Now that the Democratic National Convention is done and dusted, it seems that all that is left for the masses to do is sit around and wait. Once November comes, and one of the “extremist groups” wins the presidential election, life will revert back to the normalcy of continually preparing for the next election.

Though the term “extremist” may have been dry cleaned and rebranded to define anyone who is simply in disagreement with policy, we have all learned from experience to just not bring the topic of politics up in casual conversation. And why should we? The woeful lower class, together with the woebegone middle class, should sleep soundly knowing that whatever the outcome will be, Microsoft and Google will still manage their lives.

Not saying that every single government agency runs on Windows (and most certainly not implying that Google Workspace is what education institutions turn to for data storage and classroom management), but the amount of time spent worrying about presidential nominees probably teeters on the unspoken truth.

Which unspoken truth? Well, quite simply the truth that neither candidate is going to be in favor of any policy that threatens their (or their donors’) financial interests.

So long Palestine, and hello artificial intelligence. Smiles abound on the Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance bandwagons because from that distance its impossible to see what everyday Americans are faced with. Efficiency benchmarks and approved lexicons might be fun times on the golf course, but tell that to a struggling single parent trying to live their life while caring for those dependent upon them.

Thanks to our benevolent executive leaders, the solution to every problem is the one-two combo of spin and distraction. Seen and unseen are the tactics of both parties, as their goods are hyped and their bads are not quite. When even the lies are difficult to swallow, turn to that ready-made resource that is sure to keep people from settling in to one grievance for too long: Though used as a medium for “positive” messaging and “uplifting” storytelling in the previous century, the omniscient and omnipotent screen device has now evolved into a Pavlovian (and dystopian) masterpiece exquisitely suited to unhinge.

Three years is quite a long time when one gives it a little thought. Having recently sworn my oath to become a member of the Greenfield Board of Health, I did what most people would have done in those circumstances: I chose to embark on a sure-to-be-despised path of regulating electronic devices. Not as smooth as a gin and tonic, hatred and disbelief are what I expect to encounter when I proposed that those under the age of 18 be restricted from having personal devices.

“What the heck am I supposed to do if my kid doesn’t have a cellphone? Spend time with them?!” Golly-gee never would I ever suggest such a thing. To bring up the topic of child cellphone addiction is to get uncomfortably close to the topic of cellphone addiction among everybody else.

Surely at some point in Greenfield’s history, at least one parent raised a stink over their child not being allowed to smoke cigarettes. Apart from the obvious comparables of being addictive and easy to hide from parents, cellphones and cigarettes both meet the criterion of when you limit their use, you infringe upon civil liberties.

How and why such a regulation would infringe will surely be vocalized in the months and years to come as I carry that banner through the onslaught of AI minefields and teleconference storm troopers. Ultimately, like everything else, nothing will be accepted by the people unless it meets the mandate (i.e., everyone can make sense of it).

Empathy and metadata may be all we have left as we baby-step closer to that fateful November day wherein all of the good guys will face all the bad guys in final electoral combat. If you support Kamala Harris, is it that impossible that Donald Trump would use the metadata of his followers and just parrot what they want to hear back to them?

And Trump supporters, is it beyond reality to suppose Harris is just using the tried and true Democratic promise-making to garner more votes than her opponent? Further and further division within our nation is totally so much easier when you can trigger someone’s feed with a disturbing quote or data point about the “other side.”

Would turning off our phones solve anything? There’s only one way to find out, but first, did you catch what _____ said about _____ ? OMG!

Amhad Esfahani lives in Greenfield.