Technology and The Human-Nature Disconnect

 "A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books." - Walt Whitman

Back from the beach. Relaxation, sun and sea animals.. all with my favorite pal Kristen. Being away from my computer was exactly what I needed, and now that I'm back, I can't help but wish this thing would disappear into thin air. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful of the Internet for many reasons: (1) It allows me to connect with like-minded, interesting, wonderful people.. who I hope to meet in real life one day, (2) I can get international up-to-date news.. and from alternative news sources instead of the often untrustworthy mainstream media, (3) The sheer amount of information accessible to anyone. So much learning to do, so many great articles to read. And the list goes on and on...

All benefits considered, there are some definite drawbacks. The particular one I have in mind right now is the enormous disconnect that technology has created between humans and nature. I am someone who sees and appreciates nature's beauty in every moment, and I am someone who will never stop fighting for every living organism within our community.. yet I, too, spend more time at my computer than I do outside. I tend to rationalize this by saying to myself, 'At least you're learning!', but I know that there is a huge difference between learning by studying and learning by experiencing. Which one is more fulfilling? My thoughts lie with experience. The Walt Whitman quote above illustrates this point well. By using the term metaphysics, I believe Whitman is referring to the following definition:  'abstract theory or talk with no basis in reality'. In this case, the living, breathing, morning-glory at the window is our 'reality'.

So perhaps I should surround myself with life instead of spending all of my time with dead things like my computer.. Because in the end, all we really have are our experiences, right?