Thank you for your writing! I'd like to share my experience of deleting my Instagram for those that may want to but are having trouble doing it. I was very active on Instagram for over a decade and had around 300 posts, many of which were thoughtfully taken photos with longer stories and reflections in the captions. I felt that I needed to delete Instagram completely, but was having a hard time with the idea of deleting all of the photos I'd taken and words I had written. But I did it around 2 months ago and I'm so relieved. There is a way on Instagram, in your account settings, to download all of your data. It's everything: photos, captions, dates of posts, stories you posted, messages from the message folder, etc. I did that and then began making a photo book of all my posts (photos, captions, dates). It's a big photo book! But I think it will be nice to have a physical book of my photos and words and it helped me feel like I could delete it without regret.
I have found myself reading a lot more! I've been cruising through Wendell Berry's Port William books. Playing Dutch Blitz with my husband when we're bored. Walking. Reading my Bible more.
I asked my husband if there's anything he's noticed in me since I deleted Instagram and he said that when I had it I was more irritable. For instance, he said when he would interrupt me to talk to me while I was scrolling I would be irritable with him, but now when he comes to talk with me I'm, "less sharp/harsh." Specifically, he said that when he interrupts me when I'm reading or doing another pastime I'm more interruptable than I was when my pastime was Instagram.
This was wonderful to read, thank you! The success and failures of my fellow travelers gives me a sense of community in fighting this necessary battle. When I read these posts, I always find a new strategy that I want to try out in my own life. I'm still far from my goal of putting the machine in its proper place but I'm closer than I was a year ago. I feel hopeful.
I've been pretty vocal with friends and family (and even the odd person in the check-out line at the grocery store) about de-machining and have been pleasantly surprised by their reactions. I've realized that so many people are longing for this type of conversation or even confession and are looking for a way out. It's like we have discovered a map that shows one how to get back to this beautiful land called REALITY. Onwards and Upwards!
I noticed while "feasting on the real" by having long chats with neighbors and others that everyone wants to talk about podcasts, youtube videos, and bloggers. People are consuming this content in isolation and just bursting to share it with someone, but then the conversation is full of them exhorting you to watch or read the thing they refer to. That's another weird way that the internet invades my life even if I avoid it. It's as if so many people experience life via the web that they have little else to talk about! A terrible loss, and it makes it harder to really get to know people.
My Lenten fast from electronic entertainment was nowhere near as good as I'd hoped it would be. I was sick for a significant portion of Lent and it was difficult to get back into the swing of things once I was better.
But, it wasn't a total disaster or totally fruitless. I learned a lot about myself. Also, it was helpful to hear from Fr. Stephen De Young, an Orthodox priest and a biblical scholar, that Lent, when practiced at its fullest, is set up for you to fail so that you learn viscerally how futile your own efforts are and to rely all the more on God and His work in your life.
I am continuing my Digital Fasting by observing my Lenten rules around electronics/digital tools for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That means the TV and game console goes up, no Substack or online articles (I got rid of all my social media last August), no more than 10 minutes to check email, no podcasts, no using my phone for entertainment, and keeping all use of my phone to the barest possible minimum, so only necessary reference, work, and communication: no googling idle curiosities, no unnecessary calls/texts, etc.
I've added more reading time and more time outside and exercising; I'm more active in keeping the house clean and functional, running necessary errands, and getting necessary projects done. I'm starting a vegetable garden for the first time. Most importantly, I spend more time in prayer: I try, and have been surprisingly successful, at praying at the monastic hours, minus the midnight vigil (I've trouble enough sleeping).
I hope, by next year, to be able to get that up to 4 days a week. We'll see.
'Our' geece are now in Iceland and the like, but here this morning is a small synchronicity from the 'bookshelf' of the internet. Ewan Craig is an engraver and the illustrator for Paul Kingsnorth's series on wild saints. 'Rhythm is key to composition, and in rhythm there is harmony.' And there is brass rubbing and iconography and a bird in the hand.😊
This reminded me how much I miss the Sunday newspaper and I would always do the crossword as a teenager and then young adult. I would like to get back to doing those again!
Synchronous harmony can be a direct physical experience for participants. I love geese. I once watched a flight on their way north on the spring migration and the leader avoid and take advantage of an oncoming storm. The outer edge of the rotating system approaching from the west lifted them higher and higher catapulting them north across an estuary and away. Knowledge and timing was critical.
Humans are highly social animals so it is helpful that harmony can reward and propel our activities. Song and dance are worth cultivation. There is a painting by Jack Butler Yeats that gives us an idea, not just for the young, or for summer: 'Summer evening at Rosses Point in Sligo'
Thank you both so much for this, I’m just catching up, in a period where finding a way to manage exactly this has been especially difficult, while needing to be online more for a new job, seeking more balance and to create more a more structured flow at home, and to fly in formation with our family meal times, rest times - such a good image from Peco of your namesake geese! Ruth, I so resonate with what you say about wanting to allot times around online reading, and then finding myself (happily, joyfully, gratefully) distracted by something, and I need to work on this. Trying to address the distraction of going on my phone to access a daily Bible reading/reflection, I even bought a paperback daily lectionary so I could check the assigned scriptures for that morning and look them up without going into an app or podcast, but I’m not good at it! This is so inspiring, and lots of wonderful pooled community ideas to inspire and encourage, too! Thank you both.
I loved the idea of developing Synchrony! It involves discipline (at least initially), but is something I believe will be good for me. I have experienced many Lents where I fasted food or something digital, then returned to my old ways (as Peco wrote). The fasting was successful in deepening my faith; however, I now see that I must continue some of those "fasts" (especially the digital ones) if I am to live the better life.
I also enjoyed reading about many others' experience of the digital fast. It gave me ideas to try and hope (always a good thing to have).
I accepted an in person part time job working with horses one day a week a few momths ago. And will start a new job with horses next month, a 40 hour work week completely outside (or in the barn). After 3.6 years of remote work (and 5 months of unemployment) in the knowledge fields, I love using my hands again, working with folks in person, and using my physical body again all day. Plus, no screens!
I *love* that you wrote out all those comments by hand, Ruth. How completely brilliant! I often struggle engaging in online conversation, despite being a fairly prolific writer by hand. In my pre-digital scrutiny days, I would succumb to the impulse to engage more shallowly, but I just can't do that anymore. If I'm going to spend time online, it *must* add value to my life, small talk won't cut it. Now I have a new strategy for taking my long-distance internet-based relationships into the analog, rather than going more deeply into the internet. Thank you!
Ruth I always appreciate your writing but I really loved the art you chose for this one! So many beautiful pieces I’ve never seen before and now want to bookmark.
Thank you for your writing! I'd like to share my experience of deleting my Instagram for those that may want to but are having trouble doing it. I was very active on Instagram for over a decade and had around 300 posts, many of which were thoughtfully taken photos with longer stories and reflections in the captions. I felt that I needed to delete Instagram completely, but was having a hard time with the idea of deleting all of the photos I'd taken and words I had written. But I did it around 2 months ago and I'm so relieved. There is a way on Instagram, in your account settings, to download all of your data. It's everything: photos, captions, dates of posts, stories you posted, messages from the message folder, etc. I did that and then began making a photo book of all my posts (photos, captions, dates). It's a big photo book! But I think it will be nice to have a physical book of my photos and words and it helped me feel like I could delete it without regret.
I have found myself reading a lot more! I've been cruising through Wendell Berry's Port William books. Playing Dutch Blitz with my husband when we're bored. Walking. Reading my Bible more.
I asked my husband if there's anything he's noticed in me since I deleted Instagram and he said that when I had it I was more irritable. For instance, he said when he would interrupt me to talk to me while I was scrolling I would be irritable with him, but now when he comes to talk with me I'm, "less sharp/harsh." Specifically, he said that when he interrupts me when I'm reading or doing another pastime I'm more interruptable than I was when my pastime was Instagram.
This was wonderful to read, thank you! The success and failures of my fellow travelers gives me a sense of community in fighting this necessary battle. When I read these posts, I always find a new strategy that I want to try out in my own life. I'm still far from my goal of putting the machine in its proper place but I'm closer than I was a year ago. I feel hopeful.
I've been pretty vocal with friends and family (and even the odd person in the check-out line at the grocery store) about de-machining and have been pleasantly surprised by their reactions. I've realized that so many people are longing for this type of conversation or even confession and are looking for a way out. It's like we have discovered a map that shows one how to get back to this beautiful land called REALITY. Onwards and Upwards!
I noticed while "feasting on the real" by having long chats with neighbors and others that everyone wants to talk about podcasts, youtube videos, and bloggers. People are consuming this content in isolation and just bursting to share it with someone, but then the conversation is full of them exhorting you to watch or read the thing they refer to. That's another weird way that the internet invades my life even if I avoid it. It's as if so many people experience life via the web that they have little else to talk about! A terrible loss, and it makes it harder to really get to know people.
A very good read!
My Lenten fast from electronic entertainment was nowhere near as good as I'd hoped it would be. I was sick for a significant portion of Lent and it was difficult to get back into the swing of things once I was better.
But, it wasn't a total disaster or totally fruitless. I learned a lot about myself. Also, it was helpful to hear from Fr. Stephen De Young, an Orthodox priest and a biblical scholar, that Lent, when practiced at its fullest, is set up for you to fail so that you learn viscerally how futile your own efforts are and to rely all the more on God and His work in your life.
I am continuing my Digital Fasting by observing my Lenten rules around electronics/digital tools for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That means the TV and game console goes up, no Substack or online articles (I got rid of all my social media last August), no more than 10 minutes to check email, no podcasts, no using my phone for entertainment, and keeping all use of my phone to the barest possible minimum, so only necessary reference, work, and communication: no googling idle curiosities, no unnecessary calls/texts, etc.
I've added more reading time and more time outside and exercising; I'm more active in keeping the house clean and functional, running necessary errands, and getting necessary projects done. I'm starting a vegetable garden for the first time. Most importantly, I spend more time in prayer: I try, and have been surprisingly successful, at praying at the monastic hours, minus the midnight vigil (I've trouble enough sleeping).
I hope, by next year, to be able to get that up to 4 days a week. We'll see.
'Our' geece are now in Iceland and the like, but here this morning is a small synchronicity from the 'bookshelf' of the internet. Ewan Craig is an engraver and the illustrator for Paul Kingsnorth's series on wild saints. 'Rhythm is key to composition, and in rhythm there is harmony.' And there is brass rubbing and iconography and a bird in the hand.😊
This reminded me how much I miss the Sunday newspaper and I would always do the crossword as a teenager and then young adult. I would like to get back to doing those again!
Thank you for compiling such valuable insight, always. Grateful to be included!
Worthwhile thoughts everybody!
Synchronous harmony can be a direct physical experience for participants. I love geese. I once watched a flight on their way north on the spring migration and the leader avoid and take advantage of an oncoming storm. The outer edge of the rotating system approaching from the west lifted them higher and higher catapulting them north across an estuary and away. Knowledge and timing was critical.
Humans are highly social animals so it is helpful that harmony can reward and propel our activities. Song and dance are worth cultivation. There is a painting by Jack Butler Yeats that gives us an idea, not just for the young, or for summer: 'Summer evening at Rosses Point in Sligo'
Lovely as always, Hopeful and Helpful.
Thank you ☦️🕯️📿 ⛪ ❤️ ⛲🕊️ ⚜️ 📖
Thank you both so much for this, I’m just catching up, in a period where finding a way to manage exactly this has been especially difficult, while needing to be online more for a new job, seeking more balance and to create more a more structured flow at home, and to fly in formation with our family meal times, rest times - such a good image from Peco of your namesake geese! Ruth, I so resonate with what you say about wanting to allot times around online reading, and then finding myself (happily, joyfully, gratefully) distracted by something, and I need to work on this. Trying to address the distraction of going on my phone to access a daily Bible reading/reflection, I even bought a paperback daily lectionary so I could check the assigned scriptures for that morning and look them up without going into an app or podcast, but I’m not good at it! This is so inspiring, and lots of wonderful pooled community ideas to inspire and encourage, too! Thank you both.
I loved the idea of developing Synchrony! It involves discipline (at least initially), but is something I believe will be good for me. I have experienced many Lents where I fasted food or something digital, then returned to my old ways (as Peco wrote). The fasting was successful in deepening my faith; however, I now see that I must continue some of those "fasts" (especially the digital ones) if I am to live the better life.
I also enjoyed reading about many others' experience of the digital fast. It gave me ideas to try and hope (always a good thing to have).
I accepted an in person part time job working with horses one day a week a few momths ago. And will start a new job with horses next month, a 40 hour work week completely outside (or in the barn). After 3.6 years of remote work (and 5 months of unemployment) in the knowledge fields, I love using my hands again, working with folks in person, and using my physical body again all day. Plus, no screens!
I *love* that you wrote out all those comments by hand, Ruth. How completely brilliant! I often struggle engaging in online conversation, despite being a fairly prolific writer by hand. In my pre-digital scrutiny days, I would succumb to the impulse to engage more shallowly, but I just can't do that anymore. If I'm going to spend time online, it *must* add value to my life, small talk won't cut it. Now I have a new strategy for taking my long-distance internet-based relationships into the analog, rather than going more deeply into the internet. Thank you!
Ruth I always appreciate your writing but I really loved the art you chose for this one! So many beautiful pieces I’ve never seen before and now want to bookmark.
So many incredible resources here. Wow!
You might appreciate this podcast:
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/UinUfPQY5Ib