This week I wrote a little reflection on learning guitar in the Internet era and a new guitar instruction video series on YouTube that has really dazzled me. It’s right here over at Why This is Interesting.
I’ve been in the Italian Alps for the last two weeks or so happily (mostly) unplugged. I’ve found myself posting more on Instagram because the landscape is so stunning and photogenic. I have the urge to share! And maybe even overshare.
This was of course the week Threads launched as well. You can read all about that elsewhere. For now, I’m keeping my distance. One of the things I loved about Elon Musk ruining Twitter was that I no longer felt compelled to check Twitter. I’ve enjoyed having less social media in my life, so I’m not in a rush to add more back in again.
Being in The Alps and decompressing for a bit has reminded me how exhausting it is to live in New York and the US. Our country is so polarized. We work ourselves too hard. Media and social media are feeding and creating narratives that drive our anxiety and our government doesn’t provide enough social support to make living in the modern era any easier.
Living in the US isn’t as stressful as living in Afghanistan, but that’s not saying much.
Here’s hoping you also find a way to unplug and catch your breath this summer.