What is topical in the news as I write this will be but a vague memory, if remembered at all, by the time you read any of this, because I'm writing for posterity, not news. Recently, a cybersecurity firm pushed a software update and crashed millions (8.5 million, according to Microsoft) of business computers worldwide. Flights were interrupted creating massive delays, guests were locked out of their rooms at Disneyland, and those self-checkout kiosks everyone both loves-to-hate and hates-to-love were down and unable to accept card payments. Oh, and some banks came to a halt.
So much for “Card payments only, no cash accepted.” Some businesses had to shut down.
A former student and occasional freelancer, Sixto, reached out to me and let me know that the casino he works for as an I.T. Service Tech was down for several hours and operations from gaming to culinary and even hotel support services were all interrupted.
Not much is going to change.
The company responsible, CrowdStrike, only saw their stock fall 11% after the attack, and weekend trading is holding steady. They’ll recover.
Most people who are uninvolved in technology professionally think that Microsoft was the problem's source because CrowdStrike’s errant code only impacted Microsoft Windows devices and not macOS or Linux.
More than half the Fortune 500 use CrowdStrike's services on their Windows-powered devices.
But this post isn’t even about this software event as it won’t matter to you, the reader, well after the event has taken place. In a world where the event itself will barely be remembered in a few weeks, I’d like to point out for my mental health (and yours, of course) how blissfully ignorant I was of the situation. And how great I feel about it.
I was on vacation when this happened. One of those good "working" vacations, too. Nobody expected me to be anywhere, and I had minimal tasks to complete, so I went “on call” and enjoyed some beach time in my own proverbial backyard. It wasn’t until Sixto reached out that I knew anything had transpired. The whole thing was somewhat disorienting, because I was out of the loop, yet it was simultaneously blissful.
During my vacation, I noticed how unhappy I was checking what little social media I still engaged with. A bit of anonymous Reddit posting had kept me happy after being intentionally self-doxxed for almost my entire 25-plus year history on the web dating back to the mid-1990s. Between Reddit, Twitter (now X), and a little Facebook creeping back in, I felt pretty lousy any time I’d find myself opening those apps on my phone and doom scrolling. Not to mention Instagram and YouTube Shorts sending me down spirals and rabbit holes of pointless video viewing for hours at a time.
It is personal this time, not professional.
As a marketing professor and mid-career businessperson who has historically been deeply involved with social media, it feels a little odd to hear my inner dialog switch to that of someone thinking about turning it all off. A temporary luddite if you will. But, I don’t plan on walking away from social media professionally, just personally. Only for the sake of amplifying my voice via actions and outcomes rather than in the arena of popular anonymous opinion, which I’m bound to lose as I’m not nearly as subconsciously depraved or psychologically repressed as many of my socially-successful fellow human beings. I also don’t care for the populist and regressive drivel from self-appointed edgelords that counts as interesting content these days. Shutting it off might be a relief. Especially since I don't crave anonymity as others seem to... I'm okay being known, and being authentically me.
I could write more of these blog posts and improve my writing, which has certainly declined in quality and effectiveness over the years. I could work on the endless amounts of content I’ve been wanting to create since before YouTube or any other social content creation even existed (over 20 years ago). I could build the elements of the world I want to see and not have to keep up with how many people liked my last post or if I converted anyone to my way of thinking.
The only way, beyond mass indoctrination, to win the hearts and minds of humanity on a vision for a greater tomorrow is through action. Through being a living example that spreads a new understanding and approach into the world via others. And I can’t do that—I can’t be that—if I’m playing a losing game of keeping my popularity up against the con men who will say anything to complete their next grift, the youth who will sell their minds and bodies to the algorithm for approval, and the organized disinformation and psyops brigades all serving their gross agendas.
Vision above pleas for attention.
Disconnecting from the hive doesn’t have to be a luddite move after all. The disconnection isn't complete and absolute, and it isn’t merely about disconnecting from addictive content or toxic anonymous “communities”. It’s about the larger vision. As stated in other posts, I’ve been reducing my number of possessions, but increasing their quality… nicer work equipment, sleeker power tools for home, a nicer car packed with features, but all of these things now constitute the virtual entirety of my possessions. This has helped me build my world and take control of my own environment.
Taking control of one's environment isn't only about possessions, it's also about the content you consume. I have curated my video streaming services so that I watch what I want—educational lectures and documentaries in case you’re curious—and less of what others recommend or want me to watch for proverbial water-cooler talk. I subscribe not only to an on-demand music streaming service like everyone else these days, but also streaming radio services that specialize in music that I feel improves my performance, happiness, and well-being. Can I point out that I’ve even started creating my own streaming radio stations through the TZO Network? I’ve been running ambient, classical, and lo-fi stations for several months now… even though I’m the only listener at present, and that's okay.
For you, these things may not work. Maybe you need heavy metal music, action-packed movies, and violent video games to feel whole. Or maybe it’s country music, sports, and lake fishing that make you complete.
Whatever it is, we’re heading into a world where we must set our own course based on our own vision. We need to build our own environments without isolating or retrenching into echo chambers. This is a new task of society, and one that I’m willing to take on first before any of my peers or colleagues. To succeed in building your own individualized world without removing yourself completely from the larger shared society is a challenge that upcoming generations will first struggle through, and then later master for the benefit of those who will follow them.
My future awaits, excuse me while I build it.
All it takes is disconnecting for good in both senses of the phrase. Disconnecting can mean a more-than-temporary reprieve so that time is freed up and the well-known negatives of social media are avoided. But it can also imply the positive outcomes that can be achieved—for self, family, and society—by directing energy spent on ego-fueled impersonal actions into a healthier pursuit of living new experiences, creating deeper connections, and even creating things (or content) of value and utility for oneself or for others.
Not everyone needs to disconnect in this way. Social media should still thrive and be a place for people to relax, unwind, communicate, and do all the other things it enables, including mindless consumption. But for some of us, we just don't gain any fulfillment or recharge from that. Our role in social media is to inject mindfulness as a demonstration of the outcomes we want to see in the world. That's the direction I'll be going, and I hope that my work can reach others doing the same and help us build meaningful and mutually beneficial connections.
# # #
