Dive 84: How tech shields us from rich life experiences
Dive 84: How tech shields us from rich life experiences
And how to use tech to enrich our lives instead
Hey, it’s Alvin!
When I was a kid, I was tossed into the woods with nothing but a paper map, a magnetic compass, and a card.
No, it wasn’t child neglect.
And it wasn’t a survival competition.
It was a competition with a prize, though. What I didn’t realize was that the prize I earned would be critical for me 20 years later as an adult navigating the concrete jungle of Hong Kong.
The card I held in my hand was for collecting stamps. And the first group of students to collect all the stamps won a prize. But of course, it’s not so simple given where we were.
My friends and I were taken to an 1800s era log cabin schoolhouse nestled among rolling hills and forests of Ontario, Canada. Scattered around the vast property of tall green grass and light-trodden dirt trails were wooden posts staked to solid ground. A woolen string attached a rubber stamp to each post. Some posts were out in the open. While others were hidden among the trees at the edges of thick forests.
I never won the physical prize. The prize I earned was the skill of navigating an unfamiliar landscape with nothing more than a map, a compass, and pure observation. A skill called orienteering. I know some people would say, “come on, grandpa. We don’t need paper maps and compasses anymore. We have Google Maps, now!”
What matters is not what map you use, but how you use it.
A critical life lesson hid below the surface of orienteering:
Technology can either enhance or hinder our lives. We improve and progress when technology supplements our skills. But we regress when technology replaces our skills. The idea is to use technology to improve our skills, so the technology drops from a “must have” to a “nice to have.”
Because I learned that when we rely more on ourselves, we’re forced to immerse ourselves in the real world. And real-world immersion helps us live lives that feel fulfilling. It’s about being present. At least, that’s how I feel.
Here’s what I mean…
Technology as a Supplement
I recently visited the city of Hong Kong; a maze with walls of skyscrapers. One day, my parents and I wanted to walk from our hotel in Sheung Wan to Central, Hong Kong. That’s about a 20-minute walk and a great way to avoid transit fares. I had Google Maps on my phone. But the app kept crashing. So, I turned to my orienteering and mental navigation skills.
The two most important skills in orienteering are:
Figuring out where you are
Figuring out which direction you’re facing
Once you know both, you’re set to go.
Of course, it helps if you know the general lay of the land from research or experience. That’s where a map is handy. I already knew from previous trips that we were on the northern part of Hong Kong Island.
We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel on the day we arrived. And I knew the taxi drove us away from the coast and harbour. So, I also knew which direction faced the harbour. And facing the harbour meant facing north because of where we were.
In a grid-like city (like Toronto or New York), you don’t even need a compass. You can train yourself to have a “mental compass” that turns as you turn. Hong Kong’s streets curve a lot. So, that’s where it’s more helpful to rely on landmarks (like the harbour) and the overall city layout to orient yourself.
We’re set.
I knew that as long as we’re walking towards the harbour, we’d eventually reach the trams and MTR (Hong Kong’s subway system) because both transit systems run along the north coast of Hong Kong Island.
As we got closer to the north coast, I finally saw a landmark I recognized: the Western Market.
Now I knew exactly where I was. And I knew exactly how to get to Central via pedestrian bridges because I had done that walk in previous years.
When you navigate with your senses this way, you’re forced to take in more of your surroundings. So, you’re more present and mindful of what’s around you. If you ever feel lost, you can just backtrack the way you came. And your surroundings will look and feel familiar because you’ve been there before. Not only does this provide a sense of comfort when you’re lost, but you can be confident you can find your way back to where you can re-orient yourself.
Do this enough times, and what was an unfamiliar place can start feeling like a second home. Creating that homey feeling in a new place is a life experience that can’t be replicated any other way. It also builds confidence.
This is an example of how technology can enhance our abilities. But when we’re too reliant on it, technology can also destroy our abilities.
Technology as a Replacement
One a different day, my parents wanted to go to a local tea shop to buy Pu-erh tea aged 20 years. I got Google Maps to work on that day. So, I typed in our destination and followed the directions it gave me as I walked.
As we got closer, though, I had to keep switching between checking the app and searching for the shop in the real world. Because buildings in Hong Kong are densely packed. And the Google map wasn’t detailed enough to show exactly where the shop was. I was closing in on the location when I heard my dad shout…
“It’s over there!”
My parents were the first to spot it because they had their heads up the whole time.
A software map tells you exactly what path to take to go from A to B. But that’s a strength and a weakness. Because with a software map, it’s too tempting to just look down at your phone following the path the app gives you. But if your eyes are glued to your phone, then you’re not taking in the environment. Except when you’re crossing streets. I hope.
I wouldn’t have been able to return to the hotel without the map. The path I took wouldn’t look familiar to me. Because I wasn’t paying attention to it. I remember nothing about it.
So, on your next adventure…
Maps can be used two ways.
A map can be nothing more than a tool to orient yourself and get the lay of the land. A way to enhance or supplement your own ability to navigate with knowledge, experience, and observation. Immersing yourself in the world around you.
A map can also be a perpetual guide. A replacement for your navigation skills that you follow religiously to get from A to B.
Use technology how you want. Personally, I’d rather technology help me grow. If you feel the same way, consider using your senses to find your way around.
One of my favourite aspects of travelling (much like life) is the memories I take home with me. Photos and videos can only capture so much. And we can only take so many of them. Besides, when we’re too focused on getting the perfect shot, we take ourselves out of the moment.
No, thank you.
The best way to take home lasting memories is to be present. Relying on your senses, knowledge, and logic to explore forces you to recognize everything around you consciously and unconsciously. You’re forced to capture the finest details of the environment in your mind, which become cherished memories you share with loved ones.
So, put your phone down and live life.
Reply to belowthesurfacetop@gmail.com or click “Message Alvin” below if you have questions or comments. I’d love the hear from you.
Thank you for reading. Be present. And I’ll see you in the next one.