Today, I looked at the world around myself and found myself
both happy and sad at the same time. Why, you ask? In a word – technology.
I know that we have so many possibilities in our lives
because of technology. We are tuned in, turned on, and instantly up to date. If
you need to understand something, you turn to your smart phone. It is
incredible. It can keep track of your day, allow you to look up things you
don’t understand, help you translate languages you don’t speak, and lets you
follow friends/acquaintances/work colleagues via applications such as Facebook
or Twitter. It has almost magical,
mystical powers. In a word, that’s great. Or is it?
Is it a good thing that we are so technologically dependent?
Sometimes. Technology allows us to communicate with those far away, gives us
the ability to remain connected to those we love. It also allows us to manage
out time, keep track of our appointments or meetings, and do a whole lot of incredible
stuff. The smart phone gives us options,
gives us that step up from email – instant messenger! Text messages are also a
great improvement from email. Thank you, cell phone providers. Giving us
unlimited messaging and data allows communication to be instantaneous.
Those are the perks. Now, the downside.
I am saddened by the fact that two people can be together,
yet conversation is horrid because neither of them can leave their phones
alone. Is it impossible to be device free on a date? Do we even remember how to
talk to each other face to face? Imagine this: Two young people are on a date,
and he is ready to tell her that she is the only one and say those three little
words. He’s nervous, and has been rehearsing this for a while. She looks into
his eyes across the table, he holds her hand, begins to speak and
–bzzzzzzzzzzz. Her cell vibrates on the table. She looks away, at the phone,
and says “Oh, so and so is having problems. I need to call her.” What? He shifts
his eyes downward, and every bit of confidence he once had is now gone. Come
on!
When did we become addicted to our phones? It seems to be an
epidemic sweeping the nation. I can see both sides. All I can say is this: Take
time to talk – really talk. I know that your long distance connections require
technology for you to remain close, but I am referring more to physical
proximity. If you want to keep your friends, your family or your loved ones,
you need to know how to carry on a face to face conversation. What happened to
fun? Do we play games anymore? I am not talking about apps or Facebook. I am
talking about card games or board games. I don’t care that everyone is playing
that game on their phones. I don’t care that he’ll give you 10 lives so you can
keep playing. Interaction! Face to face interaction. Imagination! What of games
like Pictionary, Charades, or Dungeons and Dragons? Remember Mad Libs and the
giggling we all did once our words became the most ludicrous story in the
world? How about I Spy? What about the games that require physical interaction,
such as Hide and Seek, Tag, Duck Duck Goose, or Twister? Is the game genre
dead? I hope not.
The next time you are with a loved one, I want this little
rant of mine to come back to you. Instead of reaching for that cell phone,
reach for each other. If you are with a friend, remind yourself that you wanted
to get together with this person and be considerate. I know, I know – there are
times that it is important that you answer/look/react. If you think about it
though, is it really crucial? I’ll be dating myself a little bit, but remember
the days before cell phones? The world still spun, life still went on. Guess
what? It’ll still be that way. I am just as guilty as everyone else, but I try
to be conscious of it. I have had so many amazing experiences in the past 9 months. One
trip I took last year, I stubbornly refused to take a lot of pictures and post
them. The reason? I wanted that trip to be a special memory for me (and Duffy
too, of course) without sharing every detail. All of the trips Duffy and I have
taken are special, but those moments that are just between the two of us mean a
lot to me.
There is nothing wrong with sharing on Facebook or Twitter.
It is actually quite fun. The problem lies in when doing so overshadows
everything else, and sometimes overshadows the whole experience. Does everyone
really need to know all of your business, both good and bad? That’s for you to decide.
I am not bashing cell phones, smart phones, computers,
tablets or any other technological gadget. I did praise them at the beginning
of this rant. I am advocating one-on-one conversation, time spent together,
game playing (board and card – not emotional!), and physical activity. I
recommend reading books in whatever method you choose, even if it is
electronically. You have an imagination. Use it! You’ll find that once you flip
that switch, you won’t want to turn it off.
And that, in a nutshell, is my rant.
Until we meet again,
Angie
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