The Symptom, Not the Cause

How Politics Distracts Us from our Biggest Problem

“How do you not care who wins the election?”

That question was asked of me time and again over the past few months. Although I watched debates and tracked the general direction of things, my interest in this year’s election was more from a desire to “keep my finger on the pulse” of America, not a passionate rooting interest (to the disappointment of my idealistic 20-somethings-self). I have developed an attitude of resignation, to a point that friends on both sides of the aisle called me an irredeemable cynic.

In truth, I believe that the leader of our country is actually technology. Smartphones, Streaming and Social Media, which amplify incessant, aggressive news outlets, are tech conveniences that influence our decision-making far more than political leaders. We watch documentaries and talk about the affect of tech, but seldom have the individual or collective will to change our habits.

If one believes, as I do, that we are a sum of all our actions, then it’s hard to argue that the summation of who we are today isn’t that of a tech-obsessed species living in a coma of convenience. Like any addiction, until we can admit to ourselves that we have a problem, there is no chance we can move forward in good health. That is how I developed such antipathy towards the “most important election of my lifetime.”

Tech-addiction is both a physical and emotional problem. For starters, we are constantly looking down; at our laptops, at our tablets, at our phones. Countless studies confirm that this physical action leads to eye, neck, spine, back, and knee issues, but also to more immediate negative outcomes like anxiety and depression. And the expediency afforded to us by modern tech enables our homebound existence, decreasing our social interactions; a facet of human life fundamental to personal fulfillment and happiness.

COVID-aside, the social fabric of in-person human interaction has been withering away for decades. That chicken has come home to roost, in the form of a collective anxiety attack that leaves us more divided, distrustful, and devoid of faith — in our institutions — and in each other. We do less with our physical bodies than ever before, and spend more time than ever in an unhealthy hamster wheel in our brains. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

My confidence in our political leadership wasn’t that high to begin with, but has waned over the last decade as this particular issue has not been addressed, either in words or in actions. In fact, our political leaders wield technology as a powerful tool to reinforce the sides we have already chosen, furthering the negative impact modern tech has on our psyche. The irony is that the bombardment of information we consume does not actually inform.

As we sit here today, those in positions of power are focusing, to varying degrees, on the recent pandemic. That is of course all-important at the present moment, but there is a slow-moving disease that has burrowed itself deep into our core. If our national leaders were told that over 95% of their constituents were addicted to something that is proven to lead to long-term physical debilitation and emotional depression, wouldn’t that be top of the agenda? Shouldn’t it be?

I am glad that we had record voter turnout for this election and that people feel passionate about their political choices. But I fear that this election — and so much of what we consume on our screens — is a compelling distraction, so that we don’t have to look in the mirror and deal with our problems. To deal with this particular problem.

Until we admit that tech addiction is widespread and deadly, we submit true leadership of our country to the tech behemoths who have cultivated a powerfully sycophantic relationship with us: their customers. Let’s rise up, not in word, but in action. Let’s put down the devices, set an example for the next generation and show them how far eye contact, empathy and genuine interaction can take them.

Then we can patiently await the leader we deserve, one who can solve this profound problem.