Celling Your Soul

As astute observers of the human condition, comics were among the first to launch a backlash against the growing reality that many people experience much of the world though their mobile devices. Joni Siani, an instructor at the New England Institute of Art, is moving beyond jokes, requiring her students to go through a “digital cleanse” for one week. Inspired by John Mayer (who coined the phrase “digital cleanse” as marking his own first step in recovering from some rough communications and PR patches in his life), Siani decided to pursue the cleanse idea after she saw how obsessed her students were with their digital devices. Young people admit to their “addiction” to mobile phones—checking on social media, sending their status updates, and experiencing events through tiny screens instead of their own eyes. Many describe it as a “love/hate” relationship. Some talk about mishaps with texting hurtful messages to the wrong people, and even sexting that went awry. Yet most were apprehensive about giving up their phones for any amount of time. Celling Your Soul follows students as they go through their digital cleanse, via log entries and post-cleanse interviews. It is interesting to see how their attitudes towards technology evolve when they are not tethered digitally. In Siani's words: “I believe that before we teach our children how to talk to a million people in a fraction of a second, we should first teach them how to talk to just one.” How likely or possible this approach might be is quite debatable, but the film does shine a light on a controversial aspect of contemporary life. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (C. Block)