My phone is always in the Do Not Disturb mode. I never answer phone calls from people who are not on my list of contacts. I often put unrecognized numbers into the spam numbers on my phone. I delete messages from people I don’t know. I have removed access to most of my photos on my social media. I also block suspicious accounts that start following me online. I hide my online status while also being active online. I’m cautious about what I share these days too. Modern world, look at what you made me do.
Technology may have its benefits, but it has its negative effects too. I have no idea how all these unknown numbers have my mobile number. In the first quarter of the year alone, I received more than 300 spam messages. I have also gotten several calls from unknown numbers, some even international. I know well enough not to pick up these calls or reply to any of their messages. I block them all immediately after I get them. That’s not even counting the calls from the other messaging and call apps I have.
Getting too many of these calls and texts has given me so much anxiety that I have placed my phone on Do Not Disturb mode. The notifications happen too often and the sound has been stressing me out. It’s not a foolproof plan. Sometimes I miss out on calls that could be important. I know I’ve missed calls from a delivery guy or two and some probable HR calls from places I’ve applied to. I can’t leave those notifications on. It’s too much for me.
My line of thinking these days is that if that HR person wants me for the job, they will send a message. They could also send an email informing me that they will call. They should do that if they want to be better than delivery people. Their missed calls often result in text messages to identify themselves right after.
I recently decided to remove most of my photos on social media. I still post photos, but I prefer to keep most of them private. With the advancements in AI, I am concerned about what a person can do with them.
It’s sad that despite the benefits of technology, there is so much leading people into a culture of mistrust. Some use the tech to take advantage of other people, and it’s sad to learn about people who get scammed because of it.
There was a time when it was easy to make genuine friends online. These days, you need to be careful about doing so. With catfishing and AI, you never know who you’re really talking to.
Recently, there was a woman who was ranting online about her “ex,” who she said was a particular celebrity. Most readers figured that she was a victim of an online scammer. Someone who pretended to be the celebrity using a fake but verified account. But the unfortunate truth is that you can buy your verification these days so you could be talking to just about anyone and these people get away with it.
It seems the woman believed she was having a long-distance relationship with the celebrity. I can’t imagine how many people have had their feelings toyed with and hurt by scams like this. It’s hard to know who to trust with people like this everywhere.
I hope that technology, with all its advancements, can find a solution to all these issues. The companies with these issues need to do something about it.
I don’t know how anyone else is handling similar issues in their lives, but I am trying my best to be careful and safe. I may sound too cautious and paranoid, but this is the best that I can do given the situation.
My online status is now defined as this: available and online but not showing it. Sharing life but not quite everything. Is this cautious side my new normal? Why yes, it might be. I am starting to think that it is. If you are feeling as anxious and cautious as I am, this might be something you'd want to try too.
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