The Internet Is Not Prosthetic

The internet is not some other thing, separate from life, it is an abstraction that is very real.

Fundamentally, I can inspect and see the packets and bits between my computer and the network. I can manipulate the pixels I see in the browser using code. These days more atoms are controlled by bits.

I can also make a life from the internet. I can read information. I can communicate with people and machines. I’ve made my livelihood from it by arranging bits just so.

If the internet is real life, how should our relationship with it change? I think we should care a lot more about living a rich digital life in the same manner we think about health, fitness, and gardening. Investing in quality of life ought to include being thoughtful about our digital skills, interests, and safety.

(Based on a conversation I had with Jake Stein)