I opened Microsoft Edge, because Chrome won’t work on this new computer. Sound like some sort of conspiracy to you? Well, get your tin hat off, I think there is a setting that is blocking it, and it is to undo my relationship with Chrome, but I don’t think it goes beyond corporate greed. Anyway, I just wanted to look something up, and in the upper right hand corner, there was a bell icon, and a notification. I clicked on it, and it told me that Ford Motor Company was up some percentage point.
“Who gives a shi…?!”
I get notifications on my phone, on my tablet, on my computer, in my e-mail… I am now getting notifications from Facebook about things, though I have been off it for the better part of two and a half years, and have had the notifications turned off. I get news notifications, weather notifications, stock notifications, account notifications, and I even get junk mail in my physical mailbox in front of my house. It seems like everything is clamoring for my attention! And as it does, it is constantly distracting me from the people and things I actually care about. It is tiresome!
I have been trying to shut down the notifications on everything but it seems like as I do, something new pops up in its place. Gee wiz! If I want to hear from you, I probably know your middle name, and why you have it. My eyes can see for about 20 miles, and if i need to know about you, you are in that range. If I want to know about someone farther, I will be talking to them, or in place of a notification, I will get a real message.
It is not satisfying to get notifications all the time as though I were important, especially from these machines. You know what would be satisfying? A hand written letter explaining the value to me of a credit card, and the terms, and even an opportunity for me to counter offer them, and negotiate a better rate. Instead, a machine kicks a letter into my mailbox so I can apply for the good graces of the company that sent me it, only to be denied and told I am not good enough. How nice would it be if instead of reading the news that my Congressman is a complete idiot and says he is representing his constituents, I would get a note in the mail asking me to write back and tell him or her the values I want represented in Washington, even though I voted for the other person? This kind of thing does not happen. Instead, it is all about impersonal notifications. Each asks me to notice them, but does any really notice me? I still get mail for dead relatives. I think that is where my answer lies.