"Digital Veil"

The Human Abstract is a progressive metal band whose music reflects the power of their lyrics. 

A couple days ago, I was listening to the song “Digital Veil” on their 2011 album, also entitled Digital Veil.  The following are some of the lyrics to this song:

Pull me from the gallows
Pull me from the gallows of this fibre optic nation
I cannot compute why, why we celebrate this mediocrity

Just let me download my
latest update right now
Just give me access to
my latest opinion
Now, now, give it now, now (give it now)

Unplug me from this fantasy
my eyes have seen the sun
Have we all become voyeurs
covered by this digital veil

Direct my mind
just keep me occupied
don't let me find
something that is worth my time

The album embodies the current nature of the way we use technology, illustrating the desperate attitude that comes with it.  “Digital Veil” is the perfect name for the song, claiming that our culture has blinded itself against reality by our incessant need to plug into technology. 

The words come alive when they’re coupled with the music, hitting hard on “hang me from the gallows of this fibre optic nation,” a powerful claim, that shows that the member of this band would rather fall from this world than take part in it masking itself more and more from humanity.

As a writer, it’s difficult to determine how much of this world I want to be a part of.  Do I want a twitter, a blog, a facebook, etc., to advertise and promote myself so that my readers can get to know and trust me?  Even then, is it worth gaining someone’s trust by typing words from behind a screen?  Is it worth developing vicarious relationships to gain support? 

Perhaps it is an unnatural and archaic thought to have in this time, but it does seem draining to me to commit to spending time creating a “digitial”, virtual world when I could be spending that time interacting with and experiencing new places and people and growing my writing.