Where did all the fun people go?

French illustrator Jean Jullien draws witty illustrations that point out our absurd addictions to technology, social media and our smartphones.

I was born to change the world.

After several tries, I gave up. Until I´ve read one of the Martin Luther´s quotes: „If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.“

So I became a journalist. I wrote some nice articles, won some prizes… …but nothing of that helped me to change the world. I gave up. But not for long.

Once I´ve heard a simple English idiom: „A picture is worth a thousand words. So I went on — on my way for my dream to change the world. And I became a photojournalist. But even studying photojournalism didn´t help me to change the world. So I gave up again. But not for long.

Last Christmas I got a smartphone. My first one. Amazing! Since then, I feel like a worthy person. I can check my Facebook profile in the train or at school, which makes me more important. I don´t have to ask for a way on the street anymore, which makes me more independent. I don´t have to figure out the train connections before a trip at home, which builds a strong connection between me and my smartphone. And the best about my new phone is, that I can search on Google „How to change the world“.

There is one TED Talk, which suddenly opened my eyes. German Designer Anna Berkenbusch said something, what impressed me a lot: „…of course, designers must change the world. If they can´t, who can?“ So do you know what?

I became a designer. And do you know what else?

Spending so much time on the internet made me more and more unhappy. I´ve noticed, that my relationship to my smartphone is getting stronger than relationship between people around me. I´ve noticed, that since I´ve got my smartphone I am living more and more virtual life. I even started to wondering, where did all the fun people go. And do you know what?

I understood something: As a person I cannot change the world, until I can change the world of one person. So I started to change the world of mine.

I started to go more often to the nature. Enjoying the simple things of life. Enjoying loneliness, but never felt lonely, enjoying the strong wind, but never felt cold, enjoying the long walks, but never felt tired. And the most important thing about it was, I was getting happy again. And do you know what?

I believe, that escaping from virtual world to the nature will make world a better place. So I want to animate people getting more to the nature. Of course, without smartphones. That´s why I want to design and redesign walking trails analogue, which will valorize the local history and culture. I believe that spending some time without smartphone and internet in a week or a month can make this world a better place.