Ignorance is bliss. I’ve heard it before. I’m living it now. And like most things, I don’t think you can truly understand it until you experience it firsthand.
On Monday I discovered that the school’s internet was hooked up again (after a 9 month hiatus) and I’ve been on it for 10 hours a day (nearly sunrise to sunset) for the past three days. I wish I was joking about that, but I’m not.
As you probably know, the internet is very powerful (quick access to any type of information imaginable) but also very addicting (par exemple, the surge of anger and frustration you felt when the windstorm knocked out your internet for 12 hours and you couldn’t check your gmail and facebook every 10 minutes and google the origins of “Turkey” [the country’s] to end a dispute with your colleague). In America, ubiquitous internet is just part of life, maybe an annoying part or maybe an essential part, but it’s there regardless. Now, imagine that you are an internet-deprived Namibian née American; the effect of restored internet prowess is magnified! If I don’t check into rehab on my own, you may need to stage an intervention.
You probably think that my rediscovered surfing powering is a good thing – so did I...until I walked home from school on Monday in a weird funk. I should’ve been overjoyed – I’d answered emails, downloaded important documents and skyped with my parents and friends, all for free – but I was closer to despondency. Throughout the day I was able to update myself on all the wonderful happenings at home – vacations, good food, family gatherings, new jobs, marriages, new houses and cars, new babies – but it left me feeling half homesick, half jealous.
As I walked home, my mind raced. I’m happy here, I thought, why would using the internet throw me through such a loop? Then a lightbulb went on. Of course....I’m only hearing about the exciting, momentous occasions in people’s lives, not the drab everyday occurrences (being stuck in traffic, cleaning the house, going to work)and frustrating moments (filling out ANOTHER job application, worrying about money, longing for adventure outside the suburbs). Just because somebody doesn’t email or facebook about it doesn’t mean it isn’t part of life.
This revelation led me into a careful consideration of the relationship between the West and the world (as does nearly every other deep thought-conversation I have with myself). It is with this same skewed viewpoint that young people around the world learn about America – they watch television, follow celebrities, see magnificent cities and learn about new technologies – without realizing what they’re seeing is an over-simplification skimmed from the top. America is not like the movies – we don’t have big houses, drive BMWs and hire nannies. There’s crime, poverty, debt and divorce. But seeing is believing...and if that’s all you’d ever heard about America, you’d believe it too.
Then imagine transitioning immediately from the “incredible” world of America into your reality – 50% unemployment, corrupt government officials, lack of electricity and running water. You’d probably be jealous, and this jealously could easily turn into resentment.
So, in this way, ignorance IS bliss. While the internet, technology and globalization bring many benefits, they’re not without drawbacks. While they close divides, they can also deepen them.
With this said, don’t be surprise if I disappear into the darkness of a self-imposed internet moratorium. After all, it is important to live in the present, and we all know how quickly the internet can transport you several worlds away. I usually crave and easily digest a steady trickle of information from home, but right now, I’m drowning in a self-made tsunami. It’s not easy - nay, impossible - to live with your body in one world and your mind in another.
