The following excerpt is written by my good friend, George. George was a high school dropout who was caught up in drug and alcohol addictions for over a decade. At 30, he had enough – he completely abstained from all substance abuse, and started the first of many businesses. Now at 35, he’s financially free. Having a lengthy experience with addiction problems, he has some extreme advice for handling our daily addictions.
A simple foresight into the future, hold on to your reality because it will get real murky.
I am writing this in early 2011, but perhaps this article will be more interesting 5 years from now. But here is what is going to happen in the next few years. The perfect storm is brewing with technology as a hole, and Hollywood having access to cheaper technology. Technology-infused culture will fog up our reality. You may say big deal, so what? Well, monkey see monkey do.
The true test for people in the future is to remain grounded in reality and even that discussion will get clouded with the main stream media BS. The symptoms are all there, everyone is starting to get a little narcotic over things that don’t really matter: checking Facebook profiles 3 times a day, YouTube videos that entertain you for hours (or we think so) only to walk away feeling like you just flushed 5 hours of your life down the toilet. Video games with virtual reality that can eat your mind and time. Cable shows and mini-series that are so addictive that even I threw in the towel a few years ago.
Here are a few statistics to chew on:
1. 28 hours per week of TV (approximately 30% of your waking life)
2. 15 hours per week of Internet (15% of your life and most people have TV and internet…)
3. 12-24.5 hours playing video games per week.
The power of this black hole is simply “everyone seems to be doing it”, no one wants to be left out. We have an evolution-based fear – “I don’t want the group to abandon me”. Young people are the most vulnerable.
The solution that even I am having trouble with is this – do what has worked in the past 5000 years and be suspicious of the new.
- Get rid of your TV, they’re time killers and with endless amount of money and resources at their disposal you need to admit to yourself that they are smarter then you. I am not talking about their shows, those could not be more stupid and unrealistic.
- Remove any if not all games and useless apps from you phone.
- Get rid of your video games (If you are using it only 1-2 hours a week, my hat is off to you, I can’t do it).
- Have one computer in your life that you never use for entertainment (unless you have a healthy balance now)
- Read books. Everyone needs to turn off and escape and while you are doing this, you can grow your imagination, vocabulary and keep your mind sharp. I have a Kindle because all I can do with it is read; if I have an iPad there is too much distraction on it.
- The thing that makes people the happiest has not changed in 5000 years, it’s simple and for the most part free…..IT’S THE FRIENDSHIP OF OTHER PEOPLE. Get out of your house and mingle.
In conclusion, we need to live our lives like we are writing a novel, every chapter can be pre-written and carried out. We have it all yet we are missing the core essence of it.
Technology should only be used as tools to help us grow, not take away that growth.
English 
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Great job on the article to George! Thanks for sharing this Jesse. I wish more people would understand and would be able to see this. I’m glad that lots of people are going to university nowadays – Not that it is the only way! I just think it helps some people to a certain level to think critically and think beyond what they are offered by media and society. It hope that more people will step out of this trap and be the best that they can be!
Thanks Ki’une Really great post I totally agree with all of it! The more I cut out TV and read more and go out and meet more people the happier I am.
Yeah, my current sublet has a TV in it with 30 or so channels. I turned it on and flipped through it consciously, but was really happy that it was all quite uninteresting!
Thanks for the post: a butt-kick is always welcome
A great, underlying point here. Technology should not change a human person with all its potential. It should be a tool, as you say. An accelerator.
I dont think people are going to be saying on their deathbed
” I wish I’d watched more Big Brother!”
Trash that thing in the corner! Grab a book. Grab a Cause! Get engaged in life while you still have one!
lol. Love it!
Truer words have never been spoken. I gotta try and get out of this materialistic mindset and focus om what really matters.
Jeff, I’m releasing a new post today that addresses the material mind!
Hi Ki’une!
Came across your tribute Sunscreen song via StumbleUpon. Have shared it with everyone I know.
I read many of your posts and really enjoyed them.
Much love, peace, and success (in that order) in your future.
-Rich
Rich, I have a new video (editing finished) that you’ll also love watching. Just stay signed up on the email list!
hey ki’une i really like this post please thank george for me i am a tech geek, a bit of a social outcast and i am trying to quit smoking the joints. this site is helping me a lot, i found it via your sunscreen video it was posted on wimp.com, i really was inspired by the song especially the part about doing something you fear everyday, thanks.
Thanks, bro. Yeah, having lived in the west coast, one thing I’ve noticed from people who smoke too many joints is that it kills their motivations. I hope I’ve lit enough of a fire under your butt to get it in motion!
Another huge plus to avoiding tv and “screen time” is that you can actually get stuff done, whatever that happens to be. Often I’m asked “where do you find the time . . ?” and I respond how you’d be amazed how much time you have when you’re not watching tv!
As for video games, I’m think pretty balanced: I’m still working on Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong on an old NES I found, and can only stay captivated for about 45 minutes at a time, maybe once or twice a week
Fun to find your site!
ki’une, thanks for sharing George’s thoughts. I refuse to have a television in the house so that I can use my brain instead of becoming electronically lobotomised. In case you haven’t seen this clip it is a great critique on both television and our culture. The band is ‘disposable heroes of hiphoprisy’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOWTM5R2DA
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