Yesterday I realized something that I'm certain is nothing new. People have become more concerned with their smart phones and the "cool" stuff they can do with them, than having a good conversation with the people around them, at that very moment. I was in my car and noticed that everyone was on their mobile device doing something at the same exact time. It felt very lonely, very lonely. I then realized that had I not been driving, I too would have probably been on my mobile device as well. I mean it appears that what used to be a fun and energetic environment of people sharing, talking, laughing and simply engaging with each other, seems to have turned into a game of double dutch ( try to get in when and if you can.)
Now I'm not preaching against smart phones, dumb phones, big phones or small phones, but what I am preaching against is the continued distance these devices can cause amongst family and friends many times without us even noticing it. We are simply not talking anymore, we are not bonding anymore, we are distracted with things that really don't even matter. Are we becoming robots? Are we only responding when data is entered into our data base? You say, "So what's going on with you, how did you like the cheesecake I gave you?" While totally engaged with their mobile device they say," Huh? Oh ummm, everyone is going to where blue to the picnic." After several attempts of trying to converse, you realize you're fighting in a war that you obviously aren't going to win, technology. "The Smart Phone." I mean it is pretty stiff competition, it's colorful and attractive, it's has all kind of cool things to do, apps to download, friends to connect with, ( even though you're there in person) noise it makes when playing a game just plain fun. And you, well you're just a dry boring person who is at this very moment hindering me from downloading this cool new app and I just missed out on responding back to a direct message on twitter because you wanted to know what flavor ice cream I wanted. OMG We're at the ice cream parlor for crying out loud!!! Put the phone down!!!
Well I know I won't be able to even start to compete against this very robust tool that seems to be taking over, but I will say my experience has made me want to focus on what matters most, my friends and my family. I can also say if it's not strictly business, must we be engaged in the smart phone every freaking minute of the day? Have we become so dependent on what a bunch of people in cyberspace are saying or doing that we no longer care or are interested in the people who are right beside us wanting to talk to us at that very moment? I thought about this real hard and decided , I want my family back, I want to see more than the top of my daughters head while she's texting or face-booking or tweeting on her smart phone. I want to laugh with my best friend more and not feel like I'm just talking to myself and only being responded to in order to keep the peace. I too will no longer be all engaged in this device, I will set time aside to work on my blogs, twitter, and face book posts especially when I'm with friends and family. Why do I say this? Well if anything, I mean anything happened to any of the people who matter most in my life, I want to at least be able to remember our last conversation and all the fun we may have had and not have memories of them trying to chat while I chose to tweet. Make time for the things that matter, it' feels good to see your loved ones eyes again.
In her article "Why I deleted twitter from my phone, Alice Gregory gives you more to think about check it out http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-deleted-twitter-from-my-phone-2010-7
Check out this article on protecting your smart device by Lee Allen with the Tucson Business because we do spend a lot of time putting our personal business on them http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2010/01/15/media_technology/tech_talk/doc4b4f5975df260163539228.txt
Now I'm not saying I plan to delete my apps, but I am saying I plan to not let my apps control me or keep me away from my loved ones.
Tinzley Bradford
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