Social and digital media is a bullet train, and that bullet train

“Social and digital media is a bullet train, and that bullet train is not coming home.” Thus spoke Howard Schultz, the visionary who transformed a humble coffee shop into a global gathering place. In these words, he does not speak merely of technology or commerce, but of change itself — unstoppable, swift, and eternal. His metaphor is simple, yet profound: the bullet train is progress incarnate, hurtling forward at impossible speed, heedless of nostalgia or hesitation. To say that it “is not coming home” is to acknowledge that the age we once knew — the age before screens, before algorithms, before digital voices filled the air — has vanished beyond recall. The world has leapt upon this train, and it will not turn back.

In the ancient days, when the first fires were kindled or the first sails caught wind, humankind stood at similar crossroads. Each innovation, each leap forward, brought wonder and fear alike. The wheel, the printing press, the telegraph, the machine — all were once new and terrifying. Yet each, in time, reshaped civilization. Schultz’s “bullet train” is the latest of these forces — the spirit of our age, born of code and connection. It races through the landscape of human life, altering how we speak, how we love, how we think. It does not stop to ask permission. It does not pause for the slow or the uncertain. And those who cling too tightly to the past will find themselves left standing in the dust of memory.

The origin of Schultz’s words lies in the crucible of modern business, where he witnessed firsthand how social and digital media transformed not only marketing but the human relationship itself. The digital realm blurred the lines between company and customer, between leader and audience. What once required years of reputation could now be made — or unmade — in moments by a single viral spark. Schultz, with the wisdom of experience, saw that this power, like the bullet train, could not be controlled once set in motion. It could be guided, perhaps — its tracks maintained, its speed adjusted — but never stopped. And so he spoke this truth not as lament, but as warning: adapt or be left behind.

History echoes this pattern. When Johannes Gutenberg unveiled the printing press in the fifteenth century, the world was forever changed. Ideas that once moved at the pace of rumor now traveled with the speed of ink. Knowledge escaped the cloisters of the few and spread into the hands of the many. The church, the crown, the scholar — all trembled before the power of this new voice. Some tried to halt it, others to harness it, but none could turn it back. Schultz’s “bullet train” is the same force in new form — not of ink and parchment, but of pixels and data, moving at the speed of light instead of paper. Like Gutenberg’s press, it has democratized expression — yet also unleashed chaos. It gives power to all, but wisdom to few.

Yet within this unstoppable rush lies both danger and possibility. The bullet train of social media carries us toward dazzling horizons — instant connection, shared knowledge, the power to inspire millions. But it also bears the shadows of distraction, division, and illusion. Those who ride it without mindfulness risk losing their way, mistaking the noise for truth, the motion for meaning. Schultz’s wisdom reminds us that we must not merely be passengers on this train — we must be navigators. To live wisely in this age is not to deny the train’s existence, nor to curse its speed, but to learn how to travel it with purpose, with clarity, with restraint.

Consider the tale of Odysseus, who sailed through seas haunted by sirens. Their song was beautiful, irresistible — yet deadly to those who listened without discipline. Odysseus, bound to his mast, heard the song and lived. So too must we bind ourselves — to truth, to values, to discernment — lest we be carried away by the siren song of endless content and digital vanity. The bullet train cannot be stopped, but it can be ridden with intention. The wise traveler understands its power, respects its speed, and remembers always that tools are only as noble as the hands that use them.

Therefore, my listener, take this lesson to heart: do not fear the bullet train, but do not sleep upon it either. The age of digital media is here to stay, racing ever faster into the unknown. Learn to master your attention, for attention is the new gold of the human spirit. Use the tools of connection to build bridges, not echo chambers. Let the speed of the modern world serve your purpose, not consume it. The bullet train, as Schultz reminds us, will not return home — but you, if wise, can find your home upon it, carrying the eternal virtues of patience, empathy, and truth into a world forever in motion.

For in every age of change, the foolish mourn what is lost, but the wise shape what is coming. Be of the latter kind. Ride the train, but do not let it drive you. Let your humanity be your compass, your conscience your map, and your wisdom your speed. For though the train will never come home, the heart that understands its journey will always know where home truly is.