A Dangerous Tool

 Greetings all,

I have returned at the end of this year to speak to you once more. It's been a hard year for myself and many others. Disappointment and destruction of the world has continued by the powers that be. Helped along by Technocrats.

I like many others find my time and attention ripped from my control. This is the power of the Algorithm. Social media, search engines, streaming platforms, all show us a never ending supply of distractions. They bait us with delight or with rage. They play our emotions like a virtuoso, knowing the exact right thing with which to enthrall us, to have the minutes of our days slip through our fingers, and focus our attention down a pre-laid path.

Our attention, focus, and our ability to direct our intentions have been undermined by the drive to sell us more stuff that we don't need, and to get us to hate people we don't know. This is nothing new, as long as mass media has existed it has been doing this. What has changed is that now everything can be targeted to the individual. Our phones listen to us, our TVs make note of what we watch. Youtube videos, Tiktok, Facebook feeds, and even Netflix suggestions are all tailored to the individual. At first this was useful, it showed us more of what we were looking for, but now it uses that to shape everything we see. It guides us down narrower paths until we are far from where we started. 

I liken this to the Palantirs in Lord of the Rings. It could show you things that would be useful for you, but slowly the will of Sauron knowing your mind, would direct your gaze where it wanted it.  Our screens are so much like that, they show us much that we wish to see, but all the while looking back at us, gathering data, selling it to forces that wish to shape us into what they want --the perfect consumer, unable to think critically, just react.

The trap is that we can't function in the modern world without our digital connections, not if we want to prosper. It takes an iron will to resist the siren song of the Algorithm. With the rise of AI content things have gotten even worse. No longer do we need actual stories, just elements that programs scraped the internet for engagement. Is all lost?

The first step in avoiding a trap, is to be aware there is one. The second part is harder, because we're fighting against our own wiring. We must disengage, set limits on our screens. Often times we use our screens as a distraction against feeling our feelings or doing the things we find challenging. (Like writing a blog post, or a book, or meditating in the evening). We must change the energy of the relationship between ourselves and our technology. If we fail to do that, we become indistinguishable from our tools. We collectively created this algorithm. We should have a say on how it develops or how it doesn't. Have a Happy New Year.

Peace and Blessings,

Thomas Mooneagle