MODERN MUTING

Your Inbox is Your Mind and It’s Under Assault

Each Monday, Julio Vincent Gambuto presents “Modern Muting” — a weekly Medium story series dedicated to helping readers step back from all the bullshit of modern life, create quiet, re-evaluate, then go forward boldly. It’s 500 words a week of “self-help meets the system.”

Thursday was a solemn and almost holy day. While it’s certainly not a religious holiday, as a national one Thanksgiving carries heavy spiritual weight. Our world moves at a million miles a second, so fast that it’s hard to take a breath to be thankful for all we have. Thursday was a day of reflection, of gratitude for all we have and all we have been given — if, of course, you and I could carve out a moment to do that between the kids running around, the sweet potatoes burning, and the relatives opining.

Friday through Monday? The invasion of utter nonsense. Inboxes all over the country are stuffed like that Thanksgiving turkey, with click-appeals from the Big Brands and endless messaging to not “miss out.” CNN is reporting on the best deals, as if 20% at Best Buy were breaking news. The pressure is on — online and off — to click, click, click, buy, buy, buy. Gone is the gratitude and the moment of pause. Now, consume more crap you don’t need. The American economy depends on you. If you don’t, you won’t be cool, your…