LOL – Movie
Joe Swanberg – 2006

This classic mumblecore movie follows three different characters and how their relationships are affected by technology. As a refreshing resource LOL provides a possible insight into ways your own tech manifests itself in your relationships. Are you the guy always on the phone or laptop constantly joking around with friends? The musical artist trying to connect with an internet girl while ignoring a real interest? Or perhaps the boyfriend criticizing nude pics of their partner? Regardless of the character you play in your own life, this movie depicts different ways relationships blunder in the face of technology. My favorite scene involved a male character sitting on the beach, talking to his buddy on the phone. He sits there in real time describing what is going on in front of him. His girlfriend is flirting with a guy in order to get his attention, make him jealous. The humor in it is that he chooses joking on the phone instead of tending to his relationship. Eventually in the movie the guy gets dumped. While allowing us to connect virtually, technology sometimes limits our ability to exist in the same time and place as other people. We choose the relationship through the device instead of the one that is right there in front of our physical face.  

As movies are consumed, lessons learned, and information gathered it is important to keep the physical momentum going. It is crucial when dealing with tech addiction to go for a walks outside. Get real fresh air and take a break from the phone-top for a little while.

The walk itself is not enough to change a pattern that has been plaguing you for 20+ years. Psychological changes typically involve an array of small practices in order to move from an unhealthy pattern into a healthy pattern. Little by little, step by step one gets closer to the goals. Recognizing yourself in one or all of the characters in the movie LOL can be a step in your process.

If you have not already, see the post Somatic Cinema for more info on the practice of watching movies with a different perspective.

This post was written and edited by the human Clark Williamson. There was NO use of artificial inteligence in the making of this content. For more on our policy and views on ai, see imagorefresh.com/techpolicy