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Jack Liddell's avatar

Beautiful, clear piece of writing that gives me hope. I've been having similar thoughts of overwhelm, often feeling disgusted by my seeming reliance on my phone. But then I remember all the inspiration, all the meaningful art, poetry, and writing I've discovered while on my phone. I know the thesis of your essay isn't "we are the ones using the phone, so we are responsible for how we use it", but reading your essay did make me realize the possibility in that. Admittedly, it's challenging to create a relationship with one's phone that is completely healthy -- we all know that social media apps are made to be addictive -- but it is possible. Maybe the work is in a little bit of discipline, and in recognizing the value that the phone does bring to our lives. I've been feeling nostalgic about early to mid 2000's technology; I want to rediscover that spark that came with using computers and products from that era.

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Sisters of the Little Way's avatar

This is really profound and something we will reflect upon in relationship to the work we do. // Sr. Theresa Aletheia and Sr. Danielle Victoria

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RNS's avatar

Thank you for this beautifully written and thought provoking piece of art. The analogies you make to history’s society shaping new technologies are such a revelation to me as to totally alter the way i think about my phone and all the many ways it has changed/benefited me and my life. Also, love your mastery of the language and your often humorous style. You are truly a gifted artist. Thank you again.

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Miranda's avatar

Thank you for this thought-provoking, much needed shift in perspective.

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Mayank Sharma's avatar

Interesting perspective on our relationship with the phone. But is it really about phone? How evil or sacred is it? Or is it about the doer. The self. Coming from a Hindu perspective, that is just nature (prakrati in hindi). To me it is same as hammer. It can be used to kill people or create something larger than yourself. Its less about the action but the actor I think. Actor precedes action. But maybe to your point, we might be attached to the idea of phone as evil. Still it is about us first.

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