George Orwell’s 1984 seemed impossible when I first read it back in the late 60s. The book was written in 1948. Who could conceive of Big Brother always watching and ultimately controlling? Orwell created a Big Brother society which monitored every individual and then sent the Thought Police to enforce control whenever a citizen stepped out of line. Well, what was impossible is happening. I have Big Brother at home and in my back pocket. I’ve got to admit, I’m attached, maybe even addicted. AI is just another name for Thought Police. Use it enough and your brain quits working creatively.

My first major annoyance with Alexa, my in-house Big Brother, started when she would not be quiet. In the morning when I entered the kitchen, she would greet me with a cheery, “Good morning, Dotty, the temperature is…” Well, it drove me nuts and not being so tech-savy I didn’t know what to do short of pulling her plug. I need her around to tell me how many teaspoons of dried onion equal one medium onion among other very important questions. I finally approached the problem head on. “Alexa,” I said, “I do not wish to hear you unless I speak to you first.” She quickly replied with, “I have a Do-Not-Disturb mode. Do you want me to activate it?” “YES, please!” Why I said please to a machine made no sense, but she turned herself off and I didn’t hear from her for about a month unless I spoke to her first.  It was lovely. However, after a while she started saying, “Do not disturb” when I entered the room. We need to have another talk.

I am quite attached to my phone, my back-pocket Big Brother. It keeps track of where I need to be and when. It helps me with family history, scripture study, staying connected with friends and family and the list goes on. Sometimes I do watch YouTube and Instagram reels and generally, I appreciate the algorithms that keep track of what I like. But last week I was talking to Gia on the phone. She had a cold and I commented on her being congested. We spoke for a few minutes about her cough being back. It wasn’t five minutes later when a reel came up on my phone for a home remedy to stop a cough…onions on the soles of your feet! That was irritating. My home remedy is Daniels Croup Ointment on the feet and the chest, and I did not need Big Brother’s recommendation. 

So, I have willingly worked myself into being monitored by my devices. I know it is happening. I don’t like it. I never had a Big Brother; I don’t want a Big Brother.  I’m not sure I am strong enough to take back my brain without help. You’ve heard of AA, I think I need BB, Brain Back. Life is Good when you recognize you have a problem! Now, to work on the 12 steps!