For maybe two decades or less, the human race has marvelled, become addicted to, all consumed by, worshipped a digital virtual world.
We are and will realise that a digital world can never replace the true magic of the real thing, a real life, in the moment, with real people.
Sure an ebook is more efficient, but feeling the pages of a real book is something hard to replace. Getting everything delivered in an instant means we consume more and appreciate nothing. Going shopping in real shops, touching real things, socialising, spending time with our families, even the odd disagreement is much more of an experience than clicking ‘buy’ on Amazon.
Meeting up with and talking to a few real friends has been lost into a vortex of massive virtual ‘friendships’ via the 2 inches by 4 inches glass touch screen of our handheld device of disconnection from humanity and loneliness.
We can fill our days with more, but sadly do and achieve less of any real meaningfulness.
We have sacrificed real experiences and replaced them with soulless efficiency, mass consumption, instant everything and attention to nothing.
We miss boredom, it was a time to reflect, daydream, appreciate more the moments of excitement. We had to imagine more, we had to create more, now it can all be done for us. Where is the magic and pleasure in easy?
The human race will move on from the digital world, when? who knows? But it will happen and perhaps sooner than we realise.
What will we do beyond digital?
Philip Dodson 