience, in less than a decade?
Well, we may have the answer for you.
Humans love to gossip and information. And guess what the smartphone is made to do?
You guessed it right: transmitting massive loads of data.
But, the web was not made to quench the human thirst for validation and news. Instead, they are made to do the exact opposite: to hook users, so they never feel satisfied, always craving for more.
People are particularly vulnerable when they are exposed to information that appears to come from their friends.
We are talking about social media friends, here, not real-life ones.
In fact, scrolling to find out the latest news of their virtual friends, people are forgetting about those sitting next to them.
As a result of texting, people stop practicing the natural cues of interaction like tone, body language and eye contact, which leads to an imbalance of the natural wiring of humans, which existed for centuries.
Furthermore, studies show that the addiction to social media only makes people miserable. In fact, social media provides a momentary release from everyday problems and pressures, and as such acts as a distraction.
People who use it to avoid their feelings have forgotten and lost the ability to comfort themselves and endure emotional pain. Moreover, they seek validation from strangers; they call their “friends.”
Social media is useful until it becomes a way of life. So, just like with everything else, use it within reason.
Key Lessons from “I Used to Be a Human Being”
1. How Did Smartphones Get so Popular
2. Cell Phones Mess the Natural Balance
3. Get Some Time Off
How Did Smartphones Get so Popular
More than half of the world’s cellphone users say that they cannot imagine their days without their smartphones.
Why is that?
Simple: humans love to gossip and information.
And guess what the smartphone is made to transmit?
Cell Phones Mess the Natural Balance
Trying to find out the latest news of their virtual friends, people are forgetting about those sitting next to them. As a result of texting, people stop practicing the natural cues of interaction like tone, body language and eye contact, which leads to an imbalance of the natural wiring of humans, which existed for centuries.
Get Some Time Off
Everybody needs to take a break from the internet and the virtual world. Even those that built it take a few days off from time to time.
So, find your own digital-free recluse and learn to enjoy the “unreachability.”
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“I Used to Be a Human Being” Quotes
If the internet killed you, I used to joke, then I would be the first to find out. Years later, the joke was running thin. Click To Tweet So much of it was irresistible, as I fully understood. So much of the technology was irreversible, as I also knew. But I’d begun to fear that this new way of living was actually becoming a way of not-living. Click To Tweet Do not flatter yourself in thinking that you have much control over which temptations you click on. Click To Tweet Information soon penetrated every waking moment of our lives. Click To Tweet The interruptions often feel pleasant, of course, because they are usually the work of your friends. Click To Tweet
Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.
