My Information Possessions: Living in a Digital Age

My Information Possessions: Living in a Digital Age


For more than twenty years, I have lived without a television—by choice, not by deprivation. I was never a couch-potato watcher, never someone who found comfort in the passive glow of a screen that talked at me. Instead, I have always been drawn to tools that invite participation, discovery, and creation.

As the digital world expanded, I found something that fit my personality in a way television never could: a universe of platforms that allow me to gather knowledge, shape information, express ideas, and remain engaged with the world on my own terms.

Today, I inhabit a landscape made up of tools that have become my information possessions—my personal library, studio, and workshop combined. Wikipedia, Wikicommons, YouTube, ChatGPT, X/Twitter, CapCut, WhatsApp, Telegram, e-books, Facebook, and Kindle publishing are all part of an integrated ecosystem that fuels my curiosity and creativity.

They are not distractions. They are instruments.

Wikipedia gives me a place to research, contribute, and uphold the integrity of shared knowledge. YouTube opens windows into global culture, music, history, and ideas. ChatGPT offers dialogue that deepens my thinking and helps refine my writing. X/Twitter delivers immediacy—a pulse of the world’s conversations. CapCut allows me to craft stories visually; Kindle publishing lets me transform ideas into books; and the messaging platforms give me community and continuity.

Instead of passively receiving information as television demands, I engage with information as a participant. I search, read, question, create, publish, and share. I explore my own thoughts and the thoughts of others. These are not merely apps on a device—they are extensions of my intellectual life.

This “new reality,” as some might call it, is not new to me. It is simply a modern expression of what I have always been: a seeker, a builder, a curator, and a storyteller. Where television asked me to sit still, these tools ask me to explore.

They fit my temperament, my curiosity, and my lifelong desire to understand, create, and share. They are my companions in knowledge, and they have replaced the television with something far more stimulating: a living, evolving digital world that I shape and that shapes me in return.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers go to the St Louis Jazz Festival

Image
WikiExplorers go to Senegal, a children’s story for ages 10–12, to learn about their shared history in music.  From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers Travel to Senegal   Ten WikiExplorers sat in a circle on the classroom floor in Harlem, laptops open, backpacks half-zipped, and ready to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Dakar, Senegal.  “Dakar is right here,” said Amina, pointing at the map on her screen. “And St. Louis is way up north,” Malik added. “It used to be the capital of Senegal!” They were traveling to Senegal to attend a jazz festival in St. Louis, a city known for its music, rivers, and beautiful old buildings. Their assignment was special: learn about the shared history of African and African American music, find knowledge gaps on Wikipedia, and help fill them—with words, photos, and interviews. None of the children had ever been to Africa before. But Africa didn’t feel far away. Research Before the Journey Before the trip, the WikiExplorers met ...
Read more

The WikiExplorers and the Brilliant Mind of David Blackwell

Image
An educational children’s story designed for ages 9–12 about a group of curious kids called the WikiExplorers , who take on a Wikipedia research assignment and discover the story of David Blackwell and his surprising connection to AI and NVIDIA . The WikiExplorers and the Brilliant Mind of David Blackwell Written for Young Readers | Ages 9–12 Once a week, in a quiet corner of the school library, a special group of kids gathered. They called themselves the WikiExplorers—because their mission was to explore, discover, and share knowledge with the world by editing real Wikipedia articles. The club had five members: Zora, the thoughtful writer Miles, the math genius Kai, the tech whiz Luna, the fact-checker Tariq, the big-picture thinker One Friday afternoon, their club advisor, Ms. Ocampo, arrived with a special assignment. “Today, WikiExplorers,” she said, placing a stack of printouts on the table, “you’re going to add new information to a Wikipedia article—about NVIDIA, the computer c...
Read more

What's missing in New York City’s current political conversation.

What's  missing in New York City’s current political conversation and race for mayor While much of the world — from Singapore, South Korea, and Finland to parts of Africa and the Middle East — is pivoting toward innovation-driven economies, many of New York’s current political candidates (including Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa) are speaking in reactive, not visionary, economic terms. New York City Needs an Innovation Vision The Global Shift Across the globe, cities and nations are redefining what drives their economies. They’re no longer relying on industrial output or traditional services but are building innovation-driven economies — ecosystems that combine research, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship to generate new industries and sustainable prosperity. Singapore has invested in innovation districts and research hubs linking academia with industry. Finland transformed its post-industrial economy through design, technology, and education. China and In...
Read more