What I Do with WiFi
This is not a “you should detox from internet” essay.
Up until now I have not had access to internet in my apartment. That is about ten plus days. It really hasn’t been that bad or awful or debilitating.
It’s actually been kind of nice for a change.
Now that I am no longer a college student I wonder: what do I really use the internet for?
I use the internet for everything that distracted me from being a student: shopping, social media and television.
Do I really need internet then? Have I missed out by not being on Instagram or Facebook for almost two weeks? Not really. Once the trigger urge to tap, scroll and check was taken away I found instead of leaving this empty awkward hole, it was replaced simply by a greater awareness of being human even without my phone.
Now, I am happy to have WiFi in my apartment. It’s Wifi that is helping me write and share on medium. I’m not fiercely advocating for a fast or detox of internet, though I believe those are good and worthwhile times to have, rather I am advocating for understanding the potential the internet has.
Sure there are hackers, porn, fake news, pirated movies, scams on scams, myspace and all the cat videos on Youtube . . .
But, there are ways to connect families with missing loved ones, crowd funding campaigns, clubs for every interest out there, support groups on social media, awesome videos of ocean creatures, places to give voice where formerly no voice was heard. And the best part of it is? IT’S ALL JUST A CLICK AWAY.
Recently, I heard this quote from Francis Schaeffer,
“man is a “glorious ruin” — part glory and part ruin. . . . [As a result of the fall] our minds, emotions, and wills no longer work as they should; we find we are divided against ourselves
We know we should go for the good stuff on the internet, but we go for what is easy. And it has passed for a socially acceptable way to spend our time And alongside that same quote was the idea of distinguishing the culture and world [Both of these quotes came from a sermon]
“World is the creation that God made by himself without any help at all. Culture is the world, through common grace, that God creates through us.”
The internet is a part of our cultural world. God gave us, literally handed us, a world building tool. Forgot World of Warcraft. The news, culture, ideas, art and memories we can share through the internet are unrivaled thus far.
Heck, we can digitally apparate.
So, grab that computer and think about the world you live in and how you want to build it through the awesome portal in your hands. Will you send more thank you emails? Finally submit to that online publication? Watch that civic action documentary? Skype family? If you wanted to do good and make meaning with the WiFi what would you do?
For me, I want to spread curiosity and connection through these pieces. So, let me know how I’m doing.
Now, I am going to go catch up on the last season of Orphan Black. ;)
