It came to my attention that I haven't added any thoughts in awhile. That's true. I've been too busy swiping down or left daily.
What have I learned?
Nothing. I'll be the first to admit that information comes so quickly today that all I'm considering each time I read 2 words is whether or not I want to read more, and I don't have a reason for when I do. Swiping and the knowledge of so much to go through affords me no time to process, and no time to uncover what could be hidden. I mean damn, my newsfeed is even pre-filtered by what Facebook thinks I'll enjoy more than the next. This is a problem for a few reasons, and I feel it's most ironic in Dating and Politics...two things we wish were more successful yet make no real strides to change. Time is valuable and we continue to gamble by passing on what could be made great in hopes of finding a better base to start with.
I'm vaguely convinced that there are two types of people - those who think deeply about why they feel, and those who simply feel and act. Yeah, this is just fight or flight but ignore that. And, it's likely more complicated, but you're probably on the verge of deciding whether the next paragraph is worth reading.
If you haven't swiped back to your news feed, that's good, but I can't reward you. There will be no cat memes, no wine jokes, and no funny videos of kids crying after their parents say they've ingested their child's halloween candy. All I have to offer is a one-sided conversation with someone I'll never meet (I promise it's nice to meet you). This is a lot like the current presidential debate, and a lot like trying to date outside your social circles.
I'm waiting for Trump and Hillary and the other runners, who are far less interesting, to add a profile on Tinder. Give me their first name (Donny is going to suffer), age, mutual friends, and a list of superficial interests. If they have time to craft 15 words to describe themselves I'll give bonus points, but only if they're attractive enough for me to click and see the detail. Then, it's game time - Right or Left baby. That's all this debate is, and we've asked for it.
While I see the older generation "stuck" on issues and the lack of change, I see the current one swiping so fast they haven't thought on one thing long enough to make any impact or see real meaning. Dates pass quickly - not interesting enough. Jobs change - not enough recognition. Diets lose - not enough improvement. Even intellectual evolution in the market seems to be stagnant - aiming toward the small agile updates rather than a well thought restructuring of society. Consider our devices - Smart watch built off the phone, fantastic. But what about all the redundancy? Smart TV, Smart Blu-ray, smart phone, smart laptop. Give me a belt buckle that holds the mind of my phone and laptop, and then I'll just buy displays in watches and glasses and cool beats headphones and other bullshit they dream up - but stop wasting my time and intellect to choose or weigh features; but that's another entry.
I want something new, fresh, and meaningful. Now, it's whether I keep swiping to find it, or dig the heels in and find the social change to be built on the last generations' astounding achievements. Oh, but dating, to the left to the left. Netflix and chill is far more rewarding when I can finish the whole pot of joe on my own.