Screens Vs. Trees

It is SO easy to get lost in the endless doom scroll of devices and screens.  I am struggling with this more and more recently. The algorithm has a strong hold over me, and my attention span can be measured in nanoseconds. I fight to remember why I picked up my phone in the first place anymore. The bright lights and constant bombardment of 20-second dance clips and home hacks should not be as prevalent as they are. The noise is constant and getting louder. It can honestly feel like “normal” life is a zombie march, and a handheld computer screen is lighting he path. I don’t like where this path is leading me. 

Photography is a diversion for me. It is a respite from the chaos of screen life. This is becoming increasingly true for me. The photography has almost become secondary. The images are more of a record of my escape, proof that it can be done, it is possible to walk in the sunlight, and to give your attention wholly to something other than electronics. (The irony of using a digital camera is not lost on me here.) The time spent unplugged from the scrolling doom is restorative. The charge and burst of energy received from being outside, surrounded by natural things, is an unparalleled form of electricity. It is an energy —an emotion — that lasts for days and evokes joy, hope, and appreciation. Photography is an activity that gives to the photographer. The experience of place and the gift of creating something for oneself.

It feels backwards. It should not feel like work to get outside and create something that makes you happy. Something that you can share with the world, and hopefully share a bit of that happiness with others. It should not be so effortless to fall into a hole of attention-grabbing, productivity-robbing scrolling. Screens and attention-grabbing algorithms should not be so prevalent in our lives. It should be the trees, mountains, and streams that we seek out.