Op-Ed: Unplugging
Everyone I know who’s unplugged for a week, returns reporting life-changing levels of improved life satisfaction. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t return feeling spry and vibrant and clear-eyed about the corrosive nature of current social culture.
The science supports them feeling that way. They were in a dopamine deficit from the hyper-stimulated state of the world so everything felt gray. So why don’t we unplug more and more often?
We’re all kind of trapped in a prisoner’s dilemma. Most want to move to the mountains and be relieved of it all but are terrified that if they unplug, they’ll be invisible.
Real life consequences of reduced power and status. So we stay plugged in and drink the poison. This hypervigilant state keeps us in chronic fight or flight (anxiety).
Simultaneously, our addiction creates a dopamine deficit (the emptiness/grayness feeling) and a background hum of anxiety.
Mammals are biologically hardwired to co-regulate: physical touch, eye contact, proximity and in-person vibes. Things which release oxytocin and activate the vagal nerve’s parasympathetic system. Screens eliminate all of this goodness.
There are small wins to be had here. More in-person time. A day off technology per week. A block of 4 hours. One hour before bedtime. I hope that there’s a collective awakening that we’re all being mined for engagement. Then we get trapped. And then trap each other.