I left every social media site except for an anonymous account on Twitter with zero followers. I unsubscribed from every news source except for 2. I ended paid subscriptions for sites I never thought would sell my info only to discover the small print.
I only trust Free Republic.( My name doesn’t appear on the donor list this time for some reason even though I donated. It’s ok. Next time. I get a lot of bang for my buck. I’m grateful. I informed Chris and he said he doesn’t know how to fix it.)
With all the eliminations, my messages, emails, and cell phone calls have dropped by 75%. I still get 20 calls every single day from Police Charities and Firefighter relief funds.
This is the new life. You can’t even answer the phone you pay for. No one ever leaves a message. I feel more isolated than ever.
Technology, like so many other things is a two-edged tool; it can work for you but can also be an antagonist as well. As an aged historian by inclination, I am indeed struck by the change in this area of 'communication' and the change from earlier decades and generations.
At a not so distant past, the sole modes of communication were in-person and postal for almost anyone. This had been the standard for centuries and was why the Postmaster was an important position.
Then came (disputably) Samuel Morse and the 'singing wires' of electric communication in 1838. Since then, the methods of 'reaching out to touch someone' have proliferated, but never as much as it has in the past generation. Now, being a hermit is a near impossibility as society almost DEMANDS intrusion. Where the post-WW2 household was happy to have a DIAL Phone along with a mailing address, now we have a dizzy and intrusive array that, like this topic, seems more than is desired!
My sympathies and understanding about your plaint of isolation. I too feel it and fight it!