Humans 101

A Guide to Restoring Your Sanity in the Age of Technology with More Technology

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Technique: Journaling.

Strategy: Completely free yourself from critical restraint and transcribe your disinhibited stream of consciousness. All day and night, jot down whatever idea pops into your head, no matter how immediate, simplistic, vacuous, ridiculous, dim, doltish, absurd, or downright insane it may seem. Let nothing limit the frequency of your diarizing, least of all reason or having given little or no thought to a particular subject matter. What would ordinarily give you pause in all other forms of expression should greenlight and propel you while journaling.

Tool: Twitter

Technique: Conscious Ideation

You’re irritated. Your kids are driving you nuts. Your marriage is in shambles. Your friends are a disappointment. Everything about your life seems like it’s about to explode into a billion pieces — each of which will fight with each other as long as they remain in the same room. But you don’t need to be trapped in the wretched disaster of reality. You can escape to a new virtual life filled with healthy relationships, happy children, a spouse who never brings up your life insurance policy, and a nuclear family that isn’t radioactive. Envision this new life, create cartoonishly positive versions of everyday experiences, stage photos that reflect the you that you want the world to see. If you can post it, you can live it.

Tool: Facebook

Technique: Meditation

Strategy: You need to get away from technology, relax, re-center, and reclaim your spiritual being. Luckily, there’s an app for that. A hundred million downloaders can’t be wrong. Nearly two million of those who used the app leveled up to satori, as noted in their five-star reviews. At least they think they did. They may have been distracted. (Warning: As Thich Nhat Hanh has taught, do not attempt meditation or relaxation techniques without an app to guide you. This is your chance to be alone not only with yourself, but with your phone.)

Tool: Calm App

Technique: Silent Retreat

Strategy: Set your phone to vibrate and hit the Zoom mute button. It’s not only a…