Why slavery isn't dead

Every once in a while, I like writing about the subconscious mind and taking a break from financial analysis. Today, I watched a movie called CTRL featuring Ananya Panday — which showcases the dark side of technology. It triggered a thought in my mind which I couldn’t shake off — are we truly free? Or are we slaves?

Here’s my take on it.

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Monday morning 10 a.m.

You’re working on a super critical project that needs to be submitted tomorrow. You require unparalleled focus to generate lots of creative ideas. While you’re busy with the project, a thought surfaces from your subconscious mind:

Check your phone. See if anyone has liked that photo you just posted on Instagram.

You take a quick look at the phone beside your laptop — but resist the urge internally. You re-direct your mind to the task at hand. You need to f*ckin’ concentrate!

Just once. Just open the app. It will take only a few seconds. Then you can go back to work.

You look at the phone again. Without any awareness, you tap on it. You unlock it and you open the app to see how many likes you’ve got. ‘Ah, only 32 likes’. You check out a few reels. A few memes. After 5 minutes, it hits you. Got to work on the project! You lock the phone and you start working again.

A few minutes later, the same thought surfaces from the subconscious:

Sub-c: Check your phone. See if anyone has liked your photo.

Consciously: No, no. I got to focus on this project.

Sub-c: Come on, just a small peek. You’re not hurting anybody.

Consciously: But I need to focus.

Sub-c: But we need to get to XXX likes. And you love checking Instagram don’t you remember? Such a beautiful app. So goddamn aesthetic.

Consciously: Ah, what the hell.

(this conversation happens so quickly inside your brain (in < a second), that you’re not even aware that you’ve had these thoughts)

Result: Your hand slowly creeps to your phone, without any conscious awareness. You click it open. You check the likes on your pic. ‘Ah yes, Shanaya liked my pic 💕’

You watch something funny. You get a minor chuckle. You send a few DMs. All subconsciously. It is effortless. Automatic. You don’t even have to think about it anymore.

And that is how, my friend — most of us (me included) are caught in this vicious loop.

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A new form of slavery

While you’re reading this article, take a second and look around you. Chances are most people are immersed in their phones. Or their laptops. Or the TV.

Your mind now only takes a break when you’re sleeping. When you’re awake, you’re surrounded by electronics. Your mind is constantly engaged. You’re spending hours watching reels. Memes. YT videos. Reading news. Online meetings. Online games.

Constant consumption. Not a single second to waste. And this takes a toll on your mind. Especially your subconscious mind, which is the mind that controls your thoughts — and in effect majority of your routine actions / habits.

The subconscious mind follows patterns. When you do something over and over again, it becomes effortless. For eg. the habit of checking your phone every minute, or worse — every few seconds.

And while majority of the world is now free from physical forms of slavery — a new form of slavery is taking root at a fundamental level. Slavery, of the mind.

Attention is the new currency. Corporations. Content creators. Everyone is fighting for your attention — which keeps getting shorter every year.

You wonder why you can’t focus properly? Why do you waste so much of your time? The digital system is built, to enslave your mind. To keep it occupied into watching mindless reels for that mini-dopamine kick. To make impulse purchases. And ultimately, to influence the way you think.

And that’s how slavery begins, when your thoughts are not your thoughts anymore — but influenced by some external party.

Before you know it, you are so used to using all these electronics that you cannot live without it. You’re addicted. You’d literally go crazy if you were sitting in a cafe, all alone without your phone or your laptop. How would time go by?

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Can we solve this?

Ofcourse. The first step to solve any problem in life, is awareness. You need to first become aware [and accept], that this is a problem that you’re suffering with — which is a difficult thing to do, because it feels so normal right?

Its not really a problem if everyone is doing it.

But take a pause. I want you to think about this really hard. Can you spend a day without your phone? Can you spend an hour without checking Instagram / Whatsapp / other social media apps? Can you spend 10 minutes without seeing your phone constantly?

If the answer is NO — and you know the truth about your thoughts — you’ve got a problem.

And you can only solve it, by creating new habits. That’s the only way you can re-wire your subconscious mind. So it doesn’t tell you to keep checking your phone. Because, you can’t fight with your mind. It always wins.

What can you do?

Reduce your screen time. Immerse yourself in the act of creation, instead of constant consumption. Practice mindfulness. Be more aware of your thoughts. Spend more time thinking about why you think the way you do.

It is time, to take control of your mind [and your life] 🚀

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[P.S. I keep my phone in a separate room while writing articles, so that I don’t get that constant nag in my brain to check it. But just after completing this article, I did watch a movie reel. Long way to go!]