☆ "stop and smell the flowers and do the basic human things, to take hold of the basic human joys of life."

This post is in response to a feature on The Verge called “Against the future: inside the Jewish anti-internet rally”. You can read and view it by clicking above.
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It’s wrong to want to stop the internet, but a number of points about the negatives associated with the internet, made by an ultra-conservative group of Orthodox Jewish people do make sense, as crazy as that sounds.

We’re so used to instant gratification on the internet (I’m extra guilty), that life can become pointless because of it. Sure that’s hyperbolic, but also still true. Why talk to someone when you can chat online? Why call when you can email? While the internet helps us in so many ways, there are a number of things that it has taken away from us and my generation. It’s given so much, and taken important things too.

Obviously, this group is very backwards, with things such as no women being allowed to come to the rally and the fact that groups have done this for TV, books, movies and radio, obviously on a smaller scale usually, but resistance to new things always happen.

But, as the video in the article shows, why don’t we enjoy life and “stop and smell the flowers” stop and “do the basic human things, to take hold of the basic human joys of life.” as Paul Miller gets to in his year without the internet? While I don’t agree with some of the conservative views expressed, I do find Eytan Kobre’s words fascinating. And I would love to take them on.

When school ends, and if I can ever stop craving 140 character thoughts on Twitter, maybe I might be able to. The irony, though, is that I’m writing this on the internet, posting it on Twitter and Facebook and deep down craving feedback. I’m not proud of this habit, but I haven’t tried to stop it.