The dominant presence of tech corporations.
The on-going displacement of the workforce by AI.
Escapism via digital spaces like VR, content streaming, and social media.

All staples of dystopian settings that used to be found only in sci-fi films and books - works of fiction that were meant to critique and comment on the ever-increasing role that technology is playing in society. Stories that were meant to serve as a warning for future generations. Today, not only are these things are real, but they loom large in everyone’s lives.

But the worst part isn’t that the dystopian aspects became real instead of the utopias that we were also promised in sci-fi. What's frightening is that people embraced the dopamine drips and doomscrolling with open arms.

I reiterate: with open arms. I know it sounds sad, but If you let that sink in deep enough, you might find that there’s a part of you that is able to laugh at just how much we have let big-tech into our lives.

Gettng this idea sink into people is what I hope to do with my cartoons Maddy The Merc and Welcome To Argonopolis. I think there is humor to be found with society’s addiction and obsession over technology. I hope that pointing out the absurdity in all of this can get us having the conversations that we desperately need to have to start overcoming this addiction. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying technology is a disease. I don’t think we should go back to sending messages using smoke signals, but I think we should talk about things like giving infinite-scrolling on social media apps the Old Yeller treatment.