It has been awhile since my last post and I have been busy with job hunting and preparing for teaching in the fall. None-the-less, I have been working on the topic for this post for some time now, and as you can guess from the title, it is about the use of phones, and digital devices, in the modern world. However, before I get going, a bit of a disclaimer. For those of you that know me, or even those who have read my past posts, you know that I am a heavy user of mobile technology and I think not only is it an active part of our everyday lives, but also an important one. I think that the modern smart phone is an amazing tool that can help us do our jobs better, learn new & exciting things, connect with others, find information with ease, and of course entertain. It is with this in mind that I begin this post.
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Last month, while sitting at a performance at the Ukrainian Pavilion, during Mosaic, [Mosaic is a local celebration of culture, food and entertainment] I noticed three people playing on Facebook. While not out of the ordinary to see people using Facebook on their smart phone, it was a bit out of place to see the bright screens on during a performance. The three individuals, seated at the end of the table continued, off and on, to look at Facebook and rarely looked up to see the performers. Apparently, whatever was being posted on Facebook about other peoples’ lives and experiences was more interesting than actually living and experiencing something themselves. This is of course not the only time during the 3 days of Mosaic that I noticed people more interested in the virtual world than the physical one, but certainly the most glaring one, due to the ultra bright screens in the very dark room! After leaving that pavilion, I asked my girlfriend, “Why do we, as a society, prefer the digital world over real human interaction in increasing order?” The question, while left unanswered, reflects the notion that we have traded our standard interactions in for likes, comments, retweets, shares and posts. With this particular incident in mind, over the next several days, I found myself paying closer attention to how those around me interacted with each other, the environment and their digital device.
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The following week, while standing in line to get a coffee at Tim Hortons, I noticed a table of 6 construction workers (I knew they were construction workers based on the logo on their vests). While I stood in line for roughly 7 minutes, I watched as all 6 men sit in absolute silence, drinking their coffees and playing on their phones. I can count on one hand the number of times I noticed these men look up from their phones and since the line went directly past their table I was able to tell that in that time none of them spoke! Again, this is certainly not the first time I have noticed people ignoring those around them, instead focusing on the digital world, but with this topic already on my mind I was keenly aware of what these men were doing. I am not saying that these men are somehow wrong for using their phones, or playing a game (which the one I could see clearly was doing). I am suggesting that this is a sign of how far too often we forget that the physical world has interesting and exciting things to offer us, and the digital world, after all, was designed to support that physical world.
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Photo Credit: TheeErin via Compfight cc
The final encounter I wish to mention, which has become my motivation to finish this post and get back to blogging, occurred just today. I decided I needed a coffee after getting home this afternoon, but also decided I needed a walk, so I walked down to Tim Hortons and purchased a coffee. On my way home, I walked through a park near my home and stopped by the lake for a short while. While I was standing there I noticed two children, roughly aged 2 & 4 playing near the water. This at first caught my attention, as there was no adult with them, however after looking around I noticed a woman sitting on the grass. The kids played and the woman sat on the grass, eyes glued to her phone. I could not tell from where I was standing what she was looking at but it certainly must have been very important, because if it isn’t I am not sure how she could justify completely ignoring two small children near the water. I sat down on a bench for a little while and watched the water, the kids and this woman, and exactly as one would expect the smallest of the children decided to go into the water, falling over immediately after doing so. I hopped up, and shouted at the woman as I ran over to the kids. While they were not my children I certainly didn’t want to see the child hurt because he feel into the water! As it turns out he banged his nose on a rock and was bleeding, but his brother pulled him out of the water before I or the woman were there. The woman scolded the children for playing near the water and informed them that they are going home while she held a tissue to the boy’s nose. While it was probably not my place to say anything, I couldn’t help myself and I said “Maybe if you had been watching the kids instead of playing on your phone you would have noticed they were playing by the water!” She told me that it is none of my business, and she is right, it really isn’t, but she is very lucky that all that happened is a bloody nose and nothing more serious. As I left, I said to her, “I am not trying to attack you for this but I hope you see that something really bad could have happened. I am really glad that he is okay and that it is only a small scrape! Have a good day.” Her tone softened and she thanked me for watching and apologized to the kids. This is an extreme example, but it highlights the greater point that I want to make with this all. When we look down, at our phones, we miss what is happening around us. The smart phone is great but we need to look up and watch the performances, interact with our coworkers and watch over our children.
Photo Credit: NPR, NPR Facebook
Every year I take a technology vacation, which in the past I have typically done in February but was unable to this year due to the fact that I taking ECMP 355. During this time, I put away the cell phone, the laptop, the tablet, the internet, etc. I only use my beloved technology for work, during work hours, during this time. This year I have decided to take my technology vacation for two weeks in July, since I was not able to in February, and I will write a post about it after. I mention this because I feel that everyone should try to take a vacation from his/her technology. It gives you a wonderful perspective on the world that often gets lost in the average, tech-filled day. You will not have a cell phone to use as a crutch when in social situations; instead, you will be forced to look up and at those around you, engaging in dialogue or awkwardly sitting in silence with nothing to “play” on. I have found that many people immediately look at the phone when interacting in social situations, when they do not know what to say or feel they having nothing to contribute, as a sort of default social interaction avoidance tool. Others have become so used to looking down at the screen that they feel the need to, even when there is something or someone around them that could/should be interacting with. I challenge all those who read this to leave the technology at home, and if you are not comfortable with 2 weeks, as I do, try 1 week or even a day to start. The point is to help yourself remember that there things, interesting and important things, going on around you every day. Our social networks are designed to help us connect, not disconnect, which is sometimes forgotten when we log on instead of interacting. Go out, have fun, interact with others and build some stories that are worthy of being shared on your network instead of simply reading about others stories while you are out! Again, to close, I want to say that I think the smart phone is an important tool in life and education, and our social networks are a great way to share and take part in each other’s lives; however, my point is that all of these great benefits are meant to enhance the physical world not override it. So look up from your phone and notice those around you, maybe it just might be me standing in line next to you!
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