Humanity has the collective consciousness of the Borg. Today’s constant connectivity guarantees that everyone is in the loop, when it comes to the latest trends in pop culture, politics, and religion. Even boomers are familiar with latest slang terms; there is no algorithm, there is no Facebook feed, which is exempt from the lexicon of the cool crowd. We are all in with the “in crowd.”

Breaking news breaks in a nano second. No matter our location or activity, we get instant alerts on our devices when major events happen, like a celebrity death, political scandal, or outbreak of war.  

As a boomer one of the things I miss most about my halcyon days was the ability to disconnect. When I came home from the office, that was it. Work was done. There was a clear demarcation between work and home life. No emails from supervisors or colleagues. No text messages. No phone calls. I never received a call from a supervisor.  Any significant information they wished to convey would be addressed the following day.

Upon leaving my residence, I became inaccessible to telemarketers, colleagues, and acquaintances. Although my landline phone ringer was so loud and shrill, I could hear it when I was yards away from my front door.

If I decided to go hiking or camping, a nuclear war could erupt without me having any idea.  I did not have to worry about the world intruding on my quiet time.

The world is too much with us. There is no escape.