the nomad diary

In late 2004, a handful of elite kids decided to try something out for the first time.  By early 2005, a couple million more had joined them.  In the beginning, prior to the spark, nobody was on it.  Nobody.  It crept in quietly, ghost-like, as all great addictions do.  By the time we recognized it for what it was, it was far too late, and we couldn’t have cared less.  Most everyone who did it, loved it; because they wanted to, because really they didn’t have much choice.

Regular kids turned junkies at the drop of a dime.  Worried/confused parents began to appear in the media.    What could we say to explain ourselves?  It made us feel accepted, one with a movement (and what generation doesn’t want that?), so we never questioned going full steam ahead.  We did it while eating breakfast, before, after, and during class, while watching TV, and for a few minutes before bed each night.  We did it when we were feeling bored, proud, lonely, or despondent.  It enhanced the positive and soothed the negative in a way that tailored to our demand for instant, easy gratification.  It was there when we wanted it, and it didn’t cost a thing.  We used it every day, multiple times a day, not as an integrated part of our daily routine, but an ever-present opportunity to break away into another world.

It was easy, interactive, and escapist.  We revered and appreciated it for being all of these things at once.  The point was to see, though to be sure, being seen was really at the heart of the matter; narcissism hidden by a thin veil of voyeurism.  It was intuitive, even familiar, but also completely novel.  It was simple, yet spectacularly complex.  It was the past, the present, and to a greater degree than we ever could have known, the future.

It was Facebook.

In the half-decade since its inception, Zuckerberg’s dorm room experiment, freed from the chains of exclusivity that marked the early years, has become a veritable empire.  As cheap addictions and social media innovations go, Facebook is king.  According to the Facebook.com statistics page, there are now 800 million users; half of these sign in no less than once per day.

In honor of conservative estimation, let’s assume each of these 400 billion people logs on for 10 minutes per day, although I would bet my belly button that the true number is closer to 20.  400 million people x 10 minutes daily= 4 billion minutes.   Divided by 60, 67 million hours.  Divided by 24, 2.8 million days.  Again, by 365, 7,610 years.

Take a moment to digest this fully.  Every single day, human beings collectively spend 7,610 years on Facebook.  In the coming year, no less than 2.8 million years of real human time will be spent updating statuses, poking, posting pictures, writing on walls, etc.  Don’t forget, these numbers are only including the 400 million who use Facebook on a daily basis.

And of course, it should be kept in mind that Facebook continues to grow at an absolutely stunning rate:

YEAR     # of users

2004     1 million

2005    5.5 million

2006     12 million

2007     50 million

2008     100 million

2009     350 million

2010     500 million

2011     800 million

2012    1 BILLION plus (projected)

Forgive my wanting tact, but you would have to be nearly brain-dead not to appreciate that these numbers are somehow of the utmost significance.  But how?  What exactly does it mean for  a website to consume 2.8 million years of human cognition in 365 days?

This amount of time is almost unfathomable for the human mind, but consider this- in 84 years Ben Franklin managed to found the first U.S. hospital, library, fire department, and police department, reach fluency in six languages, start the American Philosophical Society, own and operate several businesses, hold numerous public positions, found two universities, and lay claim to dozens of important inventions.  Though few among us can match the industry or prolific nature of Mr. Franklin, none can argue the power of a human hour put to good use.

If you are interested in losing faith in your species, or at the very least, gaining an understanding of just how un-Franlinlike we are, keep the aforementioned 2.8 million year figure in mind as you browse your Facebook news feed.  Once you have been sufficiently caught up on everything you have zero use in knowing, take a moment to reflect on the fact that what you have just seen is a cross-section of 2.8 million cognitive years spent, never to be returned.

If history has one lesson to teach, it is that we human beings have an exceptional ability to squander gifts of innovation.  It can come down to one of of two issues- misuse and overuse- though it usually comes down to both.   Automobiles, television, nuclear capability, antibiotics, genetic modification, factory farming, just to name a few, have each fallen victim to overuse and/or misuse in their own unique way.

That we spend such an astounding amount of time on Facebook is not an inherent dilemma; it is a matter of how this time is spent.

For the first time in history we have 800 million mouths united with 800 million pairs of ears under the same virtual roof.  What is being said?  What is being heard?

You don’t need me to tell you the answer to this, but I will anyway.  What we have now is a trend where a whole lot of intelligent, competent people are presenting themselves as being nothing more than a hoard of shallow, brainless, narcissists.  Admittedly, I generalize, but I think you know just what I mean.  Facebook could have been anything- it was a creation just waiting to be defined by us, the consumers.  What we did was use it as a vessel for championing a brand of self-absorption too uncouth even for the hyper-individualized American reality.  We saw not potential for the spread of great ideas, or the betterment of a generation, but an opportunity for shameless ego promotion.

What we now must answer is whether we are able and willing to break away from this.   If not, what does that say about our generation?  If so, how is it possible?

I shudder to answer the former, but as for the latter:  Revolution.

And what a lovely revolution it would be.  I can see it now.

There would be art, ideas, and intelligent discourse.  There would be writers writing, creators creating, and rebels rebelling where there were none before.  Brilliant ideas would spread like wildfire.

There would be people understanding that the luxury of an online identity is having the power to control the way in which we present ourselves, that though real life requires us to process and respond to information in real-time, Facebook gives us the gift of delay; contemplation preceding interaction.  There would be people seeing this moment for what it is, an opportunity to share what is best in us.

These most precarious times are no time for wasted cognition.  Tomorrow is less certain than ever, and only the hearts and minds of youth have what it takes to usher in an era that was better than the last.

The task before us is huge indeed, but 2.8 million years of effort should be a pretty decent start.

With the opportunity to discover personal truth arises the responsibility, the privilege, to fight for the rights of others to do the same.  A just society is one that affords uninhibited occasion for individuals to exercise their unique capacity for inquiry, and, in doing so, honors the inextricable linkage between freedom and knowledge.  When we fight in the name of truth we defend the past, present, and future of human curiosity.  In this way, though we may only live to see a whisper of the dream’s fruition, we extend the impact of our lives into the far reaches of time and space.  Though eternity evades man in his physical form, it is granted willingly to his noblest ideals. 

It has been said that “the mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for”(Doestoevsky, Brothers Karamazov).  Assuming this statement to be true, let mankind celebrate the realization that, in the defense of truth and inquiry, we always have something to which we can readily dedicate our lives.  What can we fight for that is higher than our collective quest for truth?  Promoting the innate desire for understanding is a direct pledge of allegiance to all verities past and forthcoming.     

If we accept that truth and understanding are inherently good, we can also maintain that any action taken in pursuit of these things is certain to share the same quality.  Thus, in the face of intellectual and spiritual oppression, we are granted a strong moral compass from which we can derive the proper course.  Unequivocally, the correct choice is the one that best honors the inquisitive faculties of all men.  Likewise, the wrong choice is that which sacrifices this gift in the name of comfort, stability, or power.  Relinquishing our specie’s position as the pursuer of truth not only undermines the extraordinary potential of our minds, but also endangers the very freedom we so vehemently seek.

If we are to be sustainable as a species, two critical criteria must be met.  First, it is essential that we create equity in the distribution of opportunities for knowledge attainment.  Only when all people are free to inquire as they see fit can we begin rightfully claim that there is intellectual fairness in the world.  Second, once this ubiquitous freedom has been granted, the responsibility rests on the individual to take advantage of it.  There will always be pitfalls on the path to truth, and there will always be an overabundance of people, organizations, and religions who wish to enslave our minds as a means of furthering their own agenda.  We must be wary of absolutes, and reject outright those who encourage us to stop asking questions. 

 The success or failure of the human race will ultimately be dependent on its ability to inspire a free thinking collective.  If we can unite under the banner of unhindered intellectual exploration, we face inevitable liberation from the hindrances which keep us from realizing our potential as a human race.  If we cannot, it is only a matter of time until we are crushed by the weight of ignorance.

With the opportunity to discover personal truth arises the responsibility, the privilege, to fight for the rights of others to do the same.   A just society is one that affords uninhibited occasion for individuals to exercise their unique capacity for inquiry, and, in doing so, honors the inextricable linkage between freedom and knowledge.   When we fight in the name of truth we defend the past, present, and future of human curiosity.   In this way, though we may only live to see a whisper of the dream’s fruition, we extend the impact of our lives into the far reaches of time and space.  Though eternity evades man in his physical form, it is granted willingly to his noblest ideals.

It has been said that “the mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for”(Doestoevsky, Brothers Karamazov).   Assuming this statement to be true, let mankind celebrate the realization that, in the defense of truth and inquiry, we always have something to which we can readily dedicate our lives.   What can we fight for that is higher than our collective quest for truth?  Promoting the innate desire for understanding is a direct pledge of allegiance to all verities past and forthcoming. 

 If we accept that truth and understanding are inherently good, we can also maintain that any action taken in pursuit of these things is certain to share the same quality.  Thus, in the face of intellectual and spiritual oppression, we are granted a strong moral compass from which we can derive the proper course.  Unequivocally, the correct choice is the one that best honors the inquisitive faculties of all men.  Likewise, the wrong choice is that which sacrifices this gift in the name of comfort, stability, or power.  Relinquishing our specie’s position as the pursuer of truth not only undermines the extraordinary potential of our minds, but also endangers the very freedom we so vehemently seek.

If we are to be sustainable as a species, two critical criteria must be met.  First, it is essential that we create equity in the distribution of opportunities for knowledge obtainment.  Only when all people are free to inquire as they see fit can we begin rightfully claim that there is intellectual fairness in the world.  Second, once this ubiquitous freedom has been granted, the responsibility rests on the individual to take advantage of it.  There will always be pitfalls on the path to truth, and there will always be an overabundance of people, organizations, and movements who wish to enslave our minds as a means of furthering their own agenda.  We must be wary of absolutes, and reject outright those who encourage us to stop asking questions.

The success or failure of the human race will ultimately be dependent on its ability to inspire a free thinking collective.  If we can unite under the banner of unhindered intellectual exploration, we face inevitable liberation from the hindrances which keep us from realizing our potential as a human race.  If we cannot, it is only a matter of time until we are crushed by the weight of ignorance.

Recent survey statistics released by the Washington Post have given a quantitative value to a growing dissatisfaction with the performance of the U.S. federal government.  When asked how much confidence they have in the president “to make the right decisions for the country’s future”, 58% of the representative population surveyed answered “just some” or “none”.  Regarding the same question, congressional democrats fared even worse at 68%, yet they still could not match the distrust Americans have for republicans in congress, who weigh in at a dismal 72%.

These statistics send a clear message.  The downtrodden American people are losing faith in their government to lead them securely into the coming years.  And considering the current state of things, can you blame them?  The track records of the executive and legislative branches regarding important issues have been riddled with blatant irresponsibility, oversight, waste, and ineffectiveness.   Unless you have been living under a rock, I don’t need to remind you of the many challenges we face, but I will anyway for safe measure-  wars, unemployment, gulf oil spill, national debt, failing education, terrorism, oil supply depletion, biased media, health care coverage, Iran, North Korea, corporate secrecy, greed, and corruption, global warming, drug trade, obesity, illegal immigration, disappearing middle class, housing market… and it goes on and on.  As unsettling as it is to think about all of these issues at the same time, what is more unsettling is realizing that each of the situations listed are becoming increasingly dire over time.  Considering this, along with the unavoidable surfacing of unforseen challenges, it becomes difficult to ignore the haunting suspicion that our current system may prove inadequate in the face of 21st century challenges.

Engaging in an all-encompassing assessment of the state of our country illuminates the great demand for proactive realism.  Yes, we face a greater number of serious threats than ever before, that much is clear.  The only important question that remains, then, is what are we going to do about it?

Looking again at the statistics mentioned earlier, it is hard not to notice the decreasing probability of success for incumbent politicians.   There is clearly a growing camp of voters who feel that their elected officials are not getting the job done.  Assuming this sentiment prevails into mid-term elections in November, chances of a republican favored momentum shift seem overwhelming.  However, regardless of election outcomes, I cannot help but feel that we are missing the point, failing to comprehend the over-arching nature of the threat.

I first began to look the beast in the eye around November of last year.  One year had passed since the election of Barack Obama, and a harsh reality was setting in.  The change we had been promised was nowhere to be found.  Things had, in fact, started to get a whole lot nastier.  For me, a devoted and active Obama supporter, the disappointment I felt was crushing.  The man my naivety had led me to believe would be the savior of America was falling short on all fronts.  “Yes we can” turned into “maybe, we’ll see”, and the giant serving of false hope I had consumed one year prior was starting to leave a sour taste in my mouth.

To be clear, I am not putting the brunt of the blame on Obama’s shoulders.  He was undoubtedly dealt a terrible hand, and it is no secret that the republican party has done everything in its power to disrupt any and all democratic reform efforts.  I did not then, nor do I now, fault either dominant party exclusively.  If I must point fingers, I do it in two directions.  First, I point one at the beast, and by this I mean the federal government in its entirety.  The whole establishment is, to me, a runaway train that has very little likeness to the vision our forefathers had in mind.  It is over-sized, over-indulged, and consistent only in its ineptitude.  It is inefficient and wasteful to the highest degree.  It is more defined by its disastrous schisms than its successes.  Simply put, the federal government has proven itself unable to fulfill its basic constitutional duties;  it has failed the people it was designed to serve.

The second finger of blame gets pointed at the American citizenry.  Ours are the hands that have willingly fed the beast the endless supply of money and power that it craves.  As a collective, we have adopted the mindset that power should be distributed and decisions made from the top down.  In doing so, we have completely undermined the potential of ground-level politics.  State and local governments are forced to sit back and watch, hands tied, as the federal government clumsily lumbers along, American citizens in tow,  into the complex and demanding jungle of the 21st century.

Though some people are considerably less critical of the federal government than I, there are few who would argue that our country does not find itself in the midst of extremely difficult times.  Who will come to our rescue?

If I have learned one lesson from the 2008 election, it is that we cannot sit around and wait for some superhero to come along and fix the broken federal government.  Perhaps I am wrong, but I have very little faith that anyone single person or political party has what it takes to save our country.  If we want badly enough to maintain our livelihoods, we are going to have to do it ourselves.

I do not claim to know the solution to the problem of the federal beast, but I suspect it will involve restoring power to local governments.  If it is accountability we seek, the only sure path may be to lessen the degrees of separation between the powers at be and the constituencies they preside over.

Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, the challenges of tomorrow will require that we, the people, adopt a proactive posture in the face of policy creation and reform.  If it is a learned helplessness amongst the masses that has caused the federal government to become what it is, only the very opposite will effectively transform it to meet 21st century demands.  No longer will we have the luxury of pairing discontentment with complacency, unless of course we are willing to submit to further national downfall.

True “change”, the type we were promised two years ago, will not be a reality until common people are willing to adopt an uncommon interest in American policy.  The solutions required will not come from the corrupt political machines,  they will be born of the disenfranchised masses.  What we require is a national paradigm shift- gone are the days of entrusting an invisible hand to guide us safely and prosperously into the uncertain future.  Whether we like it or not, our survival as a country demands that we enter an era of do-it-yourself politics.  These words from Abraham Lincoln ring as true today as they must have 148 years ago-

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.  The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion.  As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.  We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.