FLAT Journal
One of my popular childhood TV programs was the “snow show:” the afterhours black and white dots jumping around to the sound of white noise, signaling “it’s time to turn off the TV and go to bed!” Rejecting the bitter truth that the magical TV had no more content to offer, at times I would sit in front of it staring at the vibrating black and white dots, and soon there began to appear forms, faces and patterns. I rejoiced in getting lost in the molecular movement on the curved TV screen where I had the freedom to project my thoughts and images. The static noise occupying the TV screen for hours in a 24 hour cycle sounds like science fiction today where any surface at all times offers an infinity of swipeable content to keep the consumption cycle uninterrupted. Endless content also consumes from within, creating an emotional palette inside us which mirrors the chaotic nature of how different stimuli appear on our personal devices. Longing, loss, hunger, lust, awe and envy are felt in a few seconds of engagement with one’s phone and some simultaneously. [continue reading]