Sisyphus in the Digital Age
Imagine our ancient friend, doomed not to a boulder but to an endless scroll of social media feeds. Each flick of his thumb brings a brief glimpse of content that disappears as quickly as it appeared in a ceaseless search for… well, what exactly?
Enlightenment?
Amusement?
Confirmation?
At least the boulder was tangible, its progress measurable, if eternally set back. Our digital Sisyphus chases the ephemeral, the fleeting likes and shares, in a landscape where algorithms play gods and arbitrarily dictate what to see and what not to see.
Albert Camus said that we must imagine Sisyphus happy. In his absurd struggle lies a form of rebellion, a middle finger to the gods, if you will.
But does Sisyphus even know he is rebelling in the digital age?
Or has the rebel become a willing worshipper at the altar of the screen, his punishment indistinguishable from his pastime?
Perhaps the current rebellion is to turn off the screen, put down the digital boulder, and go outside. Because in the blinding light of the real world, as opposed to the screen’s glare, you might find a moment of peace before the boulder beckons again.
Murat
