Notification Pollution

A red alert popped up in the corner of my eye alerting me to ongoing activity from the guard just a few blocks away.

Police activity at the corner of Price and Schuyler. The area is under lockdown until further notice. All non-guard business is strictly forbidden. Failure to comply with ordinance will be seen as obstruction and dealt with accordingly.

With an exasperated sigh, I tapped the side of my head to clear the notification; all around me people did the same. Most looked annoyed, others seemed to barely notice the message. Most of the time, these notifications are just nuisances popping up in my line of sight, but today it meant I needed to find a different route to get home.

The overcast sky seemed to laugh at me with thunder, and I looked up in time to see lightning dance across a rapidly approaching storm cloud. “Mobi, I need different directions to get home, avoid the corner of Schuyler and Price.” A small loading ring circled in front of my eye for half a second and then a map appeared. It would only take a few extra minutes, but the looming storm made those minutes precious.

I started down my new path home. The streets were crowded with people all on their way home from work and trying to beat the storm. The streets were always crowded, but the added urgency made every step a practice in the art of saying “excuse me.” I self-consciously let my hand drift down to my messenger bag, holding the flap closed, lest some pickpocket take advantage of the crowd.

A few steps into my new route, I spotted a tall man with a long tan coat and wide brimmed hat. He was pushing through the crowd, without concern for those that got in his way. Even as I saw him approach, I knew I was in his path. I tried to step aside and nearly pushed a skinny woman walking with her child into the road. His shoulder slammed into mine and I lost balance, landing hard on my side. “Hey watch it, asshole!” I shouted, but he was already gone, disappearing into the crowd.

Mobi appeared in the reader in my eye, his bright blue face and ever-present smile unaware of my recent fall. “Stopping to take a break?” A friendly voice spoke in my earpiece. “Be sure to drink plenty of water! I’ll adjust your route accordingly!” The people around me kept walking, barely passing a glance at the young woman lying in the street. With a groan, I stood back up and adjusted my skirt.

I tapped the side of my head to dismiss Mobi, but after a few steps the reader lit up again. “Slight delay in route. Recalculating… New route found. Safe travels!” The new route required me to turn around and go the opposite way. I groaned again and closed my eyes, using my thumb and forefinger to pinch the bridge of my nose. Like the storm above, a headache began to rumble in my head.

I started on the new route, feeling frustrated and tired. Work was already long enough without the added trouble of walking home. Work was too crowded. The city was too crowded. The world was too crowded.

As I passed by a family-owned Jewelry shop, an ad popped up on my reader. A perky voice of a young woman exclaimed in my ear, “Wow! Just three thousand Sols for this beautiful locket! Say no to big box store jewelry and shop local! Come inside today. Financing available!” A silver locket with a bright red, almost glowing, stone spun slowly on the screen. I tapped the right side of my head to clear the notification. Just 3000 Sols… As if that wasn’t half a year’s salary.

After a few blocks, I turned down the next road and my reader lit up again. This time it was a picture of the man in the tan coat. “Have you seen this man? Tap left if you have. Dismiss this alert if you have not.” Almost thoughtlessly, I tapped the left side of my head. A loading ring displayed for half a second and then the screen flashed with a new message. “The Guard thanks you for your cooperation. Your last 15 minutes of footage has been shared.” I tapped the right side of my head to clear the notification. All around me became a mimic routine of people tapping their heads.

Suddenly a blaring siren filled the air as a ten-foot-tall Guard mech came around the corner. Vehicles hurried to try and pull to the side of the road to get out of its way, often in vain. A large ball made of bullet proof glass served as a cockpit for the pilot. It had four giant spidery legs that stepped over and around cars as it nimbly moved through the streets. Two long arms came off the sides with large claws that were so precise that they could just as easily screw in a lightbulb as they could crush a car. The pilot wore the standard white uniform of The Guard. A black rectangle with an off-center red line adorned both the guard and the mech.

The pilot sat stern and stoic, as was expected from any member of the Guard. He held a radio to his mouth and his voice came booming from an unseen speaker on the mech. “Be alert citizens! Do your civic duty and respond to all Guard notifications with the utmost urgency. Your prompt report is what preserves the sanctity of our people.” Most people spared a glance at the mech as it passed, but nothing more. I was no exception.

At the next corner, my reader lit up with a bright green notification. “Guard activity at the corner of Schuyler and Price has been cleared. Thank you for your cooperation.” I tapped the right side of my head to clear the notification. A few seconds later, Mobi popped up in my reader and said “Guard activity on the corner of Schuyler and Price has been cleared. Would you like to adjust your route?”

“Sure.” I answered and saw the loading wheel appear again. Mobi instructed me to turn around again, and so I did. I walked back down the block I had just come from and dismissed another ad about a new restaurant that was about to start happy hour drinks.

The thunder cracked, reminding me that I was running out of time if I wanted to get home dry. It was almost as annoying as the ads on my reader. I looked up at the cloud, now much closer than before. I pursed my lips and let out a frustrated puff of air, then picked up my pace a bit. I shouldered through the crowds and once again clutched my messenger bag.

After another block, my reader lit up again. “A new message from Tana on WeSocial. Read it?”

“Read it to me.” I commanded.

“Hey Jane! We are going to The Guardhouse for drinks! Hoping to ride out the storm. Come meet us!” Mobi’s cheerful voice read the message. The reader blinked and then a white exclamation point filled the screen accompanied by a notification chirp. “Guard Health Tip! Social activity is important for bonding with your fellow citizens and maintaining a positive outlook!”

I tapped the right side of my head clearing the health tip and message. “Mobi, respond to Tana.” The screen lit up with a blinking line, waiting for my message. “Hey Tana, thanks for the invite but I can’t make it. Sophie is waiting for me at home and I’m trying to beat the storm.” Then after a moment I said “send.”

Before the message sent, Mobi popped up on the screen. “Records indicate your social interaction has been low. It has been two weeks and three days since your last social outing. Guard health guidelines indicate you should strive for social interaction at least once a week. Consider taking this opportunity to ensure you are being the best you for your community.” I tapped the side of my head to clear the alert and reconfirmed that I wanted to send the message.

Ahead of me I saw a disturbance in the crowd. People began rushing to the sides, leaving a gap in the walkway, just as three Guards turned the corner. The Guards seemed indifferent, not reacting one way or the other to the parting. As they approached, the mass of people nearly knocked me to the ground for the second time today. I stood aside as best as I could and did my best not to make eye contact.

The Guard closest to me brushed my coat lightly as he walked by. As his shoulder brushed against my coat he stopped. The others stopped as well, without so much as a questioning look. He was young, maybe early twenties, and had eyes that glowed almost gold. “Apologies citizen, the streets are crowded, but I should still have taken greater care with your space.” He spoke in a monotonous tone that sounded like the prerecorded alerts that would frequently receive on our readers.

I stepped back and was surprised to find the people around me had cleared away. It was the most space I had around me all day. “It’s my fault. I should have made sure I left enough room for the honorable Guard. It is my duty as a citizen to ensure that you are afforded the utmost courtesy and in this I failed.”

For the briefest of moments, the Guard frowned, his mask of stoicism fractured. And then realization struck, and the rogue emotion was gone as quickly as it appeared. “As you say, citizen.” He lingered for a moment longer and then turned and continued down the street without another word.

For half a block, the people that witnessed the exchange kept clear of me. Taking advantage of the reprieve, I stretched my arms out as far as they would go. A smile touched the corner of my lips, enjoying the fleeting space. As my arms fell back to my sides, a new mass of people pressed in against me.

Another crash of thunder let me know that my time was running out. The people around were equally as worried as me. Some already stated pulling their collars up and raising hoods. The headache was just as close as the storm; a warning tremor rumbled in my head.

My reader lit up and Mobi’s face appeared. “A storm is fast approaching. Current pace and route indicate that you will not make it in time. Consider finding cover.” I cleared the notification and walked so fast it was almost a jog. Mobi popped up again. “Guard Health Tip! Walking outside in the rain increases risk of disease! When possible, try to stay warm and dry in bad weather.” I cleared this notification too and let out an audible groan.

Rain drops began to fall just as I turned on to my street. “Mobi, end navigation.” A warning popped up on the screen. “Ending navigation before you arrive at your destination can result in failure to arrive in a timely manner. Do you wish to continue?” I confirmed and then another notification popped up “Guard Health Tip! When using Mobi for navigation, consider leaving the navigation active until you arrive at your destination in order to ensure you safely arrive.” I cleared the notification and then Mobi lit up again. “Guard Status Check-in: Have you arrived home safely?”

“Yes.”