On Digital Existentialism

Why an Overload of Information Isn’t the Gateway to Freedom

When you realize there is no universal way of experiencing it, you learn to kick back and enjoy the ride of life. But when you live in a world that is increasingly filled with ideas on how to tackle it, you tend to feel lost in the endless loop of perspectives being shot from all corners of the digital spectrum. The land of the internet.

A few days ago, I wrote an article focusing on whether we are getting unhappier as time goes by, which, for the most part, argues that we are. It is no coincidence that there has been an increase in rates of mental illnesses, particularly depression and anxiety levels, that have skyrocketed since the introduction of social media.

These sentiments are part of a condition that has surrounded humanity since the beginning of time: Existentialism.

With access to more information than ever before, we are prone to experiencing an increase in ideas, methods and examples of lifestyles that people recommend. Not that there is an issue with engaging with countless viewpoints, but when a single viewpoint tries to override the rest, then there is a problem.

What I’m doing right now, in writing this article, is doing exactly that. I am stating my opinion, and in doing so, trying to bring awareness to a matter. But so are millions of others. It is exciting, yet scary think about the amount of perspectives ready to be browsed through at the tip of our fingers.

So then, why should we care about the digital age and the effects of providing us with knowledge? Well, it’s not the knowledge that is the problem — it’s how we end up using it.

There is No Certain Truth

No matter how much we aim to solve the puzzle of life, we can’t. There are certain questions which we have not yet been able to answer. From the moment we are born, we are fed with an image of how life is supposed to be designed, painting the path for us which usually ends in some goal, such as a standard of success, happiness, or wealth.

When we grow up, we fall into either of these two directions:

• We follow peer pressure and accept a way of life that is not necessarily our truth, or
• We realize that there is no universal way of living life, and decide to design life on our own terms

In the current age, more and more people share their take on life and what they’ve learned, proposing that others follow their advice. People end up being given images of endless perspectives, most of which may not even correlate with their own personal experience.

Ironically, however, more individuals than ever before have begun to pull away from traditional, core beliefs passed on for generations, such as religious or cultural expectations of living life a certain way.

With more incentive to view life from various angles, we are starting to witness ourselves as owners of a unique angle of viewing life as well. We don’t inhabit separate bodies by coincidence — each one of us seems to be carrying their own truth.

A Companion to Existentialism

Fundamentally, no real question about life can be answered with 100% accuracy, and any idea on that is eventually drawn up as an opinion or an estimate. If we knew all the answers, we probably wouldn’t need to experience life to search for them.

When we have never been able to agree on a vital question such as the origin of humanity, how are we expected to agree on aspects of life such as the right way to start a business, or the right time to get married. Ideas are subjective, but the mass birth of information today is encouraging us to consider truths that do not arise from our personal perspective.

When we face countless streams of perspectives, we can get lost in the process of trying to find our own. By immersing ourselves in what someone else to say on a particular subject, we are, to an extent, abandoning any notion of our ability to have something to say on our own.

Sometimes, we may not find the answer we are looking for externally. Better yet, when we realize no one has the answer to anything on a certain level, we then need to confront a state of confusion, alienation, and abandonment also known as existentialism — the state of questioning everything.

There is No Cure to Existentialism

Existentialism, although being a condition humanity has known since it first came into existence, has been studied by a number of thinkers in the 20th century, particularly by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

In 1943, he wrote a book that defined existentialism at its best, entitled “Being and Nothingness,” in which he argued that life has no fundamental truth, and our existence is what precedes our essence. In other words, our purpose only comes from living life and making choices in it. Ultimately, the saying that “life is what you make it” isn’t far off.

The longer we live, the more influenced we tend to be by those around us, keen on copying what others have already experienced. But when we understand that there is no right or wrong way to live life, we naturally want to pause seeking verification from the outside and instead dive deep within us.

“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.” — Jean-Paul Sartre.

As humans, we lack the ability to tell if our choices are good or bad; right or wrong. It all comes down to experiencing life. The higher the experience, the more inward we tend to shift. Hence, I wonder, is it a coincidence that the oldest generation of people we know appear to be wise, by claiming that they regret not following their gut instinct all along?

No answer will ever be certain. Yet we still must live life and make decisions within it. If we have control over anything, it is our own thoughts leading to decisions.

Today, the internet allows us access to a list of potential solutions that, can not work for everyone. Eventually, no matter how wise an advice may seem, it is just that, an advice. When no one is able to provide us with the key, the best we can do is try to look for it within ourselves.

Final Thoughts

Existentialism suggests that we will always be on the quest for answers, but when we come to terms with the fact that our existence is ever-evolving, we realize that there may be no single answer. Perhaps that’s why we are here to experience life, so that we evolve by trial and error, bearing in mind that there is no destination.

“Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.” — Jean-Paul Sartre.

Ideas are subjective. When we realize that the content and opinions flooding the world, especially the digital sphere, are purely based on subjective experiences, we start to see that there is no recipe or guidebook to life. We are in charge of how to experience it, and if we know that there is no right way to, we eventually need to simply experience it to come up with our subjective solution.

Thank you for reading. 🙏

Angelina Der Arakelian

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