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Artificial Intelligence and Zombies
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- Written by: Healthysport
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I know I am not alone in feeling the way I do about social media. Perhaps what we are witnessing is the gradual fading of a once-dominant fad. It had a good run, but I must tread carefully to avoid immersing myself so deeply in it that I sacrifice my own humanity—the very essence of my existence. Humans are not meant to be passive recipients of predigested information; rather, we find joy in the process of assessing, analyzing, and synthesizing knowledge. Our bodies are designed for movement and labor, not for a machine to take over all our tasks while we remain idle.
I reflected on this deeply last night as I chose to work on programming with my old, well-worn laptop instead of my high-performance, recent computer. There was an undeniable craving within me for the struggles of the past—the challenge of learning, the process of comprehension, and the satisfaction of acquiring new skills. I appreciate the advances of modern technology, but I also recognize that social media, while still enjoyable for its original purpose of sharing meaningful content like music and videos, has undergone a troubling transformation. It now encourages endless engagement, drawing people further away from the fundamental aspects of what makes them human. Thankfully, only a few of my close friends have fallen prey to this algorithm-driven addiction. In the end, much of the hype surrounding modern digital culture may not live up to its grand promises. Human nature is resilient; behavioral shifts, especially ones attempting to push people into a purely virtual existence, face significant resistance. After all, we still have basic physical and mental needs that cannot be met through mere digital escapism. Living in a simulated world may offer temporary joy, much like daydreaming or fantasizing, but reality always calls us back—we must wake up, tend to our bodies, earn a living, cherish nature, and engage with the physical presence of those we love.
I am grateful that I have not lost touch with this reality. I use social media, but only as a form of entertainment. That is the extent of its value to me. I am, without a doubt, the type of user that Big Tech least desires—I refuse to dedicate excessive amounts of time to their platforms. Instead, I engage with digital tools on my own terms, using them as reminders of places I have visited, thoughts worth pondering, or music worth listening to. In that regard, social media does have value. Yet, I always return to my own creative outlets—developing personal websites, crafting my own narratives, and exploring ideas that originate from within me. That is the reason I was drawn to computing and the internet in the first place: self-expression on a platform of my own making. And despite the changing landscape of technology, I still find immense joy in programming.
There is much talk about AI replacing human programmers, but I do not believe that day will come soon—at least not for those of us who truly love the craft. Perhaps AI will cater to those who prefer cut-and-paste programming, but there will always be individuals who take pleasure in building from scratch. It is not about making life unnecessarily difficult; rather, there is an unparalleled satisfaction in creating something from nothing, fully understanding the process behind it. AI may assist, but it cannot replace the thrill of invention and problem-solving.
I take pride in the fact that I still have the discipline to manage my free time without being lured into the abyss of media designed to drain my mental energy. I am capable of resisting the "zombie juice" that so many fall victim to. And I know I am not alone—there are others who, like me, choose to live as nature and God intended. Thankfully, there are still those who critically filter the information they consume, turning to reliable sources like textbooks, reputable websites, and even select social media pages that continue to share insightful, useful, and inspiring content.
Politics, in its modern digital form, has never interested me. Platforms like Twitter (now X) failed to capture my engagement. I dabbled in posting content on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, initially intrigued by the numbers of views and likes, but that fascination quickly faded. I realized I had far more fulfilling pursuits—reading, blogging, exercising, meditating, and immersing myself in computing, which was my original passion when I pursued a second career in Computer Science and IT. Looking back, I see this as a blessing; my skills have provided me with a fulfilling way to stay engaged and productive, even in my later years. The joy of discovery, the excitement of relearning, and the discipline of applying old knowledge in new ways keep me alive, present, and spiritually attuned.
I firmly believe that everything I have learned was part of God's plan for me. I still recall the exhausting days when I worked full-time and attended evening classes, struggling to grasp complex topics like data structures, algorithms, memory management, and object-oriented programming. After late-night classes, I would stay up well past midnight, applying newly learned concepts to programming assignments, determined to meet deadlines. I never gave up, despite the grueling workload.
Now, I refuse to let all that experience go to waste simply because AI can automate certain tasks. Creativity has intrinsic value—how could I claim authorship of a painting that was merely generated by a machine? True creativity is a divine gift, a manifestation of human intellect and effort. The brain is a citadel of power; the body, its instrument. Surrendering all cognitive and physical engagement to machines would be an act of self-destruction. Science and medicine have long affirmed that both the mind and body require exercise to maintain their strength and function. If I allow machines to do all my thinking and physical labor, I risk atrophy—both mental and physical.
That is precisely the future that AI, as wielded by Big Tech, is steering us toward—a world where humans are passive consumers, tethered to the very machines they once controlled. How different is that from a dystopian existence, where we become mere extensions of the systems built to serve us? If we are not careful, we may find ourselves living like zombies, our independence and creativity eroded by an overreliance on artificial intelligence.
I refuse to walk that path. Instead, I will continue to engage with technology on my own terms, preserving my agency, intellect, and creativity. After all, life is meant to be lived—not merely processed by an algorithm.
Retirement and Social Media
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- Written by: Healthysport
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What else can I say? I’ve seen a lot of Monday catch-ups among my friends on Facebook—posts about their weekend activities, from outings to hobbies. It’s nice to see them enjoying life, and I sometimes wish I could be like them. But I prefer to stay in my spot, talking about anything under the sun. It might make me a “boring” person, but what can I do? I’m a chatterbox. That said, I make sure not to force my ideas on anyone. That’s why I share my blogs as links, giving my small circle of Facebook friends the option to ignore them. Surprisingly, a few of them actually check the links. Whether they read them or not, I don’t know. Some might just glance at the featured graphics or browse through the first sentence before clicking away. And that’s perfectly fine.
We all have different preferences in life, and that’s how it should be. Some love traveling, some enjoy parties, others prefer staying home, gardening, or running miles and miles. There are those who binge-watch their favorite series, post everything on Facebook while counting likes and views, babysit their grandkids, or exercise religiously. Everyone has their own joy, and we must respect that. It’s destructive to expect others to enjoy what we do if it’s not their thing.
The only issue I have nowadays is with social media. Let’s face it: we live in an era influenced by visionaries like Steve Jobs, who once said (paraphrased), “You may not need what I offer, but I’ll create the need.” His actual words were, “Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do.” He believed in anticipating customer needs and exceeding expectations—a mindset that has shaped our world.
As a result, we’ve become reliant on things we didn’t think we needed before. We used to memorize phone numbers; now we wouldn’t know what number to call without our smartphones. We used to rely on newspapers and libraries for information; now we can’t live without Google. Maps have been replaced by Google Earth, and there are countless other examples of how technology has transformed our lives. It makes you wonder—how did we survive before all these gadgets and instant access to information?
I call this phenomenon the “Potato Chip Syndrome.” If you’ve ever bought a bag of potato chips, you’ll notice you tend to eat the whole bag, often without realizing it. Homemade potato chips, on the other hand, are consumed in smaller portions because they’re not designed to be addictive. Market-bought chips are engineered by food scientists to ensure you keep eating—and buying—more. The same principle applies to social media. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are designed to keep us engaged, even addicted. What started as a simple networking tool to reconnect with old friends has evolved into a “need” for many, covering every aspect of our lives—from emotional support to business, research, and education.
The rise of AI has only amplified this trend. Social media companies now use artificial intelligence to increase user engagement, target ads, and predict individual desires. If you’re into potato chips, expect to see endless ads for them. If fashion or watches are your thing, the algorithms know. This level of personalization can be useful, but it’s also alarming, especially for kids whose developing brains are more susceptible to these tactics.
I’m not saying we should avoid social media—it’s undeniably useful in many ways. But we must be mindful of its potential to become addictive. Take a week without the internet, and you’ll see just how dependent we’ve become.
Personally, I try to focus on creating rather than consuming. I use platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook Pages to share reels and shorts I’ve designed. My video editing tools include InShot, CapCut, and Canva. InShot is the priciest subscription, so I’m working hard to justify the cost through practice. I’ve also noticed that Google Cloud storage is more expensive than AWS, so I’ve paused that for now.
These projects keep me busy during retirement. I also spend time learning about the latest developments in AI through books. I maintain three websites: one for general content (linked here), another for fiction (managed under a pen name for more personal and fantastical work), and a third for web development projects, which I’ve been neglecting but hope to revive soon.
You might wonder if all this costs me a lot, but it doesn’t. Thanks to my IT background, I can create websites affordably using Digital Ocean droplets. Each droplet costs just a few dollars, and I can host multiple sites using Apache virtual hosting. The main expense is domain registration, which runs about $35 a year per site.
In my retirement, I often remind myself of the importance of being "functional." There are two groups particularly susceptible to social media addiction: young children and retired individuals. This vulnerability arises because they tend to have an abundance of free time. It is both fascinating and concerning to realize that, out of the 8 billion people in the world, between 1–2 billion actively engage with social media. However, it is somewhat comforting to know that there are still 6–7 billion who remain free from its grasp—and I can understand why.
During my working days, the last thing I wanted was to be distracted by my phone, though I occasionally sneaked a peek at the screen. There was simply too much to do and think about while at work, and when the workday ended, there were always tasks waiting at home. By the time those responsibilities were handled, I felt so exhausted that all I wanted was to rest and sleep. This remains true for many young adults, including my former co-workers. Between taking care of children, working hard to make ends meet, and attending to daily household chores, the last thing they wanted was to waste time scrolling on their phones—unless it was for something urgent, like an emergency, quick information, or managing an online business.
In other words, despite the allure of social media, the majority of adults I know prioritize their daily routines to maintain balance in their lives. I call these individuals "functional."
On the other hand, a person becomes dysfunctional when a hobby or activity consumes so much of their time that they lose focus on their responsibilities and the normalcy of life. Children and retirees are especially vulnerable to this. Children who spend excessive time on social media often lose the ability to develop long-term focus and concentration, which are critical for deep thinking. By deep thinking, I mean activities like reading a book cover to cover or solving 30 calculus problems—tasks that require a deep zone of learning. If a child relies on AI to write an essay or solve math problems, only to spend the rest of their free time surfing social media or watching an endless stream of reels, that is a sign of dysfunction.
Similarly, retirees like me can fall into the same trap. Spending an entire day sitting and scrolling through Google or social media can quickly become a dysfunctional habit. It is tempting—I face this challenge daily. In retirement, it is easy to rely on social platforms to fill the gaps in life. Loneliness is no longer an issue when you can chat with others, join online dating platforms, or check in on friends on Facebook. However, this can lead to being immobilized in a chair for hours, forgetting that such inactivity can contribute to serious health problems.
For me, exercise and activity are paramount, especially in the later years of life. Becoming too absorbed in social media isn’t just harmful to physical health—it can also impact mental well-being.
Again, I’m speaking about a minority of young children and retirees. From conversations with my American co-workers, I know that many parents closely monitor their children’s social media use. They ensure their kids focus on school, complete homework, and prepare for tests—because success in these areas takes precedence over excessive phone use. The same holds true for many seniors. In my community, I see retirees who prioritize spending time walking in parks, playing games, or socializing with their spouses rather than scrolling on their phones.
However, this challenge is particularly acute for single people like me who live alone yet still need to engage with the world. We are at a higher risk of substituting our phones for companionship, as if they were a spouse or partner. To combat this, I rely on several strategies: I contemplate, blog, write, read, exercise, study topics that pique my curiosity, and create. I also occasionally work for a few hours, but for the most part, I plan and line up activities to fill my day. Of course, I sometimes over-plan. When I do spend time on social media, I try to make it a learning experience instead of falling into the trap of endlessly scrolling through reels to kill time.
To avoid the pitfalls of dysfunction, I make it a point to leave the house every day. I walk, jog, or garden. I borrow books on topics that interest me—my current fascination being AI. These routines help me stay functional and engaged with the world around me.
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