We do so love online. This media organisation certainly does. Internet, social media, clicks, likes, posts, all the paraphernalia of permanent connectivity have become an integral part of our lives. So much is shared by so many, so fast, and so personally. Narcissism may creep in, but the myriad digital personae we create also reach out to others in infinite space, and in no time. Online is exciting. Online is our life. But now an 18-year-old Australian with over half a million followers on Instagram has announced she is quitting social media because the addiction left her feeling empty and “consumed”. And in Seattle, the world’s biggest online retailer Amazon has opened its first physical – yes, physical – bookstore. It’s easy to suspect new ploys to attract revenues. Essena O’Neill was after all making good money selling advertising with her bikini-clad selfies, and now she is launching a website promoting veganism. Amazon wants to “integrate the benefits of offline and online shopping”. Still, in an era of hi-tech virtuality, it’s nice to remember the simple pleasures of “living in a 3D world”, as Ms O’Neill puts it. The internet has changed our lives but it isn’t, and shouldn’t be, everything. So here’s a cheer for a teenager’s rousing call for authenticity, for the serendipity of the good old bookshop, and for the beauty of a beautifully crafted newspaper held in one’s hand. Online is great, but unplugged life too has many charms.
