Another boring smokescape

I wasn’t going to Blip today because I’m downhearted, but Sue Foll persuaded me, so I dedicate this Blip to her. The smoke today is meh with a tinge of lavender. 

We’ve had nearly a 50% improvement in air quality, bringing us from “very hazardous” at 507 to “very unhealthy” at 262, if we can trust the numbers. Despite that good news, I’m in a malaise. The picnic blanket didn’t work, though I’ve left it in place. Smoke has seeped into my front room and is choking me. I cough when I try to talk, am nauseated, headachy. Mostly I stay in the bedroom with doors and windows shut, air filter on maximum, small fan stirring the stale air. 

Last night when I could still sit in my living room, I watched The Social Dilemma. Brilliant documentary about how the creators of Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, driven only by the profit motive, created no safeguards against the damage their platforms might do. Damage such as we see right now. Watch it if you can. It has made me re-examine my use of social media, and there are a couple of steps I’ve taken to make myself less vulnerable to screen addiction, although it’s children growing up with screens who are more likely to suffer and their parents who need most to see it. Speaking of which,

After his second day of online kindergarten, I asked Evan to tell me about it.

Baba: Did you see any friends on the screen?

Evan: What do you mean?

Baba: Is there anyone in your class that you know from pre-school, who you see when you look at the computer?

Evan: Yes! My best friend!

Baba: Oh I’m so glad! Who is that?

Evan: This guy! (Holds up a small toy dragon I gave him a year or two ago.) You remember him? He wants to go outside and play, but he can’t fly because of the smoke, so we both have to stay in the house and do school. 

Evan is not yet onboard with the whole screen thing. Hooray for him!