On/Off Experiment: Between Certainty and Serendipity

With the development of technology, we have gained access to an overwhelming amount of information through devices like smartphones and computers, and we’ve even grown accustomed to this way of life. While these devices bring us convenience, they also, in some way, pull us away from the present moment, diverting our attention to the virtual world and drawing us into a life filled with anxiety, and let we lose the ability to truly experience reality amid the flood of information.

So, I decided to spend one morning exploring Central Park with my Polaroid camera. It was my first time in Central Park, and unlike my usual habit of relying on online guides, I chose not to use digital maps. I turned off my phone and followed my curiosity, going wherever I felt drawn. In this park at the heart of New York, I saw many people like me, also were escaping from technology. They were cycling, rowing, sightseeing, falling in love... I suddenly realized that this escape was also, in a way, an escape from industrialization and urbanization, much like what this park itself symbolizes. I felt a sense of peace here that I hadn't felt in a long time.

At the same time, the Polaroid camera I carried follows a different set of rules from a digital camera. Advanced technology in digital cameras offers a sense of certainty, allowing photographers to repeatedly try and correct errors at a low cost, gradually getting closer to the ideal result, even approaching perfection. Polaroid, however, is different. It doesn’t have many modes or focal lengths, and you can only know if the picture turned out well after it is developed. This uncertainty made me think more before pressing the shutter. In the process of waiting for the film to develop, I experienced the anticipation of uncertainty and the acceptance of imperfection.

This time away from electronic devices allowed me to briefly step away from the anxiety of modern life, to truly be with myself and the present moment, instead of being lost in a distant virtual world. It felt like a mindfulness exercise, a brief escape from external messages and distractions, in which case I could focus on my breath and sensations in the moment. Returning to the present world, I could feel the breeze, the warmth of the sun, and the presence of those people physically around me, embracing the serendipity and surprises of life.